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+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
+#8 in our series by L. Frank Baum
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+Title: Tik-Tok of Oz
+
+Author: L. Frank Baum
+
+Edition: 11
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+Release Date: June, 1997 [Etext #956]
+[This file was last updated on February 21, 2002]
+
+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
+*****This file should be named 08woz11.txt or 08woz11.zip*****
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+This Etext was prepared for Project Gutenberg by Anthony Matonac.
+Proofreading and corrections by Paul Selkirk, January 2002.
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+
+TIK-TOK OF OZ
+
+by L. FRANK BAUM
+
+To Louis F. Gottschalk,
+whose sweet and dainty melodies
+breathe the true spirit of fairyland,
+this book is affectionately dedicated
+
+
+To My Readers
+
+The very marked success of my last year's fairy
+book, "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," convinces me
+that my readers like the Oz stories "best of all," as
+one little girl wrote me. So here, my dears, is a
+new Oz story in which is introduced Ann Soforth,
+the Queen of Oogaboo, whom Tik-Tok assisted
+in conquering our old acquaintance, the Nome King.
+It also tells of Betsy Bobbin and how, after many
+adventures, she finally reached the marvelous
+Land of Oz.
+
+There is a play called "The Tik-Tok Man of Oz,"
+but it is not like this story of "Tik-Tok of Oz,"
+although some of the adventures recorded in this
+book, as well as those in several other Oz books,
+are included in the play. Those who have seen the
+play and those who have read the other Oz books
+will find in this story a lot of strange
+characters and adventures that they have never
+heard of before.
+
+In the letters I receive from children there has
+been an urgent appeal for me to write a story that
+will take Trot and Cap'n Bill to the Land of Oz,
+where they will meet Dorothy and Ozma. Also
+they think Button-Bright ought to get acquainted
+with Ojo the Lucky. As you know, I am obliged
+to talk these matters over with Dorothy by means
+of the "wireless," for that is the only way I can
+communicate with the Land of Oz. When I asked
+her about this idea, she replied: "Why, haven't you
+heard?" I said "No." "Well," came the message over
+the wireless, "I'll tell you all about it, by and
+by, and then you can make a book of that story for
+the children to read."
+
+So, if Dorothy keeps her word and I am permitted
+to write another Oz book, you will probably
+discover how all these characters came together in
+the famous Emerald City. Meantime, I want to tell
+all my little friends--whose numbers are increasing
+by many thousands every year--that I am very
+grateful for the favor they have shown my books and
+for the delightful little letters I am constantly
+receiving. I am almost sure that I have as many friends
+among the children of America as any story writer
+alive; and this, of course, makes me very proud and
+happy.
+
+L. Frank Baum.
+
+"OZCOT"
+at HOLLYWOOD
+in CALIFORNIA,
+1914.
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF CHAPTERS
+1  - Ann's Army
+2  - Out of Oogaboo
+3  - Magic Mystifies the Marchers
+4  - Betsy Braves the Bellows
+5  - The Roses Repulse the Refugees
+6  - Shaggy Seeks His Stray Brother
+7  - Polychrome's Pitiful Plight
+8  - Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task
+9  - Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless
+10 - A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube
+11 - The Famous Fellowship of Fairies
+12 - The Lovely Lady of Light
+13 - The Jinjin's Just Judgment
+14 - The Long-Eared Hearer Learns by Listening
+15 - The Dragon Defies Danger
+16 - The Naughty Nome
+17 - A Tragic Transformation
+18 - A Clever Conquest
+19 - King Kaliko
+20 - Quox Quietly Quits
+21 - A Bashful Brother
+22 - Kindly Kisses
+23 - Ruggedo Reforms
+24 - Dorothy is Delighted
+25 - The Land of Love
+
+
+
+
+TIK-TOK of OZ
+
+
+
+
+Chapter One
+
+Ann's Army
+
+
+"I won't!" cried Ann; "I won't sweep the floor. It
+is beneath my dignity."
+
+"Some one must sweep it," replied Ann's younger
+sister, Salye; "else we shall soon be wading in
+dust. And you are the eldest, and the head of the
+family."
+
+"I'm Queen of Oogaboo," said Ann, proudly.
+"But," she added with a sigh, "my kingdom is the
+smallest and the poorest in all the Land of Oz."
+
+This was quite true. Away up in the mountains,
+in a far corner of the beautiful fairyland of Oz,
+lies a small valley which is named Oogaboo, and in
+this valley lived a few people who were usually
+happy and contented and never cared to wander over
+the mountain pass into the more settled parts of
+the land. They knew that all of Oz, including
+their own territory, was ruled by a beautiful
+Princess named Ozma, who lived in the splendid
+Emerald City; yet the simple folk of Oogaboo
+never visited Ozma. They had a royal family of
+their own--not especially to rule over them, but
+just as a matter of pride. Ozma permitted the
+various parts of her country to have their Kings
+and Queens and Emperors and the like, but all were
+ruled over by the lovely girl Queen of the Emerald
+City.
+
+The King of Oogaboo used to be a man named
+Jol Jemkiph Soforth, who for many years did
+all the drudgery of deciding disputes and telling
+his people when to plant cabbages and pickle
+onions. But the King's wife had a sharp tongue
+and small respect for the King, her husband;
+therefore one night King Jol crept over the pass
+into the Land of Oz and disappeared from
+Oogaboo for good and all. The Queen waited
+a few years for him to return and then started
+in search of him, leaving her eldest daughter,
+Ann Soforth, to act as Queen.
+
+Now, Ann had not forgotten when her birthday
+came, for that meant a party and feasting and
+dancing, but she had quite forgotten how many
+years the birthdays marked. In a land where people
+live always, this is not considered a cause for
+regret, so we may justly say that Queen Ann of
+Oogaboo was old enough to make jelly--and let it go
+at that.
+
+But she didn't make jelly, or do any more of the
+housework than she could help. She was an
+ambitious woman and constantly resented the fact
+that her kingdom was so tiny and her people so
+stupid and unenterprising. Often she wondered what
+had become of her father and mother, out beyond
+the pass, in the wonderful Land of Oz, and the
+fact that they did not return to Oogaboo led Ann
+to suspect that they had found a better place to
+live. So, when Salye refused to sweep the floor of
+the living room in the palace, and Ann would not
+sweep it, either, she said to her sister:
+
+"I'm going away. This absurd Kingdom of Oogaboo
+tires me."
+
+"Go, if you want to," answered Salye; "but you
+are very foolish to leave this place."
+
+"Why?" asked Ann.
+
+"Because in the Land of Oz, which is Ozma's
+country, you will be a nobody, while here you
+are a Queen."
+
+"Oh, yes! Queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven
+women and forty-four children!" returned Ann
+bitterly.
+
+"Well, there are certainly more people than that
+in the great Land of Oz," laughed Salye. "Why
+don't you raise an army and conquer them, and be
+Queen of all Oz?" she asked, trying to taunt Ann
+and so to anger her. Then she made a face at her
+sister and went into the back yard to swing in the
+hammock.
+
+Her jeering words, however, had given Queen Ann
+an idea. She reflected that Oz was reported to be
+a peaceful country and Ozma a mere girl who ruled
+with gentleness to all and was obeyed because her
+people loved her. Even in Oogaboo the story was
+told that Ozma's sole army consisted of twenty-
+seven fine officers, who wore beautiful uniforms
+but carried no weapons, because there was no one
+to fight. Once there had been a private soldier,
+besides the officers, but Ozma had made him a
+Captain-General and taken away his gun for fear it
+might accidentally hurt some one.
+
+The more Ann thought about the matter the more
+she was convinced it would be easy to conquer the
+Land of Oz and set herself up as Ruler in Ozma's
+place, if she but had an Army to do it with.
+Afterward she could go out into the world and
+conquer other lands, and then perhaps she could
+find a way to the moon, and conquer that. She had
+a warlike spirit that preferred trouble to
+idleness.
+
+It all depended on an Army, Ann decided. She
+carefully counted in her mind all the men of her
+kingdom. Yes; there were exactly eighteen of them,
+all told. That would not make a very big Army, but
+by surprising Ozma's unarmed officers her men
+might easily subdue them. "Gentle people are
+always afraid of those that bluster," Ann told
+herself. "I don't wish to shed any blood, for that
+would shock my nerves and I might faint; but if we
+threaten and flash our weapons I am sure the
+people of Oz will fall upon their knees before me
+and surrender."
+
+This argument, which she repeated to herself
+more than once, finally determined the Queen of
+Oogaboo to undertake the audacious venture.
+
+"Whatever happens," she reflected, "can make
+me no more unhappy than my staying shut up
+in this miserable valley and sweeping floors and
+quarreling with Sister Salye; so I will venture
+all, and win what I may."
+
+That very day she started out to organize her
+Army.
+
+The first man she came to was Jo Apple, so
+called because he had an apple orchard.
+
+"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the
+world, and I want you to join my Army."
+
+"Don't ask me to do such a fool thing, for I
+must politely refuse Your Majesty," said Jo
+Apple."
+
+"I have no intention of asking you. I shall
+command you, as Queen of Oogaboo, to join," said
+Ann.
+
+"In that case, I suppose I must obey," the man
+remarked, in a sad voice. "But I pray you to
+consider that I am a very important citizen, and
+for that reason am entitled to an office of high
+rank."
+
+"You shall be a General," promised Ann.
+
+"With gold epaulets and a sword?" he asked.
+
+"Of course," said the Queen.
+
+Then she went to the next man, whose name was Jo
+Bunn, as he owned an orchard where graham-buns and
+wheat-buns, in great variety, both hot and cold,
+grew on the trees.
+
+"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the
+world, and I command you to join my Army."
+
+"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "The bun crop has to
+be picked."
+
+"Let your wife and children do the picking,"
+said Ann.
+
+"But I'm a man of great importance, Your
+Majesty," he protested.
+
+"For that reason you shall be one of my
+Generals, and wear a cocked hat with gold
+braid, and curl your mustaches and clank a long
+sword," she promised.
+
+So he consented, although sorely against his
+will, and the Queen walked on to the next
+cottage. Here lived Jo Cone, so called because
+the trees in his orchard bore crops of excellent
+ice-cream cones.
+
+"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the
+world, and you must join my Army."
+
+"Excuse me, please," said Jo Cone. "I am a
+bad fighter. My good wife conquered me years
+ago, for she can fight better than I. Take her,
+Your Majesty, instead of me, and I'll bless you
+for the favor."
+
+"This must be an army of men--fierce, ferocious
+warriors," declared Ann, looking sternly upon the
+mild little man.
+
+"And you will leave my wife here in Oogaboo?" he
+asked.
+
+"Yes; and make you a General."
+
+"I'll go," said Jo Cone, and Ann went on to
+the cottage of Jo Clock, who had an orchard of
+clock-trees. This man at first insisted that he
+would not join the army, but Queen Ann's
+promise to make him a General finally won his
+consent.
+
+"How many Generals are there in your army?"
+he asked.
+
+"Four, so far," replied Ann.
+
+"And how big will the army be?" was his next
+question.
+
+"I intend to make every one of the eighteen
+men in Oogaboo join it," she said.
+
+"Then four Generals are enough," announced
+Jo Clock. "I advise you to make the rest of them
+Colonels."
+
+Ann tried to follow his advice. The next four
+men she visited--who were Jo Plum, Jo Egg, Jo
+Banjo and Jo Cheese, named after the trees in
+their orchards--she made Colonels of her Army; but
+the fifth one, Jo Nails, said Colonels and
+Generals were getting to be altogether too common
+in the Army of Oogaboo and he preferred to be a
+Major. So Jo Nails, Jo Cake, Jo Ham and Jo
+Stockings were all four made Majors, while the
+next four--Jo Sandwich, Jo Padlocks, Jo Sundae and
+Jo Buttons--were appointed Captains of the Army.
+
+But now Queen Ann was in a quandary. There
+remained but two other men in all Oogaboo,
+and if she made these two Lieutenants, while
+there were four Captains, four Majors, four
+Colonels and four Generals, there was likely to
+be jealousy in her army, and perhaps mutiny
+and desertions.
+
+One of these men, however, was Jo Candy, and he
+would not go at all. No promises could tempt him,
+nor could threats move him. He said he must remain
+at home to harvest his crop of jackson-balls,
+lemon-drops, bonbons and chocolate-creams. Also he
+had large fields of crackerjack and buttered
+pop corn to be mowed and threshed, and he was
+determined not to disappoint the children of
+Oogaboo by going away to conquer the world and so
+let the candy crop spoil.
+
+Finding Jo Candy so obstinate, Queen Ann
+let him have his own way and continued her
+journey to the house of the eighteenth and last
+man in Oogaboo, who was a young fellow
+named Jo Files. This Files had twelve trees
+which bore steel files of various sorts; but also
+he had nine book-trees, on which grew a choice
+selection of story-books. In case you have never
+seen books growing upon trees, I will explain
+that those in Jo Files' orchard were enclosed
+in broad green husks which, when fully ripe,
+turned to a deep red color. Then the books were
+picked and husked and were ready to read. If
+they were picked too soon, the stories were found
+to be confused and uninteresting and the spelling
+bad. However, if allowed to ripen perfectly, the
+stories were fine reading and the spelling and
+grammar excellent.
+
+Files freely gave his books to all who wanted
+them, but the people of Oogaboo cared little for
+books and so he had to read most of them himself,
+before they spoiled. For, as you probably know, as
+soon as the books were read the words disappeared
+and the leaves withered and faded--which is the
+worst fault of all books which grow upon trees.
+
+When Queen Ann spoke to this young man Files,
+who was both intelligent and ambitious, he said he
+thought it would be great fun to conquer the
+world. But he called her attention to the fact
+that he was far superior to the other men of her
+army. Therefore, he would not be one of her
+Generals or Colonels or Majors or Captains, but
+claimed the honor of being sole Private.
+
+Ann did not like this idea at all.
+
+"I hate to have a Private Soldier in my army,"
+she said; "they're so common. I am told that
+Princess Ozma once had a private soldier, but
+she made him her Captain-General, which is
+good evidence that the private was unnecessary."
+
+"Ozma's army doesn't fight," returned Files;
+"but your army must fight like fury in order to
+conquer the world. I have read in my books that it
+is always the private soldiers who do the
+fighting, for no officer is ever brave enough to
+face the foe. Also, it stands to reason that your
+officers must have some one to command and to
+issue their orders to; therefore I'll be the one.
+I long to slash and slay the enemy and become a
+hero. Then, when we return to Oogaboo, I'll take
+all the marbles away from the children and melt
+them up and make a marble statue of myself for all
+to look upon and admire."
+
+Ann was much pleased with Private Files. He
+seemed indeed to be such a warrior as she needed
+in her enterprise, and her hopes of success took
+a sudden bound when Files told her he knew
+where a gun-tree grew and would go there at
+once and pick the ripest and biggest musket the
+tree bore.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Two
+
+Out of Oogaboo
+
+
+Three days later the Grand Army of Oogaboo
+assembled in the square in front of the royal
+palace. The sixteen officers were attired in
+gorgeous uniforms and carried sharp, glittering
+swords. The Private had picked his gun and,
+although it was not a very big weapon, Files tried
+to look fierce and succeeded so well that all his
+commanding officers were secretly afraid of him.
+
+The women were there, protesting that Queen Ann
+Soforth had no right to take their husbands and
+fathers from them; but Ann commanded them to keep
+silent, and that was the hardest order to obey
+they had ever received.
+
+The Queen appeared before her Army dressed in an
+imposing uniform of green, covered with gold
+braid. She wore a green soldier-cap with a purple
+plume in it and looked so royal and dignified that
+everyone in Oogaboo except the Army was glad she
+was going. The Army was sorry she was not going
+alone.
+
+"Form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice.
+
+Salye leaned out of the palace window and
+laughed.
+
+"I believe your Army can run better than it can
+fight," she observed.
+
+"Of course," replied General Bunn, proudly.
+"We're not looking for trouble, you know, but for
+plunder. The more plunder and the less fighting we
+get, the better we shall like our work."
+
+"For my part," said Files, "I prefer war and
+carnage to anything. The only way to become
+a hero is to conquer, and the story-books all say
+that the easiest way to conquer is to fight."
+
+"That's the idea, my brave man!" agreed Ann. "To
+fight is to conquer and to conquer is to secure
+plunder and to secure plunder is to become a hero.
+With such noble determination to back me, the
+world is mine! Good-bye, Salye. When we return we
+shall be rich and famous. Come, Generals; let us
+march."
+
+At this the Generals straightened up and threw
+out their chests. Then they swung their glittering
+swords in rapid circles and cried to the Colonels:
+
+"For-ward March!"
+
+Then the Colonels shouted to the Majors: 
+"For-ward March!" and the Majors yelled to the
+Captains: "For-ward March!" and the Captains
+screamed to the Private:
+
+"For-ward March!"
+
+So Files shouldered his gun and began to march,
+and all the officers followed after him. Queen Ann
+came last of all, rejoicing in her noble army and
+wondering why she had not decided long ago to
+conquer the world.
+
+In this order the procession marched out of
+Oogaboo and took the narrow mountain pass
+which led into the lovely Fairyland of Oz.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Three
+
+Magic Mystifies the Marchers
+
+
+Princess Ozma was all unaware that the Army of
+Oogaboo, led by their ambitious Queen, was
+determined to conquer her Kingdom. The beautiful
+girl Ruler of Oz was busy with the welfare of her
+subjects and had no time to think of Ann Soforth
+and her disloyal plans. But there was one who
+constantly guarded the peace and happiness of the
+Land of Oz and this was the Official Sorceress of
+the Kingdom, Glinda the Good.
+
+In her magnificent castle, which stands far
+north of the Emerald City where Ozma holds her
+court, Glinda owns a wonderful magic Record Book,
+in which is printed every event that takes place
+anywhere, just as soon as it happens.
+
+The smallest things and the biggest things are
+all recorded in this book. If a child stamps its
+foot in anger, Glinda reads about it; if a city
+burns down, Glinda finds the fact noted in her
+book.
+
+The Sorceress always reads her Record Book every
+day, and so it was she knew that Ann Soforth,
+Queen of Oogaboo, had foolishly assembled an army
+of sixteen officers and one private soldier, with
+which she intended to invade and conquer the Land
+of Oz.
+
+There was no danger but that Ozma, supported by
+the magic arts of Glinda the Good and the powerful
+Wizard of Oz--both her firm friends--could easily
+defeat a far more imposing army than Ann's; but it
+would be a shame to have the peace of Oz
+interrupted by any sort of quarreling or fighting.
+So Glinda did not even mention the matter to Ozma,
+or to anyone else. She merely went into a great
+chamber of her castle, known as the Magic Room,
+where she performed a magical ceremony which
+caused the mountain pass that led from Oogaboo to
+make several turns and twists. The result was that
+when Ann and her army came to the end of the pass
+they were not in the Land of Oz at all, but in an
+adjoining territory that was quite distinct from
+Ozma's domain and separated from Oz by an
+invisible barrier.
+
+As the Oogaboo people emerged into this country,
+the pass they had traversed disappeared behind
+them and it was not likely they would ever find
+their way back into the valley of Oogaboo. They
+were greatly puzzled, indeed, by their
+surroundings and did not know which way to go.
+None of them had ever visited Oz, so it took them
+some time to discover they were not in Oz at all,
+but in an unknown country.
+
+"Never mind," said Ann, trying to conceal her
+disappointment; "we have started out to conquer
+the world, and here is part of it. In time, as we
+pursue our victorious journey, we will doubtless
+come to Oz; but, until we get there, we may as
+well conquer whatever land we find ourselves in."
+
+"Have we conquered this place, Your Majesty?"
+anxiously inquired Major Cake.
+
+"Most certainly," said Ann. "We have met no
+people, as yet, but when we do, we will inform
+them that they are our slaves."
+
+"And afterward we will plunder them of all
+their possessions," added General Apple.
+
+"They may not possess anything," objected
+Private Files; "but I hope they will fight us,
+just the same. A peaceful conquest wouldn't be any
+fun at all."
+
+"Don't worry," said the Queen. "We can fight,
+whether our foes do or not; and perhaps we would
+find it more comfortable to have the enemy
+surrender promptly."
+
+It was a barren country and not very pleasant to
+travel in. Moreover, there was little for them to
+eat, and as the officers became hungry they became
+fretful. Many would have deserted had they been
+able to find their way home, but as the Oogaboo
+people were now hopelessly lost in a strange
+country they considered it more safe to keep
+together than to separate.
+
+Queen Ann's temper, never very agreeable, became
+sharp and irritable as she and her army tramped
+over the rocky roads without encountering either
+people or plunder. She scolded her officers until
+they became surly, and a few of them were disloyal
+enough to ask her to hold her tongue. Others began
+to reproach her for leading them into difficulties
+and in the space of three unhappy days every man
+was mourning for his orchard in the pretty valley
+of Oogaboo.
+
+Files, however, proved a different sort. The
+more difficulties he encountered the more cheerful
+he became, and the sighs of the officers were
+answered by the merry whistle of the Private. His
+pleasant disposition did much to encourage Queen
+Ann and before long she consulted the Private
+Soldier more often than she did his superiors.
+
+It was on the third day of their pilgrimage
+that they encountered their first adventure.
+Toward evening the sky was suddenly darkened
+and Major Nails exclaimed:
+
+"A fog is coming toward us."
+
+"I do not think it is a fog," replied Files,
+looking with interest at the approaching cloud.
+"It seems to me more like the breath of a Rak."
+
+"What is a Rak?" asked Ann, looking about
+fearfully.
+
+"A terrible beast with a horrible appetite,"
+answered the soldier, growing a little paler than
+usual. "I have never seen a Rak, to be sure, but I
+have read of them in the story-books that grew in
+my orchard, and if this is indeed one of those
+fearful monsters, we are not likely to conquer the
+world."
+
+Hearing this, the officers became quite worried
+and gathered closer about their soldier.
+
+"What is the thing like?" asked one.
+
+"The only picture of a Rak that I ever saw in a
+book was rather blurred," said Files, "because the
+book was not quite ripe when it was picked. But
+the creature can fly in the air and run like a
+deer and swim like a fish. Inside its body is a
+glowing furnace of fire, and the Rak breathes in
+air and breathes out smoke, which darkens the sky
+for miles around, wherever it goes. It is bigger
+than a hundred men and feeds on any living thing."
+
+The officers now began to groan and to tremble,
+but Files tried to cheer them, saying:
+
+"It may not be a Rak, after all, that we see
+approaching us, and you must not forget that we
+people of Oogaboo, which is part of the fairyland
+of Oz, cannot be killed."
+
+"Nevertheless," said Captain Buttons, "if the
+Rak catches us, and chews us up into small pieces,
+and swallows us--what will happen then?"
+
+"Then each small piece will still be alive,"
+declared Files.
+
+"I cannot see how that would help us," wailed
+Colonel Banjo. "A hamburger steak is a hamburger
+steak, whether it is alive or not!"
+
+"I tell you, this may not be a Rak," persisted
+Files. "We will know, when the cloud gets nearer,
+whether it is the breath of a Rak or not. If it
+has no smell at all, it is probably a fog; but if
+it has an odor of salt and pepper, it is a Rak and
+we must prepare for a desperate fight."
+
+They all eyed the dark cloud fearfully. Before
+long it reached the frightened group and began
+to envelop them. Every nose sniffed the cloud--
+and every one detected in it the odor of salt and
+pepper.
+
+"The Rak!" shouted Private Files, and with a
+howl of despair the sixteen officers fell to the
+ground, writhing and moaning in anguish.
+Queen Ann sat down upon a rock and faced the
+cloud more bravely, although her heart was beating
+fast. As for Files, he calmly loaded his gun
+and stood ready to fight the foe, as a soldier
+should.
+
+They were now in absolute darkness, for the
+cloud which covered the sky and the setting sun
+was black as ink. Then through the gloom appeared
+two round, glowing balls of red, and Files at once
+decided these must be the monster's eyes.
+
+He raised his gun, took aim and fired.
+
+There were several bullets in the gun, all
+gathered from an excellent bullet-tree in Oogaboo,
+and they were big and hard. They flew toward the
+monster and struck it, and with a wild, weird cry
+the Rak came fluttering down and its huge body
+fell plump upon the forms of the sixteen officers,
+who thereupon screamed louder than before.
+
+"Badness me!" moaned the Rak. "See what
+you've done with that dangerous gun of yours!"
+
+"I can't see," replied Files, "for the cloud
+formed by your breath darkens my sight!"
+
+"Don't tell me it was an accident," continued
+the Rak, reproachfully, as it still flapped its
+wings in a helpless manner. "Don't claim you
+didn't know the gun was loaded, I beg of you!"
+
+"I don't intend to," replied Files. "Did the
+bullets hurt you very badly?"
+
+"One has broken my jaw, so that I can't open
+my mouth. You will notice that my voice sounds
+rather harsh and husky, because I have to talk
+with my teeth set close together. Another bullet
+broke my left wing, so that I can't fly; and still
+another broke my right leg, so that I can't walk.
+It was the most careless shot I ever heard of!"
+
+"Can't you manage to lift your body off from
+my commanding officers?" inquired Files. "From
+their cries I'm afraid your great weight is
+crushing them."
+
+"I hope it is," growled the Rak. "I want to
+crush them, if possible, for I have a bad
+disposition. If only I could open my mouth, I'd
+eat all of you, although my appetite is poorly
+this warm weather."
+
+With this the Rak began to roll its immense
+body sidewise, so as to crush the officers more
+easily; but in doing this it rolled completely off
+from them and the entire sixteen scrambled to
+their feet and made off as fast as they could run.
+
+Private Files could not see them go but he
+knew from the sound of their voices that they had
+escaped, so he ceased to worry about them.
+
+"Pardon me if I now bid you good-bye," he
+said to the Rak. "The parting is caused by our
+desire to continue our journey. If you die, do
+not blame me, for I was obliged to shoot you
+as a matter of self-protection."
+
+"I shall not die," answered the monster, "for I
+bear a charmed life. But I beg you not to leave
+me!"
+
+"Why not?" asked Files.
+
+"Because my broken jaw will heal in about an
+hour, and then I shall be able to eat you. My wing
+will heal in a day and my leg will heal in a week,
+when I shall be as well as ever. Having shot me,
+and so caused me all this annoyance, it is only
+fair and just that you remain here and allow me to
+eat you as soon as I can open my jaws."
+
+"I beg to differ with you," returned the soldier
+firmly. "I have made an engagement with Queen
+Ann of Oogaboo to help her conquer the world,
+and I cannot break my word for the sake of being
+eaten by a Rak."
+
+"Oh; that's different," said the monster. "If
+you've an engagement, don't let me detain you."
+
+So Files felt around in the dark and grasped
+the hand of the trembling Queen, whom he led
+away from the flapping, sighing Rak. They
+stumbled over the stones for a way but presently
+began to see dimly the path ahead of them, as
+they got farther and farther away from the
+dreadful spot where the wounded monster lay.
+By and by they reached a little hill and could
+see the last rays of the sun flooding a pretty
+valley beyond, for now they had passed beyond
+the cloudy breath of the Rak. Here were huddled
+the sixteen officers, still frightened and panting
+from their run. They had halted only because
+it was impossible for them to run any farther.
+
+Queen Ann gave them a severe scolding for
+their cowardice, at the same time praising Files
+for his courage.
+
+"We are wiser than he, however," muttered
+General Clock, "for by running away we are
+now able to assist Your Majesty in conquering
+the world; whereas, had Files been eaten by the
+Rak, he would have deserted your Army."
+
+After a brief rest they descended into the
+valley, and as soon as they were out of sight of
+the Rak the spirits of the entire party rose
+quickly. Just at dusk they came to a brook, on
+the banks of which Queen Ann commanded
+them to make camp for the night.
+
+Each officer carried in his pocket a tiny white
+tent. This, when placed upon the ground, quickly
+grew in size until it was large enough to permit
+the owner to enter it and sleep within its canvas
+walls. Files was obliged to carry a knapsack, in
+which was not only his own tent but an elaborate
+pavilion for Queen Ann, besides a bed and chair
+and a magic table. This table, when set upon the
+ground in Ann's pavilion, became of large size,
+and in a drawer of the table was contained the
+Queen's supply of extra clothing, her manicure and
+toilet articles and other necessary things. The
+royal bed was the only one in the camp, the
+officers and private sleeping in hammocks attached
+to their tent poles.
+
+There was also in the knapsack a flag bearing
+the royal emblem of Oogaboo, and this flag Files
+flew upon its staff every night, to show that the
+country they were in had been conquered by the
+Queen of Oogaboo. So far, no one but themselves
+had seen the flag, but Ann was pleased to see it
+flutter in the breeze and considered herself
+already a famous conqueror.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Four
+
+Betsy Braves the Billows
+
+
+The waves dashed and the lightning flashed and the
+thunder rolled and the ship struck a rock. Betsy
+Bobbin was running across the deck and the shock
+sent her flying through the air until she fell
+with a splash into the dark blue water. The same
+shock caught Hank, a thin little, sad-faced mule,
+and tumbled him also into the sea, far from the
+ship's side.
+
+When Betsy came up, gasping for breath because
+the wet plunge had surprised her, she reached out
+in the dark and grabbed a bunch of hair. At first
+she thought it was the end of a rope, but
+presently she heard a dismal "Hee-haw!" and knew
+she was holding fast to the end of Hank's tail.
+
+Suddenly the sea was lighted up by a vivid
+glare. The ship, now in the far distance, caught
+fire, blew up and sank beneath the waves.
+
+Betsy shuddered at the sight, but just then
+her eye caught a mass of wreckage floating near
+her and she let go the mule's tail and seized the
+rude raft, pulling herself up so that she rode
+upon it in safety. Hank also saw the raft and
+swam to it, but he was so clumsy he never would
+have been able to climb upon it had not Betsy
+helped him to get aboard.
+
+They had to crowd close together, for their
+support was only a hatch-cover torn from the
+ship's deck; but it floated them fairly well and
+both the girl and the mule knew it would keep
+them from drowning.
+
+The storm was not over, by any means, when the
+ship went down. Blinding bolts of lightning shot
+from cloud to cloud and the clamor of deep
+thunderclaps echoed far over the sea. The waves
+tossed the little raft here and there as a child
+tosses a rubber ball and Betsy had a solemn
+feeling that for hundreds of watery miles in every
+direction there was no living thing besides
+herself and the small donkey.
+
+Perhaps Hank had the same thought, for he gently
+rubbed his nose against the frightened girl and
+said "Hee-haw!" in his softest voice, as if to
+comfort her.
+
+"You'll protect me, Hank dear, won't you?" she
+cried helplessly, and the mule said "Hee-haw!"
+again, in tones that meant a promise.
+
+On board the ship, during the days that preceded
+the wreck, when the sea was calm, Betsy and Hank
+had become good friends; so, while the girl might
+have preferred a more powerful protector in this
+dreadful emergency, she felt that the mule would
+do all in a mule's power to guard her safety.
+
+All night they floated, and when the storm had
+worn itself out and passed away with a few distant
+growls, and the waves had grown smaller and easier
+to ride, Betsy stretched herself out on the wet
+raft and fell asleep.
+
+Hank did not sleep a wink. Perhaps he felt it
+his duty to guard Betsy. Anyhow, he crouched
+on the raft beside the tired sleeping girl and
+watched patiently until the first light of dawn
+swept over the sea.
+
+The light wakened Betsy Bobbin. She sat up,
+rubbed her eyes and stared across the water.
+
+"Oh, Hank; there's land ahead!" she exclaimed.
+
+"Hee-haw!" answered Hank in his plaintive voice.
+
+The raft was floating swiftly toward a very
+beautiful country and as they drew near Betsy
+could see banks of lovely flowers showing brightly
+between leafy trees. But no people were to be seen
+at all.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Five
+
+The Roses Repulse the Refugees
+
+
+Gently the raft grated on the sandy beach. Then
+Betsy easily waded ashore, the mule following
+closely behind her. The sun was now shining and
+the air was warm and laden with the fragrance of
+roses.
+
+"I'd like some breakfast, Hank," remarked the
+girl, feeling more cheerful now that she was on
+dry land; "but we can't eat the flowers, although
+they do smell mighty good."
+
+"Hee-haw!" replied Hank and trotted up a little
+pathway to the top of the bank.
+
+Betsy followed and from the eminence looked
+around her. A little way off stood a splendid big
+greenhouse, its thousands of crystal panes
+glittering in the sunlight.
+
+"There ought to be people somewhere 'round,"
+observed Betsy thoughtfully; "gardeners, or
+somebody. Let's go and see, Hank. I'm getting
+hungrier ev'ry minute."
+
+So they walked toward the great greenhouse and
+came to its entrance without meeting with anyone
+at all. A door stood ajar, so Hank went in first,
+thinking if there was any danger he could back out
+and warn his companion. But Betsy was close at his
+heels and the moment she entered was lost in
+amazement at the wonderful sight she saw.
+
+The greenhouse was filled with magnificent
+rosebushes, all growing in big pots. On the
+central stem of each bush bloomed a splendid Rose,
+gorgeously colored and deliciously fragrant, and
+in the center of each Rose was the face of a
+lovely girl.
+
+As Betsy and Hank entered, the heads of the
+Roses were drooping and their eyelids were closed
+in slumber; but the mule was so amazed that he
+uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" and at the sound of his
+harsh voice the rose leaves fluttered, the Roses
+raised their heads and a hundred startled eyes
+were instantly fixed upon the intruders.
+
+"I--I beg your pardon!" stammered Betsy,
+blushing and confused.
+
+"O-o-o-h!" cried the Roses, in a sort of sighing
+chorus; and one of them added: "What a horrid
+noise!"
+
+"Why, that was only Hank," said Betsy, and as if
+to prove the truth of her words the mule uttered
+another loud "Hee-haw!"
+
+At this all the Roses turned on their stems as
+far as they were able and trembled as if some one
+were shaking their bushes. A dainty Moss Rose
+gasped: "Dear me! How dreadfully dreadful!"
+
+"It isn't dreadful at all," said Betsy, somewhat
+indignant. "When you get used to Hank's voice it
+will put you to sleep."
+
+The Roses now looked at the mule less fearfully
+and one of them asked:
+
+"Is that savage beast named Hank?"
+
+"Yes; Hank's my comrade, faithful and true,"
+answered the girl, twining her arms around the
+little mule's neck and hugging him tight. "Aren't
+you, Hank?"
+
+Hank could only say in reply: "Hee-haw!" and at
+his bray the Roses shivered again.
+
+"Please go away!" begged one. "Can't you see
+you're frightening us out of a week's growth?"
+
+"Go away!" echoed Betsy. "Why, we've no place to
+go. We've just been wrecked."
+
+"Wrecked?" asked the Roses in a surprised
+chorus.
+
+"Yes; we were on a big ship and the storm came
+and wrecked it," explained the girl. "But Hank and
+I caught hold of a raft and floated ashore to this
+place, and--we're tired and hungry. What country
+is this, please?"
+
+"This is the Rose Kingdom," replied the Moss
+Rose, haughtily, "and it is devoted to the culture
+of the rarest and fairest Roses grown."
+
+"I believe it," said Betsy, admiring the pretty
+blossoms.
+
+"But only Roses are allowed here," continued a
+delicate Tea Rose, bending her brows in a frown;
+"therefore you must go away before the Royal
+Gardener finds you and casts you back into the
+sea."
+
+"Oh! Is there a Royal Gardener, then?" inquired
+Betsy.
+
+"To be sure."
+
+"And is he a Rose, also?"
+
+"Of course not; he's a man--a wonderful man,"
+was the reply.
+
+"Well, I'm not afraid of a man," declared the
+girl, much relieved, and even as she spoke the
+Royal Gardener popped into the greenhouse--a
+spading fork in one hand and a watering pot in the
+other.
+
+He was a funny little man, dressed in a rose-
+colored costume, with ribbons at his knees and
+elbows, and a bunch of ribbons in his hair. His
+eyes were small and twinkling, his nose sharp and
+his face puckered and deeply lined.
+
+"O-ho!" he exclaimed, astonished to find
+strangers in his greenhouse, and when Hank gave a
+loud bray the Gardener threw the watering pot over
+the mule's head and danced around with his fork,
+in such agitation that presently he fell over the
+handle of the implement and sprawled at full
+length upon the ground.
+
+Betsy laughed and pulled the watering pot off
+from Hank's head. The little mule was angry at the
+treatment he had received and backed toward the
+Gardener threateningly.
+
+"Look out for his heels!" called Betsy warningly
+and the Gardener scrambled to his feet and hastily
+hid behind the Roses.
+
+"You are breaking the Law!" he shouted, sticking
+out his head to glare at the girl and the mule.
+
+"What Law?" asked Betsy.
+
+"The Law of the Rose Kingdom. No strangers
+are allowed in these domains."
+
+"Not when they're shipwrecked?" she inquired.
+
+"The Law doesn't except shipwrecks," replied
+the Royal Gardener, and he was about to say
+more when suddenly there was a crash of glass
+and a man came tumbling through the roof of
+the greenhouse and fell plump to the ground.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Six
+
+Shaggy Seeks his Stray Brother
+
+
+This sudden arrival was a queer looking man,
+dressed all in garments so shaggy that Betsy at
+first thought he must be some animal. But the
+stranger ended his fall in a sitting position and
+then the girl saw it was really a man. He held an
+apple in his hand, which he had evidently been
+eating when he fell, and so little was he jarred
+or flustered by the accident that he continued to
+munch this apple as he calmly looked around him.
+
+"Good gracious!" exclaimed Betsy, approaching
+him. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"
+
+"Me? Oh, I'm Shaggy Man," said he, taking
+another bite of the apple. "Just dropped in for a
+short call. Excuse my seeming haste."
+
+"Why, I s'pose you couldn't help the haste,"
+said Betsy.
+
+"No. I climbed an apple tree, outside; branch
+gave way and--here I am."
+
+As he spoke the Shaggy Man finished his apple,
+gave the core to Hank--who ate it greedily --and
+then stood up to bow politely to Betsy and the
+Roses.
+
+The Royal Gardener had been frightened nearly
+into fits by the crash of glass and the fall of
+the shaggy stranger into the bower of Roses, but
+now he peeped out from behind a bush and cried in
+his squeaky voice:
+
+"You're breaking the Law! You're breaking the
+Law!"
+
+Shaggy stared at him solemnly.
+
+"Is the glass the Law in this country?" he
+asked.
+
+"Breaking the glass is breaking the Law,"
+squeaked the Gardener, angrily. "Also, to intrude
+in any part of the Rose Kingdom is breaking the
+Law."
+
+"How do you know?" asked Shaggy.
+
+"Why, it's printed in a book," said the
+Gardener, coming forward and taking a small book
+from his pocket. "Page thirteen. Here it is: 'If
+any stranger enters the Rose Kingdom he shall at
+once be condemned by the Ruler and put to death.'
+So you see, strangers," he continued triumphantly,
+"it's death for you all and your time has come!"
+
+But just here Hank interposed. He had been
+stealthily backing toward the Royal Gardener, whom
+he disliked, and now the mule's heels shot out and
+struck the little man in the middle. He doubled up
+like the letter "U" and flew out of the door so
+swiftly--never touching the ground --that he was
+gone before Betsy had time to wink.
+
+But the mule's attack frightened the girl.
+
+"Come," she whispered, approaching the Shaggy
+Man and taking his hand; "let's go somewhere else.
+They'll surely kill us if we stay here!"
+
+"Don't worry, my dear," replied Shaggy, patting
+the child's head. "I'm not afraid of anything, so
+long as I have the Love Magnet."
+
+"The Love Magnet! Why, what is that?" asked
+Betsy.
+
+"It's a charming little enchantment that wins
+the heart of everyone who looks upon it," was
+the reply. "The Love Magnet used to hang over
+the gateway to the Emerald City, in the Land
+of Oz; but when I started on this journey our
+beloved Ruler, Ozma of Oz, allowed me to take
+it with me."
+
+"Oh!" cried Betsy, staring hard at him; "are
+you really from the wonderful Land of Oz?"
+
+"Yes. Ever been there, my dear?"
+
+"No; but I've heard about it. And do you know
+Princess Ozma?"
+
+"Very well indeed."
+
+"And--and Princess Dorothy?"
+
+"Dorothy's an old chum of mine," declared
+Shaggy.
+
+"Dear me!" exclaimed Betsy. "And why did
+you ever leave such a beautiful land as Oz?"
+
+"On an errand," said Shaggy, looking sad and
+solemn. "I'm trying to find my dear little
+brother."
+
+"Oh! Is he lost?" questioned Betsy, feeling
+very sorry for the poor man.
+
+"Been lost these ten years," replied Shaggy,
+taking out a handkerchief and wiping a tear from
+his eye. "I didn't know it until lately, when I
+saw it recorded in the magic Record Book of
+the Sorceress Glinda, in the Land of Oz. So
+now I'm trying to find him."
+
+"Where was he lost?" asked the girl
+sympathetically.
+
+"Back in Colorado, where I used to live before I
+went to Oz. Brother was a miner, and dug gold out
+of a mine. One day he went into his mine and never
+came out. They searched for him, but he was not
+there. Disappeared entirely," Shaggy ended
+miserably.
+
+"For goodness sake! What do you s'pose became of
+him?" she asked.
+
+"There is only one explanation," replied
+Shaggy, taking another apple from his pocket
+and eating it to relieve his misery. "The Nome
+King probably got him."
+
+"The Nome King! Who is he?"
+
+"Why, he's sometimes called the Metal Monarch,
+and his name is Ruggedo. Lives in some underground
+cavern. Claims to own all the metals hidden in the
+earth. Don't ask me why."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Cause I don't know. But this Ruggedo gets
+wild with anger if anyone digs gold out of the
+earth, and my private opinion is that he captured
+brother and carried him off to his underground
+kingdom. No--don't ask me why. I see you're
+dying to ask me why. But I don't know."
+
+"But--dear me!--in that case you will never
+find your lost brother!" exclaimed the girl.
+
+"Maybe not; but it's my duty to try," answered
+Shaggy. "I've wandered so far without finding
+him, but that only proves he is not where I've
+been looking. What I seek now is the hidden
+passage to the underground cavern of the terrible
+Metal Monarch."
+
+"Well," said Betsy doubtfully, "it strikes me
+that if you ever manage to get there the Metal
+Monarch will make you, too, his prisoner."
+
+"Nonsense!" answered Shaggy, carelessly.
+"You mustn't forget the Love Magnet."
+
+"What about it?" she asked.
+
+"When the fierce Metal Monarch sees the Love
+Magnet, he will love me dearly and do anything I
+ask."
+
+"It must be wonderful," said Betsy, with awe.
+
+"It is," the man assured her. "Shall I show it
+to you?"
+
+"Oh, do!" she cried; so Shaggy searched in his
+shaggy pocket and drew out a small silver magnet,
+shaped like a horseshoe.
+
+The moment Betsy saw it she began to like the
+Shaggy Man better than before. Hank also saw
+the Magnet and crept up to Shaggy to rub his
+head lovingly against the man's knee.
+
+But they were interrupted by the Royal Gardener,
+who stuck his head into the greenhouse and shouted
+angrily:
+
+"You are all condemned to death! Your only
+chance to escape is to leave here instantly."
+
+This startled little Betsy, but the Shaggy Man
+merely waved the Magnet toward the Gardener, who,
+seeing it, rushed forward and threw himself at
+Shaggy's feet, murmuring in honeyed words:
+
+"Oh, you lovely, lovely man! How fond I am of
+you! Every shag and bobtail that decorates you is
+dear to me--all I have is yours! But for goodness'
+sake get out of here before you die the death."
+
+"I'm not going to die," declared Shaggy Man.
+
+"You must. It's the Law," exclaimed the
+Gardener, beginning to weep real tears. "It breaks
+my heart to tell you this bad news, but the Law
+says that all strangers must be condemned by the
+Ruler to die the death."
+
+"No Ruler has condemned us yet," said Betsy.
+
+"Of course not," added Shaggy. "We haven't
+even seen the Ruler of the Rose Kingdom."
+
+"Well, to tell the truth," said the Gardener, in
+a perplexed tone of voice, "we haven't any real
+Ruler, just now. You see, all our Rulers grow on
+bushes in the Royal Gardens, and the last one we
+had got mildewed and withered before his time. So
+we had to plant him, and at this time there is no
+one growing on the Royal Bushes who is ripe enough
+to pick."
+
+"How do you know?" asked Betsy.
+
+"Why, I'm the Royal Gardener. Plenty of
+royalties are growing, I admit; but just now they
+are all green. Until one ripens, I am supposed to
+rule the Rose Kingdom myself, and see that its
+Laws are obeyed. Therefore, much as I love you,
+Shaggy, I must put you to death."
+
+"Wait a minute," pleaded Betsy. "I'd like to
+see those Royal Gardens before I die."
+
+"So would I," added Shaggy Man. "Take us there,
+Gardener."
+
+"Oh, I can't do that," objected the Gardener.
+But Shaggy again showed him the Love Magnet
+and after one glance at it the Gardener could
+no longer resist.
+
+He led Shaggy, Betsy and Hank to the end
+of the great greenhouse and carefully unlocked
+a small door. Passing through this they came
+into the splendid Royal Garden of the Rose
+Kingdom.
+
+It was all surrounded by a tall hedge and within
+the enclosure grew several enormous rosebushes
+having thick green leaves of the texture of
+velvet. Upon these bushes grew the members of the
+Royal Family of the Rose Kingdom--men, women and
+children in all stages of maturity. They all
+seemed to have a light green hue, as if unripe or
+not fully developed, their flesh and clothing
+being alike green. They stood perfectly lifeless
+upon their branches, which swayed softly in the
+breeze, and their wide open eyes stared straight
+ahead, unseeing and unintelligent.
+
+While examining these curious growing people,
+Betsy passed behind a big central bush and at once
+uttered an exclamation of surprise and pleasure.
+For there, blooming in perfect color and shape,
+stood a Royal Princess, whose beauty was amazing.
+
+"Why, she's ripe!" cried Betsy, pushing aside
+some of the broad leaves to observe her more
+clearly.
+
+"Well, perhaps so," admitted the Gardener,
+who had come to the girl's side; "but she's a girl,
+and so we can't use her for a Ruler."
+
+"No, indeed!" came a chorus of soft voices,
+and looking around Betsy discovered that all the
+Roses had followed them from the greenhouse
+and were now grouped before the entrance.
+
+"You see," explained the Gardener, "the subjects
+of Rose Kingdom don't want a girl Ruler. They want
+a King."
+
+"A King! We want a King!" repeated the
+chorus of Roses.
+
+"Isn't she Royal?" inquired Shaggy, admiring
+the lovely Princess.
+
+"Of course, for she grows on a Royal Bush.
+This Princess is named Ozga, as she is a distant
+cousin of Ozma of Oz; and, were she but a man,
+we would joyfully hail her as our Ruler."
+
+The Gardener then turned away to talk with
+his Roses and Betsy whispered to her companion:
+"Let's pick her, Shaggy."
+
+"All right," said he. "If she's royal, she has
+the right to rule this Kingdom, and if we pick
+her she will surely protect us and prevent our
+being hurt, or driven away."
+
+So Betsy and Shaggy each took an arm of the
+beautiful Rose Princess and a little twist of her
+feet set her free of the branch upon which she
+grew. Very gracefully she stepped down from
+the bush to the ground, where she bowed low
+to Betsy and Shaggy and said in a delightfully
+sweet voice: "I thank you."
+
+But at the sound of these words the Gardener and
+the Roses turned and discovered that the Princess
+had been picked, and was now alive. Over every
+face flashed an expression of resentment and
+anger, and one of the Roses cried aloud.
+
+"Audacious mortals! What have you done?"
+
+"Picked a Princess for you, that's all," replied
+Betsy, cheerfully.
+
+"But we won't have her! We want a King!"
+exclaimed a Jacque Rose, and another added with a
+voice of scorn: "No girl shall rule over us!"
+
+The newly-picked Princess looked from one to
+another of her rebellious subjects in
+astonishment. A grieved look came over her
+exquisite features.
+
+"Have I no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she
+asked gently. "Have I not come from my Royal Bush
+to be your Ruler?"
+
+"You were picked by mortals, without our
+consent," replied the Moss Rose, coldly; "so we
+refuse to allow you to rule us."
+
+"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" cried
+the Tea Rose.
+
+"Just a second, please!" called Shaggy, taking
+the Love Magnet from his pocket. "I guess this
+will win their love, Princess. Here--take it in
+your hand and let the roses see it."
+
+Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held it
+poised before the eyes of her subjects; but the
+Roses regarded it with calm disdain.
+
+"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy in
+surprise. "The Magnet never failed to work
+before!"
+
+"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely.
+"These Roses have no hearts."
+
+"That's it," agreed the Gardener. "They're
+pretty, and sweet, and alive; but still they are
+Roses. Their stems have thorns, but no hearts."
+
+The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet
+to the Shaggy Man.
+
+"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.
+
+"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!"
+commanded the Roses. "We will have no Ruler until
+a man-rose--a King--is ripe enough to pick."
+
+"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You must
+excuse me, my dear Shaggy, for opposing your
+wishes, but you and the others, including Ozga,
+must get out of Rose Kingdom immediately, if not
+before."
+
+"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy,
+carelessly displaying the Magnet.
+
+"I do. I dote on thee!" answered the Gardener
+earnestly; "but no true man will neglect his duty
+for the sake of love. My duty is to drive you out,
+so--out you go!"
+
+With this he seized a garden fork and began
+jabbing it at the strangers, in order to force them
+to leave. Hank the mule was not afraid of the
+fork and when he got his heels near to the
+Gardener the man fell back to avoid a kick.
+
+But now the Roses crowded around the outcasts
+and it was soon discovered that beneath their
+draperies of green leaves were many sharp thorns
+which were more dangerous than Hank's heels.
+Neither Betsy nor Ozga nor Shaggy nor the mule
+cared to brave those thorns and when they pressed
+away from them they found themselves slowly
+driven through the garden door into the
+greenhouse. From there they were forced out at the
+entrance and so through the territory of the
+flower-strewn Rose Kingdom, which was not of very
+great extent.
+
+The Rose Princess was sobbing bitterly; Betsy
+was indignant and angry; Hank uttered defiant
+"Hee-haws" and the Shaggy Man whistled softly to
+himself.
+
+The boundary of the Rose Kingdom was a deep
+gulf, but there was a drawbridge in one place and
+this the Royal Gardener let down until the
+outcasts had passed over it. Then he drew it up
+again and returned with his Roses to the
+greenhouse, leaving the four queerly assorted
+comrades to wander into the bleak and unknown
+country that lay beyond.
+
+"I don't mind, much," remarked Shaggy, as he led
+the way over the stony, barren ground. "I've got
+to search for my long-lost little brother, anyhow,
+so it won't matter where I go."
+
+"Hank and I will help you find your brother,"
+said Betsy in her most cheerful voice. "I'm so far
+away from home now that I don't s'pose I'll ever
+find my way back; and, to tell the truth, it's
+more fun traveling around and having adventures
+than sticking at home. Don't you think so, Hank?"
+
+"Hee-haw!" said Hank, and the Shaggy Man thanked
+them both.
+
+"For my part," said Princess Ozga of Roseland,
+with a gentle sigh, "I must remain forever exiled
+from my Kingdom. So I, too, will be glad to help
+the Shaggy Man find his lost brother."
+
+"That's very kind of you, ma'am," said Shaggy.
+"But unless I can find the underground cavern of
+Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch, I shall never find
+poor brother."
+
+
+(This King was formerly named "Roquat," but after he
+drank of the "Waters of Oblivion" he forgot his own name
+and had to take another.)
+
+
+"Doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquired
+Betsy.
+
+"Some one must know, of course," was Shaggy's
+reply. "But we are not the ones. The only way to
+succeed is for us to keep going until we find a
+person who can direct us to Ruggedo's cavern."
+
+"We may find it ourselves, without any help,"
+suggested Betsy. "Who knows?"
+
+"No one knows that, except the person who's
+writing this story," said Shaggy. "But we won't
+find anything--not even supper--unless we travel
+on. Here's a path. Let's take it and see where it
+leads to."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Seven
+
+Polychrome's Pitiful Plight
+
+
+The Rain King got too much water in his basin and
+spilled some over the brim. That made it rain in a
+certain part of the country--a real hard shower,
+for a time--and sent the Rainbow scampering to the
+place to show the gorgeous colors of his glorious
+bow as soon as the mist of rain had passed and the
+sky was clear.
+
+The coming of the Rainbow is always a joyous
+event to earth folk, yet few have ever seen it
+close by. Usually the Rainbow is so far distant
+that you can observe its splendid hues but dimly,
+and that is why we seldom catch sight of the
+dancing Daughters of the Rainbow.
+
+In the barren country where the rain had
+just fallen there appeared to be no human
+beings at all; but the Rainbow appeared, just
+the same, and dancing gayly upon its arch were
+the Rainbow's Daughters, led by the fairylike
+Polychrome, who is so dainty and beautiful that
+no girl has ever quite equalled her in loveliness.
+
+Polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down
+the arch of the bow to the ground, daring her
+sisters to follow her. Laughing and gleeful, they
+also touched the ground with their twinkling feet;
+but all the Daughters of the Rainbow knew that
+this was a dangerous pastime, so they quickly
+climbed upon their bow again.
+
+All but Polychrome. Though the sweetest and
+merriest of them all, she was likewise the most
+reckless. Moreover, it was an unusual sensation to
+pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes.
+Before she realized it the bow had lifted and
+disappeared in the billowy blue sky, and here was
+Polychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her
+gauzy draperies floating about her like brilliant
+cobwebs and not a soul--fairy or mortal--to help
+her regain her lost bow!
+
+"Dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across
+her pretty face, "I'm caught again. This is the
+second time my carelessness has left me on earth
+while my sisters returned to our Sky Palaces. The
+first time I enjoyed some pleasant adventures, but
+this is a lonely, forsaken country and I shall be
+very unhappy until my Rainbow comes again and I
+can climb aboard. Let me think what is best to be
+done."
+
+She crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her
+draperies about her and bowed her head.
+
+It was in this position that Betsy Bobbin spied
+Polychrome as she came along the stony path,
+followed by Hank, the Princess and Shaggy. At once
+the girl ran up to the radiant Daughter of the
+Rainbow and exclaimed:
+
+"Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!"
+
+Polychrome raised her golden head. There
+were tears in her blue eyes.
+
+"I'm the most miserable girl in the whole
+world!" she sobbed.
+
+The others gathered around her.
+
+"Tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the
+Princess.
+
+"I--I've lost my bow!" wailed Polychrome.
+
+"Take me, my dear," said Shaggy Man in a
+sympathetic tone, thinking she meant "beau"
+instead of "bow."
+
+"I don't want you!" cried Polychrome, stamping
+her foot imperiously; "I want my Rainbow."
+
+"Oh; that's different," said Shaggy. "But try to
+forget it. When I was young I used to cry for the
+Rainbow myself, but I couldn't have it. Looks as
+if you couldn't have it, either; so please don't
+cry."
+
+Polychrome looked at him reproachfully.
+
+"I don't like you," she said.
+
+"No?" replied Shaggy, drawing the Love Magnet
+from his pocket; "not a little bit?--just a wee
+speck of a like?"
+
+"Yes, yes!" said Polychrome, clasping her
+hands in ecstasy as she gazed at the enchanted
+talisman; "I love you, Shaggy Man!"
+
+"Of course you do," said he calmly; "but I don't
+take any credit for it. It's the Love Magnet's
+powerful charm. But you seem quite alone and
+friendless, little Rainbow. Don't you want to join
+our party until you find your father and sisters
+again?"
+
+"Where are you going?" she asked.
+
+"We don't just know that," said Betsy, taking
+her hand; "but we're trying to find Shaggy's long-
+lost brother, who has been captured by the
+terrible Metal Monarch. Won't you come with us,
+and help us?"
+
+Polychrome looked from one to another of the
+queer party of travelers and a bewitching smile
+suddenly lighted her face.
+
+"A donkey, a mortal maid, a Rose Princess and a
+Shaggy Man!" she exclaimed. "Surely you need help,
+if you intend to face Ruggedo."
+
+"Do you know him, then?" inquired Betsy.
+
+"No, indeed. Ruggedo's caverns are beneath the
+earth's surface, where no Rainbow can ever
+penetrate. But I've heard of the Metal Monarch. He
+is also called the Nome King, you know, and he has
+made trouble for a good many people --mortals and
+fairies--in his time," said Polychrome.
+
+"Do you fear him, then?" asked the Princess,
+anxiously.
+
+"No one can harm a Daughter of the Rainbow,"
+said Polychrome proudly. "I'm a sky fairy."
+
+"Then," said Betsy, quickly, "you will be able
+to tell us the way to Ruggedo's cavern."
+
+"No," returned Polychrome, shaking her head,
+"that is one thing I cannot do. But I will gladly
+go with you and help you search for the place."
+
+This promise delighted all the wanderers and
+after the Shaggy Man had found the path again
+they began moving along it in a more happy
+mood. The Rainbow's Daughter danced lightly
+over the rocky trail, no longer sad, but with her
+beautiful features wreathed in smiles. Shaggy
+came next, walking steadily and now and then
+supporting the Rose Princess, who followed him.
+Betsy and Hank brought up the rear, and if she
+tired with walking the girl got upon Hank's back
+and let the stout little donkey carry her for
+a while.
+
+At nightfall they came to some trees that grew
+beside a tiny brook and here they made camp and
+rested until morning. Then away they tramped,
+finding berries and fruits here and there which
+satisfied the hunger of Betsy, Shaggy and Hank,
+so that they were well content with their lot.
+
+It surprised Betsy to see the Rose Princess
+partake of their food, for she considered her a
+fairy; but when she mentioned this to Polychrome,
+the Rainbow's Daughter explained that when Ozga
+was driven out of her Rose Kingdom she ceased to
+be a fairy and would never again be more than a
+mere mortal. Polychrome, however, was a fairy
+wherever she happened to be, and if she sipped a
+few dewdrops by moonlight for refreshment no one
+ever saw her do it.
+
+As they continued their wandering journey,
+direction meant very little to them, for they were
+hopelessly lost in this strange country. Shaggy
+said it would be best to go toward the mountains,
+as the natural entrance to Ruggedo's underground
+cavern was likely to be hidden in some rocky,
+deserted place; but mountains seemed all around
+them except in the one direction that they had
+come from, which led to the Rose Kingdom and the
+sea. Therefore it mattered little which way they
+traveled.
+
+By and by they espied a faint trail that looked
+like a path and after following this for some time
+they reached a crossroads. Here were many paths,
+leading in various directions, and there was a
+signpost so old that there were now no words upon
+the sign. At one side was an old well, with a
+chain windlass for drawing water, yet there was no
+house or other building anywhere in sight.
+
+While the party halted, puzzled which way
+to proceed, the mule approached the well and
+tried to look into it.
+
+"He's thirsty," said Betsy.
+
+"It's a dry well," remarked Shaggy. "Probably
+there has been no water in it for many years. But,
+come; let us decide which way to travel."
+
+No one seemed able to decide that. They sat
+down in a group and tried to consider which
+road might be the best to take. Hank, however,
+could not keep away from the well and finally
+he reared up on his hind legs, got his head over
+the edge and uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" Betsy
+watched her animal friend curiously.
+
+"I wonder if he sees anything down there?" she
+said.
+
+At this, Shaggy rose and went over to the well
+to investigate, and Betsy went with him. The
+Princess and Polychrome, who had become fast
+friends, linked arms and sauntered down one of the
+roads, to find an easy path.
+
+"Really," said Shaggy, "there does seem to
+be something at the bottom of this old well."
+
+"Can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked
+the girl.
+
+There was no bucket at the end of the windlass
+chain, but there was a big hook that at one time
+was used to hold a bucket. Shaggy let down this
+hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then
+pulled it up. An old hoopskirt came with it, and
+Betsy laughed and threw it away. The thing
+frightened Hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt
+before, and he kept a good distance away from it.
+
+Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured
+with the hook and drew up, but none of these was
+important.
+
+"This well seems to have been the dump for
+all the old rubbish in the country," he said,
+letting down the hook once more. "I guess I've
+captured everything now. No--the hook has caught
+again. Help me, Betsy! Whatever this thing is,
+it's heavy."
+
+She ran up and helped him turn the windlass
+and after much effort a confused mass of copper
+came in sight.
+
+"Good gracious!" exclaimed Shaggy. "Here is
+a surprise, indeed!"
+
+"What is it?" inquired Betsy, clinging to the
+windlass and panting for breath.
+
+For answer the Shaggy Man grasped the
+bundle of copper and dumped it upon the
+ground, free of the well. Then he turned it over
+with his foot, spread it out, and to Betsy's
+astonishment the thing proved to be a copper
+man.
+
+"Just as I thought," said Shaggy, looking hard
+at the object. "But unless there are two copper
+men in the world this is the most astonishing
+thing I ever came across."
+
+At this moment the Rainbow's Daughter and the
+Rose Princess approached them, and Polychrome
+said:
+
+"What have you found, Shaggy One?"
+
+"Either an old friend, or a stranger," he
+replied.
+
+"Oh, here's a sign on his back!" cried Betsy,
+who had knelt down to examine the man. "Dear me;
+how funny! Listen to this."
+
+Then she read the following words, engraved
+upon the copper plates of the man's body:
+
+          SMITH & TINKER'S
+Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive,
+Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking
+          MECHANICAL MAN
+Fitted with our Special Clockwork Attachment.
+Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything
+but Live.
+
+
+"Isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the Princess.
+
+"Yes; but here's more," said Betsy, reading
+from another engraved plate:
+
+
+          DIRECTIONS FOR USING:
+
+For THINKING:--Wind the Clockwork
+  Man under his left arm, (marked No. 1).
+For SPEAKING:--Wind  the  Clockwork
+  Man under his right arm, (marked No. 2).
+For WALKING and ACTION:--Wind Clockwork Man
+  in the middle of his back, (marked No. 3).
+
+N. B.--This Mechanism is guaranteed to
+work perfectly for a thousand years.
+
+
+"If he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said
+Polychrome, "he ought to work yet."
+
+"Of course," replied Shaggy. "Let's wind him up."
+
+In order to do this they were obliged to set the
+copper man upon his feet, in an upright position,
+and this was no easy task. He was inclined to
+topple over, and had to be propped again and
+again. The girls assisted Shaggy, and at last Tik-
+Tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone upon his
+broad feet.
+
+"Yes," said Shaggy, looking at the copper man
+carefully, "this must be, indeed, my old friend
+Tik-Tok, whom I left ticking merrily in the
+Land of Oz. But how he came to this lonely
+place, and got into that old well, is surely a
+mystery."
+
+"If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us,"
+suggested Betsy. "Here's the key, hanging to a
+hook on his back. What part of him shall I wind up
+first?"
+
+"His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome,
+"for it requires thought to speak or move
+intelligently."
+
+So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and
+at once little flashes of light began to show in
+the top of his head, which was proof that he had
+begun to think.
+
+"Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his
+phonograph."
+
+"What's that?" she asked.
+
+"Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may
+be interesting, but they don't tell us anything."
+
+So Betsy wound the copper man under his right
+arm, and then from the interior of his copper body
+came in jerky tones the words: "Ma-ny thanks!"
+
+"Hurrah!" cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped
+Tik-Tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that
+the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to the
+ground in a heap. But the clockwork that enabled
+him to speak had been wound up and he kept saying:
+"Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up!" until they
+had again raised him and balanced him upon his
+feet, when he added politely: "Ma-ny thanks!"
+
+"He won't be self-supporting until we wind
+up his action," remarked Shaggy; so Betsy
+wound it, as tight as she could--for the key
+turned rather hard--and then Tik-Tok lifted his
+feet, marched around in a circle and ended by
+stopping before the group and making them all
+a low bow.
+
+"How in the world did you happen to be in
+that well, when I left you safe in Oz?" inquired
+Shaggy.
+
+"It is a long sto-ry," replied Tik-Tok, "but
+I'll tell it in a few words. Af-ter you had gone
+in search of your broth-er, Oz-ma saw you wan-der-
+ing in strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her
+mag-ic pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er in
+the Nome King's cavern; so she sent me to tell you
+where to find your broth-er and told me to help you
+if I could. The Sor-cer-ess, Glin-da the Good,
+trans-port-ed me to this place in the wink of an
+eye; but here I met the Nome King him-self--old
+Rug-ge-do, who is called in these parts the Met-al
+Mon-arch. Rug-ge-do knew what I had come for, and
+he was so an-gry that he threw me down the well.
+Af-ter my works ran down I was help-less un-til you
+came a-long and pulled me out a-gain. Ma-ny
+thanks."
+
+"This is, indeed, good news," said Shaggy. "I
+suspected that my brother was the prisoner of
+Ruggedo; but now I know it. Tell us, Tik-Tok, how
+shall we get to the Nome King's underground
+cavern?"
+
+"The best way is to walk," said Tik-Tok. "We
+might crawl, or jump, or roll o-ver and o-ver
+until we get there; but the best way is to walk."
+
+"I know; but which road shall we take?"
+
+"My ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that,"
+replied Tik-Tok.
+
+"There is more than one entrance to the
+underground cavern," said Polychrome; "but old
+Ruggedo has cleverly concealed every opening, so
+that earth dwellers can not intrude in his domain.
+If we find our way underground at all, it will be
+by chance."
+
+"Then," said Betsy, "let us select any road,
+haphazard, and see where it leads us."
+
+"That seems sensible," declared the Princess.
+"It may require a lot of time for us to find
+Ruggedo, but we have more time than anything
+else."
+
+"If you keep me wound up," said Tik-Tok, "I
+will last a thou-sand years."
+
+"Then the only question to decide is which
+way to go," added Shaggy, looking first at one
+road and then at another.
+
+But while they stood hesitating, a peculiar
+sound reached their ears--a sound like the
+tramping of many feet.
+
+"What's coming?" cried Betsy; and then she
+ran to the left-hand road and glanced along the
+path. "Why, it's an army!" she exclaimed. "What
+shall we do, hide or run?"
+
+"Stand still," commanded Shaggy. "I'm not afraid
+of an army. If they prove to be friendly, they can
+help us; if they are enemies, I'll show them the
+Love Magnet."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eight
+
+Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task
+
+
+While Shaggy and his companions stood huddled in a
+group at one side, the Army of Oogaboo was
+approaching along the pathway, the tramp of their
+feet being now and then accompanied by a dismal
+groan as one of the officers stepped on a sharp
+stone or knocked his funnybone against his
+neighbor's sword-handle.
+
+Then out from among the trees marched Private
+Files, bearing the banner of Oogaboo, which
+fluttered from a long pole. This pole he stuck in
+the ground just in front of the well and then he
+cried in a loud voice:
+
+"I hereby conquer this territory in the name of
+Queen Ann Soforth of Oogaboo, and all the
+inhabitants of the land I proclaim her slaves!"
+
+Some of the officers now stuck their heads out
+of the bushes and asked:
+
+"Is the coast clear, Private Files?"
+
+"There is no coast here," was the reply, "but
+all's well."
+
+"I hope there's water in it," said General Cone,
+mustering courage to advance to the well; but just
+then he caught a glimpse of Tik-Tok and Shaggy and
+at once fell upon his knees, trembling and
+frightened and cried out:
+
+"Mercy, kind enemies! Mercy! Spare us, and
+we will be your slaves forever!"
+
+The other officers, who had now advanced into
+the clearing, likewise fell upon their knees and
+begged for mercy.
+
+Files turned around and, seeing the strangers
+for the first time, examined them with much
+curiosity. Then, discovering that three of the
+party were girls, he lifted his cap and made a
+polite bow.
+
+"What's all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as
+Queen Ann reached the place and beheld her
+kneeling army.
+
+"Permit us to introduce ourselves," replied
+Shaggy, stepping forward. "This is Tik-Tok, the
+Clockwork Man--who works better than some meat
+people. And here is Princess Ozga of Roseland,
+just now unfortunately exiled from her Kingdom of
+Roses. I next present Polychrome, a sky fairy, who
+lost her Bow by an accident and can't find her way
+home. The small girl here is Betsy Bobbin, from
+some unknown earthly paradise called Oklahoma,
+and with her you see Mr. Hank, a mule with a long
+tail and a short temper."
+
+"Puh!" said Ann, scornfully; "a pretty lot of
+vagabonds you are, indeed; all lost or strayed,
+I suppose, and not worth a Queen's plundering.
+I'm sorry I've conquered you."
+
+"But you haven't conquered us yet," called
+Betsy indignantly.
+
+"No," agreed Files, "that is a fact. But if my
+officers will kindly command me to conquer you,
+I will do so at once, after which we can stop
+arguing and converse more at our ease."
+
+The officers had by this time risen from their
+knees and brushed the dust from their trousers. To
+them the enemy did not look very fierce, so the
+Generals and Colonels and Majors and Captains
+gained courage to face them and began strutting in
+their most haughty manner.
+
+"You must understand," said Ann, "that I am the
+Queen of Oogaboo, and this is my invincible Army.
+We are busy conquering the world, and since you
+seem to be a part of the world, and are
+obstructing our journey, it is necessary for us to
+conquer you--unworthy though you may be of such
+high honor."
+
+"That's all right," replied Shaggy. "Conquer us
+as often as you like. We don't mind."
+
+"But we won't be anybody's slaves," added Betsy,
+positively.
+
+"We'll see about that," retorted the Queen,
+angrily. "Advance, Private Files, and bind the
+enemy hand and foot!"
+
+But Private Files looked at pretty Betsy and
+fascinating Polychrome and the beautiful Rose
+Princess and shook his head.
+
+"It would be impolite, and I won't do it," he
+asserted.
+
+"You must!" cried Ann. "It is your duty to obey
+orders."
+
+"I haven't received any orders from my
+officers," objected the Private.
+
+But the Generals now shouted: "Forward, and bind
+the prisoners!" and the Colonels and Majors and
+Captains repeated the command, yelling it as loud
+as they could.
+
+All this noise annoyed Hank, who had been eyeing
+the Army of Oogaboo with strong disfavor. The mule
+now dashed forward and began backing upon the
+officers and kicking fierce and dangerous heels at
+them. The attack was so sudden that the officers
+scattered like dust in a whirlwind, dropping their
+swords as they ran and trying to seek refuge
+behind the trees and bushes.
+
+Betsy laughed joyously at the comical rout of
+the "noble army," and Polychrome danced with glee.
+But Ann was furious at this ignoble defeat of her
+gallant forces by one small mule.
+
+"Private Files, I command you to do your duty!"
+she cried again, and then she herself ducked to
+escape the mule's heels--for Hank made no
+distinction in favor of a lady who was an open
+enemy. Betsy grabbed her champion by the forelock,
+however, and so held him fast, and when the
+officers saw that the mule was restrained from
+further attacks they crept fearfully back and
+picked up their discarded swords.
+
+"Private Files, seize and bind these prisoners!"
+screamed the Queen.
+
+"No," said Files, throwing down his gun and
+removing the knapsack which was strapped to his
+back, "I resign my position as the Army of
+Oogaboo. I enlisted to fight the enemy and become
+a hero, but if you want some one to bind harmless
+girls you will have to hire another Private."
+
+Then he walked over to the others and shook
+hands with Shaggy and Tik-Tok.
+
+"Treason!" shrieked Ann, and all the officers
+echoed her cry.
+
+"Nonsense," said Files. "I've the right to
+resign if I want to."
+
+"Indeed you haven't!" retorted the Queen. "If
+you resign it will break up my Army, and then I
+cannot conquer the world." She now turned to the
+officers and said: "I must ask you to do me a
+favor. I know it is undignified in officers to
+fight, but unless you immediately capture Private
+Files and force him to obey my orders there will
+be no plunder for any of us. Also it is likely you
+will all suffer the pangs of hunger, and when we
+meet a powerful foe you are liable to be captured
+and made slaves."
+
+The prospect of this awful fate so frightened
+the officers that they drew their swords and
+rushed upon Files, who stood beside Shaggy, in a
+truly ferocious manner. The next instant, however,
+they halted and again fell upon their knees; for
+there, before them, was the glistening Love
+Magnet, held in the hand of the smiling Shaggy
+Man, and the sight of this magic talisman at once
+won the heart of every Oogabooite. Even Ann saw
+the Love Magnet, and forgetting all enmity and
+anger threw herself upon Shaggy and embraced him
+lovingly.
+
+Quite disconcerted by this unexpected effect of
+the Magnet, Shaggy disengaged himself from the
+Queen's encircling arms and quickly hid the
+talisman in his pocket. The adventurers from
+Oogaboo were now his firm friends, and there was
+no more talk about conquering and binding any of
+his party.
+
+"If you insist on conquering anyone," said
+Shaggy, "you may march with me to the underground
+Kingdom of Ruggedo. To conquer the world, as you
+have set out to do, you must conquer everyone
+under its surface as well as those upon its
+surface, and no one in all the world needs
+conquering so much as Ruggedo."
+
+"Who is he?" asked Ann.
+
+"The Metal Monarch, King of the Nomes."
+
+"Is he rich?" inquired Major Stockings in an
+anxious voice.
+
+"Of course," answered Shaggy. "He owns all
+the metal that lies underground--gold, silver,
+copper, brass and tin. He has an idea he also
+owns all the metals above ground, for he says all
+metal was once a part of his kingdom. So, by
+conquering the Metal Monarch, you will win all
+the riches in the world."
+
+"Ah!" exclaimed General Apple, heaving a
+deep sigh, "that would be plunder worth our
+while. Let's conquer him, Your Majesty."
+
+The Queen looked reproachfully at Files, who was
+sitting next to the lovely Princess and whispering
+in her ear.
+
+"Alas," said Ann, "I have no longer an Army.
+I have plenty of brave officers, indeed, but no
+private soldier for them to command. Therefore
+I cannot conquer Ruggedo and win all his
+wealth."
+
+"Why don't you make one of your officers the
+Private?" asked Shaggy; but at once every officer
+began to protest and the Queen of Oogaboo shook
+her head as she replied:
+
+"That is impossible. A private soldier must be a
+terrible fighter, and my officers are unable to
+fight. They are exceptionally brave in commanding
+others to fight, but could not themselves meet
+the enemy and conquer."
+
+"Very true, Your Majesty," said Colonel Plum,
+eagerly. "There are many kinds of bravery and one
+cannot be expected to possess them all. I myself
+am brave as a lion in all ways until it comes to
+fighting, but then my nature revolts. Fighting is
+unkind and liable to be injurious to others; so,
+being a gentleman, I never fight."
+
+"Nor I!" shouted each of the other officers.
+
+"You see," said Ann, "how helpless I am. Had not
+Private Files proved himself a traitor and a
+deserter, I would gladly have conquered this
+Ruggedo; but an Army without a private soldier is
+like a bee without a stinger."
+
+"I am not a traitor, Your Majesty," protested
+Files. "I resigned in a proper manner, not liking
+the job. But there are plenty of people to take my
+place. Why not make Shaggy Man the private
+soldier?"
+
+"He might be killed," said Ann, looking tenderly
+at Shaggy, "for he is mortal, and able to die. If
+anything happened to him, it would break my
+heart."
+
+"It would hurt me worse than that," declared
+Shaggy. "You must admit, Your Majesty, that I am
+commander of this expedition, for it is my brother
+we are seeking, rather than plunder. But I and my
+companions would like the assistance of your Army,
+and if you help us to conquer Ruggedo and to
+rescue my brother from captivity we will allow you
+to keep all the gold and jewels and other
+plunder you may find."
+
+This prospect was so tempting that the officers
+began whispering together and presently Colonel
+Cheese said: "Your Majesty, by combining our
+brains we have just evolved a most brilliant idea.
+We will make the Clockwork Man the private
+soldier!"
+
+"Who? Me?" asked Tik-Tok. "Not for a sin-gle
+sec-ond! I can-not fight, and you must not for-get
+that it was Rug-ge-do who threw me in the well."
+
+"At that time you had no gun," said Polychrome.
+"But if you join the Army of Oogaboo you will
+carry the gun that Mr. Files used."
+
+"A sol-dier must be a-ble to run as well as to
+fight," protested Tik-Tok, "and if my works run
+down, as they of-ten do, I could nei-ther run nor
+fight."
+
+"I'll keep you wound up, Tik-Tok," promised
+Betsy.
+
+"Why, it isn't a bad idea," said Shaggy. "Tik-
+Tok will make an ideal soldier, for nothing can
+injure him except a sledge hammer. And, since a
+private soldier seems to be necessary to this
+Army, Tik-Tok is the only one of our party fitted
+to undertake the job."
+
+"What must I do?" asked Tik-Tok.
+
+"Obey orders," replied Ann. "When the officers
+command you to do anything, you must do
+it; that is all."
+
+"And that's enough, too," said Files.
+
+"Do I get a salary?" inquired Tik-Tok.
+
+"You get your share of the plunder," answered
+the Queen.
+
+"Yes," remarked Files, "one-half of the plunder
+goes to Queen Ann, the other half is divided
+among the officers, and the Private gets the
+rest."
+
+"That will be sat-is-fac-tor-y," said Tik-Tok,
+picking up the gun and examining it wonderingly,
+for he had never before seen such a weapon.
+
+Then Ann strapped the knapsack to Tik-Tok's
+copper back and said: "Now we are ready to march
+to Ruggedo's Kingdom and conquer it. Officers,
+give the command to march."
+
+"Fall--in!" yelled the Generals, drawing their
+swords.
+
+"Fall--in!" cried the Colonels, drawing their
+swords.
+
+"Fall--in!" shouted the Majors, drawing their
+swords.
+
+"Fall--in!" bawled the Captains, drawing their
+swords.
+
+Tik-Tok looked at them and then around him in
+surprise.
+
+"Fall in what? The well?" he asked.
+
+"No," said Queen Ann, "you must fall in marching
+order."
+
+"Can-not I march without fall-ing in-to it?"
+asked the Clockwork Man.
+
+"Shoulder your gun and stand ready to march,"
+advised Files; so Tik-Tok held the gun straight
+and stood still.
+
+"What next?" he asked.
+
+The Queen turned to Shaggy.
+
+"Which road leads to the Metal Monarch's
+cavern?"
+
+"We don't know, Your Majesty," was the reply.
+
+"But this is absurd!" said Ann with a frown.
+"If we can't get to Ruggedo, it is certain that we
+can't conquer him."
+
+"You are right," admitted Shaggy; "but I did
+not say we could not get to him. We have only
+to discover the way, and that was the matter we
+were considering when you and your magnificent
+Army arrived here."
+
+"Well, then, get busy and discover it," snapped
+the Queen.
+
+That was no easy task. They all stood looking
+from one road to another in perplexity. The paths
+radiated from the little clearing like the rays of
+the midday sun, and each path seemed like all the
+others.
+
+Files and the Rose Princess, who had by this
+time become good friends, advanced a little way
+along one of the roads and found that it was
+bordered by pretty wild flowers.
+
+"Why don't you ask the flowers to tell you the
+way?" he said to his companion.
+
+"The flowers?" returned the Princess, surprised
+at the question.
+
+"Of course," said Files. "The field-flowers must
+be second-cousins to a Rose Princess, and I
+believe if you ask them they will tell you."
+
+She looked more closely at the flowers. There
+were hundreds of white daisies, golden buttercups,
+bluebells and daffodils growing by the roadside,
+and each flower-head was firmly set upon its
+slender but stout stem. There were even a few wild
+roses scattered here and there and perhaps it was
+the sight of these that gave the Princess courage
+to ask the important question.
+
+She dropped to her knees, facing the flowers,
+and extended both her arms pleadingly toward them.
+
+"Tell me, pretty cousins," she said in her
+sweet, gentle voice, "which way will lead us to
+the Kingdom of Ruggedo, the Nome King?"
+
+At once all the stems bent gracefully to the
+right and the flower heads nodded once--twice--
+thrice in that direction.
+
+"That's it!" cried Files joyfully. "Now we
+know the way."
+
+Ozga rose to her feet and looked wonderingly
+at the field-flowers, which had now resumed
+their upright position.
+
+"Was it the wind, do you think?" she asked
+in a low whisper.
+
+"No, indeed," replied Files. "There is not a
+breath of wind stirring. But these lovely blossoms
+are indeed your cousins and answered your question
+at once, as I knew they would."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Nine
+
+Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless
+
+
+The way taken by the adventurers led up hill and
+down dale and wound here and there in a fashion
+that seemed aimless. But always it drew nearer to
+a range of low mountains and Files said more than
+once that he was certain the entrance to
+Ruggedo's cavern would be found among these rugged
+hills.
+
+In this he was quite correct. Far underneath the
+nearest mountain was a gorgeous chamber hollowed
+from the solid rock, the walls and roof of which
+glittered with thousands of magnificent jewels.
+Here, on a throne of virgin gold, sat the famous
+Nome King, dressed in splendid robes and wearing a
+superb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby.
+
+Ruggedo, the Monarch of all the Metals and
+Precious Stones of the Underground World,
+was a round little man with a flowing white
+beard, a red face, bright eyes and a scowl that
+covered all his forehead. One would think, to
+look at him, that he ought to be jolly; one might
+think, considering his enormous wealth, that he
+ought to be happy; but this was not the case. The
+Metal Monarch was surly and cross because
+mortals had dug so much treasure out of the
+earth and kept it above ground, where all the
+power of Ruggedo and his nomes was unable to
+recover it. He hated not only the mortals but
+also the fairies who live upon the earth or above
+it, and instead of being content with the riches
+he still possessed he was unhappy because he did
+not own all the gold and jewels in the world.
+
+Ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in
+his chair when suddenly he sat upright, uttered
+a roar of rage and began pounding upon a huge
+gong that stood beside him.
+
+The sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated
+to many caverns beyond, where countless thousands
+of nomes were working at their unending tasks,
+hammering out gold and silver and other metals, or
+melting ores in great furnaces, or polishing
+glittering gems. The nomes trembled at the sound
+of the King's gong and whispered fearfully to one
+another that something unpleasant was sure to
+happen; but none dared pause in his task,
+
+The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed
+aside and Kaliko, the King's High Chamberlain,
+entered the royal presence.
+
+"What's up, Your Majesty?" he asked, with a wide
+yawn, for he had just wakened.
+
+"Up?" roared Ruggedo, stamping his foot
+viciously. "Those foolish mortals are up, that's
+what! And they want to come down."
+
+"Down here?" inquired Kaliko.
+
+"Yes!"
+
+"How do you know?" continued the Chamberlain,
+yawning again.
+
+"I feel it in my bones," said Ruggedo. "I can
+always feel it when those hateful earth-crawlers
+draw near to my Kingdom. I am positive, Kaliko,
+that mortals are this very minute on their way
+here to annoy me--and I hate mortals more than I do
+catnip tea!"
+
+"Well, what's to be done?" demanded the nome.
+
+"Look through your spyglass, and see where
+the invaders are," commanded the King.
+
+So Kaliko went to a tube in the wall of rock
+and put his eye to it. The tube ran from the
+cavern up to the side of the mountain and turned
+several curves and corners, but as it was a magic
+spyglass Kaliko was able to see through it just
+as easily as if it had been straight.
+
+"Ho--hum," said he. "I see 'em, Your Majesty."
+
+"What do they look like?" inquired the Monarch.
+
+"That's a hard question to answer, for a queerer
+assortment of creatures I never yet beheld,"
+replied the nome. "However, such a collection of
+curiosities may prove dangerous. There's a copper
+man, worked by machinery--"
+
+"Bah! that's only Tik-Tok," said Ruggedo.
+"I'm not afraid of him. Why, only the other day
+I met the fellow and threw him down a well."
+
+"Then some one must have pulled him out again,"
+said Kaliko. "And there's a little girl--"
+
+"Dorothy?" asked Ruggedo, jumping up in fear.
+
+"No; some other girl. In fact, there are several
+girls, of various sizes; but Dorothy is not with
+them, nor is Ozma."
+
+"That's good!" exclaimed the King, sighing in
+relief.
+
+Kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass.
+
+"I see," said he, "an army of men from Oogaboo.
+They are all officers and carry swords. And there
+is a Shaggy Man--who seems very harmless--and a
+little donkey with big ears."
+
+"Pooh!" cried Ruggedo, snapping his fingers
+in scorn. "I've no fear of such a mob as that. A
+dozen of my nomes can destroy them all in a
+jiffy."
+
+"I'm not so sure of that," said Kaliko. "The
+people of Oogaboo are hard to destroy, and I
+believe the Rose Princess is a fairy. As for
+Polychrome, you know very well that the Rainbow's
+Daughter cannot be injured by a nome."
+
+"Polychrome! Is she among them?" asked the King.
+
+"Yes; I have just recognized her."
+
+"Then these people are coming here on no
+peaceful errand," declared Ruggedo, scowling
+fiercely. "In fact, no one ever comes here on a
+peaceful errand. I hate everybody, and everybody
+hates me!"
+
+"Very true," said Kaliko.
+
+"I must in some way prevent these people from
+reaching my dominions. Where are they now?"
+
+"Just now they are crossing the Rubber Country,
+Your Majesty."
+
+"Good! Are your magnetic rubber wires in working
+order?"
+
+"I think so," replied Kaliko. "Is it your Royal
+Will that we have some fun with these invaders?"
+
+"It is," answered Ruggedo. "I want to teach
+them a lesson they will never forget."
+
+Now, Shaggy had no idea that he was in a
+Rubber Country, nor had any of his companions.
+They noticed that everything around them was
+of a dull gray color and that the path upon
+which they walked was soft and springy, yet they
+had no suspicion that the rocks and trees were
+rubber and even the path they trod was made of
+rubber.
+
+Presently they came to a brook where sparkling
+water dashed through a deep channel and rushed
+away between high rocks far down the mountain-side.
+Across the brook were stepping-stones, so placed
+that travelers might easily leap from one to
+another and in that manner cross the water to the
+farther bank.
+
+Tik-Tok was marching ahead, followed by his
+officers and Queen Ann. After them came Betsy
+Bobbin and Hank, Polychrome and Shaggy, and last
+of all the Rose Princess with Files. The Clockwork
+Man saw the stream and the stepping stones and,
+without making a pause, placed his foot upon the
+first stone.
+
+The result was astonishing. First he sank
+down in the soft rubber, which then rebounded
+and sent Tik-Tok soaring high in the air, where
+he turned a succession of flip-flops and alighted
+upon a rubber rock far in the rear of the party.
+
+General Apple did not see Tik-Tok bound, so
+quickly had he disappeared; therefore he also
+stepped upon the stone (which you will guess was
+connected with Kaliko's magnetic rubber wire) and
+instantly shot upward like an arrow. General Cone
+came next and met with a like fate, but the others
+now noticed that something was wrong and with one
+accord they halted the column and looked back
+along the path.
+
+There was Tik-Tok, still bounding from one
+rubber rock to another, each time rising a less
+distance from the ground. And there was General
+Apple, bounding away in another direction, his
+three-cornered hat jammed over his eyes and his
+long sword thumping him upon the arms and head as
+it swung this way and that. And there, also,
+appeared General Cone, who had struck a rubber
+rock headforemost and was so crumpled up that his
+round body looked more like a bouncing-ball than
+the form of a man.
+
+Betsy laughed merrily at the strange sight and
+Polychrome echoed her laughter. But Ozga was
+grave and wondering, while Queen Ann became
+angry at seeing the chief officers of the Army of
+Oogaboo bounding around in so undignified a
+manner. She shouted to them to stop, but they
+were unable to obey, even though they would
+have been glad to do so. Finally, however, they
+all ceased bounding and managed to get upon
+their feet and rejoin the Army.
+
+"Why did you do that?" demanded Ann, who seemed
+greatly provoked.
+
+"Don't ask them why," said Shaggy earnestly. "I
+knew you would ask them why, but you ought not to
+do it. The reason is plain. Those stones are
+rubber; therefore they are not stones. Those rocks
+around us are rubber, and therefore they are not
+rocks. Even this path is not a path; it's rubber.
+Unless we are very careful, your Majesty, we are
+all likely to get the bounce, just as your poor
+officers and Tik-Tok did."
+
+"Then let's be careful," remarked Files, who
+was full of wisdom; but Polychrome wanted to
+test the quality of the rubber, so she began
+dancing. Every step sent her higher and higher
+into the air, so that she resembled a big butterfly
+fluttering lightly. Presently she made a great
+bound and bounded way across the stream,
+landing lightly and steadily on the other side.
+
+"There is no rubber over here," she called to
+them. "Suppose you all try to bound over the
+stream, without touching the stepping-stones."
+
+Ann and her officers were reluctant to undertake
+such a risky adventure, but Betsy at once grasped
+the value of the suggestion and began jumping up
+and down until she found herself bounding almost
+as high as Polychrome had done. Then she suddenly
+leaned forward and the next bound took her easily
+across the brook, where she alighted by the side
+of the Rainbow's Daughter.
+
+"Come on, Hank!" called the girl, and the
+donkey tried to obey. He managed to bound
+pretty high but when he tried to bound across
+the stream he misjudged the distance and fell
+with a splash into the middle of the water.
+
+"Hee-haw!" he wailed, struggling toward the
+far bank. Betsy rushed forward to help him out,
+but when the mule stood safely beside her she
+was amazed to find he was not wet at all.
+
+"It's dry water," said Polychrome, dipping her
+hand into the stream and showing how the water
+fell from it and left it perfectly dry.
+
+"In that case," returned Betsy, "they can all
+walk through the water."
+
+She called to Ozga and Shaggy to wade across,
+assuring them the water was shallow and would not
+wet them. At once they followed her advice,
+avoiding the rubber stepping stones, and made the
+crossing with ease. This encouraged the entire
+party to wade through the dry water, and in a few
+minutes all had assembled on the bank and renewed
+their journey along the path that led to the Nome
+King's dominions.
+
+When Kaliko again looked through his magic
+spyglass he exclaimed:
+
+"Bad luck, Your Majesty! All the invaders have
+passed the Rubber Country and now are fast
+approaching the entrance to your caverns."
+
+Ruggedo raved and stormed at the news and his
+anger was so great that several times, as he
+strode up and down his jeweled cavern, he paused
+to kick Kaliko upon his shins, which were so
+sensitive that the poor nome howled with pain.
+Finally the King said:
+
+"There's no help for it; we must drop these
+audacious invaders down the Hollow Tube."
+
+Kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at his
+master wonderingly.
+
+"If you do that, Your Majesty," he said, "you
+will make Tititi-Hoochoo very angry."
+
+"Never mind that," retorted Ruggedo. "Tititi-
+Hoochoo lives on the other side of the world, so
+what do I care for his anger?"
+
+Kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan.
+
+"Remember his terrible powers," he pleaded, "and
+remember that he warned you, the last time you
+slid people through the Hollow Tube, that if you
+did it again he would take vengeance upon you."
+
+The Metal Monarch walked up and down in silence,
+thinking deeply.
+
+"Of two dangers," said he, "it is wise to choose
+the least. What do you suppose these invaders
+want?"
+
+"Let the Long-Eared Hearer listen to them,"
+suggested Kaliko.
+
+"Call him here at once!" commanded Ruggedo
+eagerly.
+
+So in a few minutes there entered the cavern a
+nome with enormous ears, who bowed low before the
+King.
+
+"Strangers are approaching," said Ruggedo, "and
+I wish to know their errand. Listen carefully to
+their talk and tell me why they are coming here,
+and what for."
+
+The nome bowed again and spread out his
+great ears, swaying them gently up and down
+and back and forth. For half an hour he stood
+silent, in an attitude of listening, while both the
+King and Kaliko grew impatient at the delay. At
+last the Long-Eared Hearer spoke:
+
+"Shaggy Man is coming here to rescue his
+brother from captivity," said he.
+
+"Ha, the Ugly One!" exclaimed Ruggedo. "Well,
+Shaggy Man may have his ugly brother, for all I
+care. He's too lazy to work and is always getting
+in my way. Where is the Ugly One now, Kaliko?"
+
+"The last time Your Majesty stumbled over
+the prisoner you commanded me to send him to
+the Metal Forest, which I did. I suppose he is
+still there."
+
+"Very good. The invaders will have a hard
+time finding the Metal Forest," said the King,
+with a grin of malicious delight, "for half the
+time I can't find it myself. Yet I created the
+forest and made every tree, out of gold and
+silver, so as to keep the precious metals in a
+safe place and out of the reach of mortals. But
+tell me, Hearer, do the strangers want anything
+else?"
+
+"Yes, indeed they do!" returned the nome. "The
+Army of Oogaboo is determined to capture all the
+rich metals and rare jewels in your kingdom, and
+the officers and their Queen have arranged to
+divide the spoils and carry them away."
+
+When he heard this Ruggedo uttered a bellow of
+rage and began dancing up and down, rolling his
+eyes, clicking his teeth together and swinging his
+arms furiously. Then, in an ecstasy of anger he
+seized the long ears of the Hearer and pulled and
+twisted them cruelly; but Kaliko grabbed up the
+King's sceptre and rapped him over the knuckles
+with it, so that Ruggedo let go the ears and began
+to chase his Royal Chamberlain around the throne.
+
+The Hearer took advantage of this opportunity to
+slip away from the cavern and escape, and after
+the King had tired himself out chasing Kaliko he
+threw himself into his throne and panted for
+breath, while he glared wickedly at his defiant
+subject.
+
+"You'd better save your strength to fight the
+enemy," suggested Kaliko. "There will be a
+terrible battle when the Army of Oogaboo gets
+here."
+
+"The Army won't get here," said the King,
+still coughing and panting. "I'll drop 'em down
+the Hollow Tube--every man Jack and every
+girl Jill of 'em!"
+
+"And defy Tititi-Hoochoo?" asked Kaliko.
+
+"Yes. Go at once to my Chief Magician and
+order him to turn the path toward the Hollow
+Tube, and to make the tip of the Tube invisible,
+so they'll all fall into it."
+
+Kaliko went away shaking his head, for he
+thought Ruggedo was making a great mistake.  He
+found the Magician and had the path twisted so
+that it led directly to the opening of the Hollow
+Tube, and this opening he made invisible.
+
+Having obeyed the orders of his master, the
+Royal Chamberlain went to his private room and
+began to write letters of recommendation of
+himself, stating that he was an honest man, a good
+servant and a small eater.
+
+"Pretty soon," he said to himself, "I shall have
+to look for another job, for it is certain that
+Ruggedo has ruined himself by this reckless
+defiance of the mighty Tititi-Hoochoo. And in
+seeking a job nothing is so effective as a letter
+of recommendation."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Ten
+
+A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube
+
+
+I suppose that Polychrome, and perhaps Queen Ann
+and her Army, might have been able to dispel the
+enchantment of Ruggedo's Chief Magician had they
+known that danger lay in their pathway; for the
+Rainbow's Daughter was a fairy and as Oogaboo is
+a part of the Land of Oz its inhabitants cannot
+easily be deceived by such common magic as the
+Nome King could command. But no one suspected any
+especial danger until after they had entered
+Ruggedo's cavern, and so they were journeying
+along in quite a contented manner when Tik-Tok,
+who marched ahead, suddenly disappeared.
+
+The officers thought he must have turned a
+corner, so they kept on their way and all of them
+likewise disappeared--one after another. Queen Ann
+was rather surprised at this, and in hastening
+forward to learn the reason she also vanished from
+sight.
+
+Betsy Bobbin had tired her feet by walking, so
+she was now riding upon the back of the stout
+little mule, facing backward and talking to Shaggy
+and Polychrome, who were just behind. Suddenly
+Hank pitched forward and began falling and Betsy
+would have tumbled over his head had she not
+grabbed the mule's shaggy neck with both arms and
+held on for dear life.
+
+All around was darkness, and they were not
+falling directly downward but seemed to be sliding
+along a steep incline. Hank's hoofs were resting
+upon some smooth substance over which he slid with
+the swiftness of the wind. Once Betsy's heels flew
+up and struck a similar substance overhead. They
+were, indeed, descending the "Hollow Tube" that
+led to the other side of the world.
+
+"Stop, Hank--stop!" cried the girl; but Hank
+only uttered a plaintive "Hee-haw!" for it was
+impossible for him to obey.
+
+After several minutes had passed and no harm had
+befallen them, Betsy gained courage. She could see
+nothing at all, nor could she hear anything except
+the rush of air past her ears as they plunged
+downward along the Tube. Whether she and Hank were
+alone, or the others were with them, she could not
+tell. But had some one been able to take a
+flash-light photograph of the Tube at that time a
+most curious picture would have resulted. There
+was Tik-Tok, flat upon his back and sliding
+headforemost down the incline. And there were the
+Officers of the Army of Oogaboo, all tangled up in
+a confused crowd, flapping their arms and trying
+to shield their faces from the clanking swords,
+which swung back and forth during the swift
+journey and pommeled everyone within their reach.
+Now followed Queen Ann, who had struck the Tube in
+a sitting position and went flying along with a
+dash and abandon that thoroughly bewildered the
+poor lady, who had no idea what had happened to
+her. Then, a little distance away, but unseen by
+the others in the inky darkness, slid Betsy and
+Hank, while behind them were Shaggy and Polychrome
+and finally Files and the Princess.
+
+When first they tumbled into the Tube all were
+too dazed to think clearly, but the trip was a
+long one, because the cavity led straight through
+the earth to a place just opposite the Nome King's
+dominions, and long before the adventurers got to
+the end they had begun to recover their wits.
+
+"This is awful, Hank!" cried Betsy in a loud
+voice, and Queen Ann heard her and called out:
+"Are you safe, Betsy?"
+
+"Mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "How
+could anyone be safe when she's going about
+sixty miles a minute?" Then, after a pause, she
+added: "But where do you s'pose we're going
+to, Your Maj'sty?"
+
+"Don't ask her that, please don't!" said
+Shaggy, who was not too far away to overhear
+them. "And please don't ask me why, either."
+
+"Why?" said Betsy.
+
+"No one can tell where we are going until
+we get there," replied Shaggy, and then he
+yelled "Ouch!" for Polychrome had overtaken
+him and was now sitting on his head.
+
+The Rainbow's Daughter laughed merrily,
+and so infectious was this joyous laugh that
+Betsy echoed it and Hank said "Hee haw!" in a
+mild and sympathetic tone of voice.
+
+"I'd like to know where and when we'll arrive,
+just the same," exclaimed the little girl.
+
+"Be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said
+Polychrome. "But isn't this an odd experience?
+Here am I, whose home is in the skies, making
+a journey through the center of the earth--where
+I never expected to be!"
+
+"How do you know we're in the center of the
+earth?" asked Betsy, her voice trembling a little
+through nervousness.
+
+"Why, we can t be anywhere else," replied
+Polychrome. "I have often heard of this passage,
+which was once built by a Magician who was a
+great traveler. He thought it would save him the
+bother of going around the earth's surface, but
+he tumbled through the Tube so fast that he
+shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky,
+which at once exploded."
+
+"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.
+
+"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."
+
+"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the
+girl.
+
+"No one knows that," answered Polychrome. "But I
+don't think it matters much."
+
+"It matters a good deal, if we also hit the
+stars when we come out," said Queen Ann, with a
+moan.
+
+"Don't worry," advised Polychrome. "I believe
+the Magician was going the other way, and probably
+he went much faster than we are going."
+
+"It's fast enough to suit me," remarked
+Shaggy, gently removing Polychrome's heel
+from his left eye. "Couldn't you manage to fall
+all by yourself, my dear?"
+
+"I'll try," laughed the Rainbow's Daughter.
+
+All this time they were swiftly falling through
+the Tube, and it was not so easy for them to talk
+as you may imagine when you read their words. But
+although they were so helpless and altogether in
+the dark as to their fate, the fact that they were
+able to converse at all cheered them,
+considerably.
+
+Files and Ozga were also conversing as they
+clung tightly to one another, and the young
+fellow bravely strove to reassure the Princess,
+although he was terribly frightened, both on her
+account and on his own.
+
+An hour, under such trying circumstances, is
+a very long time, and for more than an hour they
+continued their fearful journey. Then, just as
+they began to fear the Tube would never end,
+Tik-Tok popped out into broad daylight and,
+after making a graceful circle in the air, fell
+with a splash into a great marble fountain.
+
+Out came the officers, in quick succession,
+tumbling heels over head and striking the
+ground in many undignified attitudes.
+
+"For the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a
+Peculiar Person who was hoeing pink violets in a
+garden. "What can all this mean?"
+
+For answer, Queen Ann sailed up from the
+Tube, took a ride through the air as high as the
+treetops, and alighted squarely on top of the
+Peculiar Person's head, smashing a jeweled
+crown over his eyes and tumbling him to the
+ground.
+
+The mule was heavier and had Betsy clinging to
+his back, so he did not go so high up. Fortunately
+for his little rider he struck the ground upon his
+four feet. Betsy was jarred a trifle but not hurt
+and when she looked around her she saw the Queen
+and the Peculiar Person struggling together upon
+the ground, where the man was trying to choke Ann
+and she had both hands in his bushy hair and was
+pulling with all her might. Some of the officers,
+when they got upon their feet, hastened to
+separate the combatants and sought to restrain the
+Peculiar Person so that he could not attack their
+Queen again.
+
+By this time, Shaggy, Polychrome, Ozga and Files
+had all arrived and were curiously examining the
+strange country in which they found themselves and
+which they knew to be exactly on the opposite side
+of the world from the place where they had fallen
+into the Tube. It was a lovely place, indeed, and
+seemed to be the garden of some great Prince, for
+through the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be
+seen the towers of an immense castle. But as yet
+the only inhabitant to greet them was the Peculiar
+Person just mentioned, who had shaken off the
+grasp of the officers without effort and was now
+trying to pull the battered crown from off his
+eyes.
+
+Shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to
+do this and when the man was free and could
+see again he looked at his visitors with evident
+amazement.
+
+"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "Where did
+you come from and how did you get here?"
+
+Betsy tried to answer him, for Queen Ann was
+surly and silent.
+
+"I can't say, exac'ly where we came from,
+cause I don't know the name of the place," said
+the girl, "but the way we got here was through
+the Hollow Tube."
+
+"Don't call it a 'hollow' Tube, please,"
+exclaimed the Peculiar Person in an irritated tone
+of voice. "If it's a tube, it's sure to be
+hollow."
+
+"Why?" asked Betsy.
+
+"Because all tubes are made that way. But this
+Tube is private property and everyone is forbidden
+to fall into it."
+
+"We didn't do it on purpose," explained Betsy,
+and Polychrome added: "I am quite sure that
+Ruggedo, the Nome King, pushed us down that Tube."
+
+"Ha! Ruggedo! Did  you say Ruggedo?" cried the
+man, becoming much excited.
+
+"That is what she said," replied Shaggy, "and I
+believe she is right. We were on our way to
+conquer the Nome King when suddenly we fell into
+the Tube."
+
+"Then you are enemies of Ruggedo?" inquired the
+peculiar Person.
+
+"Not exac'ly enemies," said Betsy, a little
+puzzled by the question, "'cause we don't know him
+at all; but we started out to conquer him, which
+isn't as friendly as it might be."
+
+"True," agreed the man. He looked thoughtfully
+from one to another of them for a while and then
+he turned his head over his shoulder and said:
+"Never mind the fire and pincers, my good
+brothers. It will be best to take these strangers
+to the Private Citizen."
+
+"Very well, Tubekins," responded a Voice,
+deep and powerful, that seemed to come out of
+the air, for the speaker was invisible.
+
+All our friends gave a jump, at this. Even
+Polychrome was so startled that her gauze
+draperies fluttered like a banner in a breeze.
+Shaggy shook his head and sighed; Queen Ann looked
+very unhappy; the officers clung to each other,
+trembling violently.
+
+But soon they gained courage to look more
+closely at the Peculiar Person. As he was a type
+of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary land
+whom they afterward met, I will try to tell you
+what he looked like.
+
+His face was beautiful, but lacked expression.
+His eyes were large and blue in color and his
+teeth finely formed and white as snow. His hair
+was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at
+the ends. So far no one could find any fault with
+his appearance. He wore a robe of scarlet, which
+did not cover his arms and extended no lower than
+his bare knees. On the bosom of the robe was
+embroidered a terrible dragon's head, as horrible
+to look at as the man was beautiful. His arms and
+legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was
+bright yellow and the skin of the other arm a
+vivid green. He had one blue leg and one pink one,
+while both his feet--which showed through the open
+sandals he wore--were jet black.
+
+Betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous
+colors were dyes or the natural tints of the skin,
+but while she was thinking it over the man who
+had been called "Tubekins" said:
+
+"Follow me to the Residence--all of you!"
+
+But just then a Voice exclaimed: "Here's another
+of them, Tubekins, lying in the water of the
+fountain."
+
+"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok,
+and he'll drown."
+
+"Water is a bad thing for his clockworks,
+anyway," agreed Shaggy, as with one accord they
+all started for the fountain. But before they
+could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-Tok
+from the marble basin and set him upon his feet
+beside it, water dripping from every joint of his
+copper body.
+
+"Ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and
+then his copper jaws clicked together and he
+could say no more. He next made an attempt to
+walk but after several awkward trials found he
+could not move his joints.
+
+Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen
+greeted Tik-Tok's failure, and the new arrivals in
+this strange land found it very uncomfortable to
+realize that there were many creatures around them
+who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly.
+
+"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very
+sorry for Tik-Tok.
+
+"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs
+oiling," replied Shaggy.
+
+At once an oil-can appeared before him, held
+on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand.
+Shaggy took the can and tried to oil Tik-Tok's
+joints. As if to assist him, a strong current of
+warm air was directed against the copper man
+which quickly dried him. Soon he was able to
+say "Ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his
+joints worked fairly well.
+
+"Come!" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back
+upon them he walked up the path toward the castle.
+
+"Shall we go?" asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but
+just then she received a shove that almost pitched
+her forward on her head; so she decided to go. The
+officers who hesitated received several energetic
+kicks, but could not see who delivered them;
+therefore they also decided--very wisely--to go.
+The others followed willingly enough, for unless
+they ventured upon another terrible journey
+through the Tube they must make the best of the
+unknown country they were in, and the best seemed
+to be to obey orders.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eleven
+
+The Famous Fellowship of Fairies
+
+
+After a short walk through very beautiful gardens
+they came to the castle and followed Tubekins
+through the entrance and into a great domed
+chamber, where he commanded them to be seated.
+
+From the crown which he wore, Betsy had thought
+this man must be the King of the country they were
+in, yet after he had seated all the strangers upon
+benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a
+high throne, Tubekins bowed humbly before the
+vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and
+disappeared.
+
+The hall was an immense place, but there seemed
+to be no one in it beside themselves. Presently,
+however, they heard a low cough near them, and
+here and there was the faint rustling of a robe
+and a slight patter as of footsteps. Then suddenly
+there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the
+sound all was changed.
+
+Gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw
+that it was filled with hundreds of men and women,
+all with beautiful faces and staring blue eyes and
+all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon
+their heads. In fact, these people seemed exact
+duplicates of Tubekins and it was difficult to
+find any mark by which to tell them apart.
+
+"My! what a lot of Kings and Queens!" whispered
+Betsy to Polychrome, who sat beside her and
+appeared much interested in the scene but not a
+bit worried.
+
+"It is certainly a strange sight," was
+Polychrome's reply; "but I cannot see how there
+can be more than one King, or Queen, in any one
+country, for were these all rulers, no one could
+tell who was Master."
+
+One of the Kings who stood near and overheard
+this remark turned to her and said: "One who is
+Master of himself is always a King, if only to
+himself. In this favored land all Kings and Queens
+are equal, and it is our privilege to bow before
+one supreme Ruler--the Private Citizen."
+
+"Who's he?" inquired Betsy.
+
+As if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell
+again rang out and instantly there appeared
+seated in the throne the man who was lord and
+master of all these royal ones. This fact was
+evident when with one accord they fell upon their
+knees and touched their foreheads to the floor.
+
+The Private Citizen was not unlike the others,
+except that his eyes were black instead of blue
+and in the centers of the black irises glowed red
+sparks that seemed like coals of fire. But his
+features were very beautiful and dignified and
+his manner composed and stately. Instead of the
+prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white,
+and the same dragon's head that decorated the
+others was embroidered upon its bosom.
+
+"What charge lies against these people,
+Tubekins?" he asked in quiet, even tones.
+
+"They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty
+Citizen," was the reply.
+
+"You see, it was this way," said Betsy. "We
+were marching to the Nome King, to conquer him and
+set Shaggy's brother free, when on a sudden--"
+
+"Who are you?" demanded the Private Citizen
+sternly.
+
+"Me? Oh, I'm Betsy Bobbin, and--"
+
+"Who is the leader of this party?" asked the
+Citizen.
+
+"Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and--"
+
+"Then keep quiet," said the Citizen. "Who is the
+leader?"
+
+No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn
+stood up.
+
+"Sit down!" commanded the Citizen. "I can see
+that sixteen of you are merely officers, and of no
+account."
+
+"But we have an Army," said General Clock,
+blusteringly, for he didn't like to be told he was
+of no account.
+
+"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.
+
+"It's me," said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a
+little rusty. "I'm the on-ly Pri-vate Sol-dier in
+the par-ty."
+
+Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed
+respectfully to the Clockwork Man.
+
+"Pardon me for not realizing your importance
+before," said he. "Will you oblige me by taking
+a seat beside me on my throne?"
+
+Tik-Tok rose and walked over to the throne, all
+the Kings and Queens making way for him. Then with
+clanking steps he mounted the platform and sat on
+the broad seat beside the Citizen.
+
+Ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor
+shown to the humble Clockwork Man, but Shaggy
+seemed much pleased that his old friend's
+importance had been recognized by the ruler of
+this remarkable country. The Citizen now began to
+question Tik-Tok, who told in his mechanical voice
+about Shaggy's quest of his lost brother, and how
+Ozma of Oz had sent the Clockwork Man to assist
+him, and how they had fallen in with Queen Ann and
+her people from Oogaboo. Also he told how Betsy
+and Hank and Polychrome and the Rose Princess had
+happened to join their party.
+
+"And you intended to conquer Ruggedo, the Metal
+Monarch and King of the Nomes?" asked the Citizen.
+
+"Yes. That seemed the on-ly thing for us to do,"
+was Tik-Tok's reply. "But he was too cle-ver for
+us. When we got close to his cav-ern he made our
+path lead to the Tube, and made the op-en-ing in-
+vis-i-ble, so that we all fell in-to it be-fore we
+knew it was there. It was an eas-y way to get rid
+of us and now Rug-gedo is safe and we are far a-
+way in a strange land."
+
+The Citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be
+thinking. Then he said:
+
+"Most noble Private Soldier, I must inform you
+that by the laws of our country anyone who comes
+through the Forbidden Tube must be tortured for
+nine days and ten nights and then thrown back into
+the Tube. But it is wise to disregard laws when
+they conflict with justice, and it seems that you
+and your followers did not disobey our laws
+willingly, being forced into the Tube by Ruggedo.
+Therefore the Nome King is alone to blame, and he
+alone must be punished."
+
+"That suits me," said Tik-Tok. "But Rug-ge-do
+is on the o-ther side of the world where he is
+a-way out of your reach."
+
+The Citizen drew himself up proudly.
+
+"Do you imagine anything in the world or upon it
+can be out of the reach of the Great Jinjin?" he
+asked.
+
+"Oh! Are you, then, the Great Jinjin?" inquired
+Tik-Tok.
+
+"I am."
+
+"Then your name is Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?"
+
+"It is."
+
+Queen Ann gave a scream and began to tremble.
+Shaggy was so disturbed that he took out a
+handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his
+brow. Polychrome looked sober and uneasy for the
+first time, while Files put his arms around the
+Rose Princess as if to protect her. As for the
+officers, the name of the great Jinjin set them
+moaning and weeping at a great rate and every one
+fell upon his knees before the throne, begging for
+mercy. Betsy was worried at seeing her companions
+so disturbed, but did not know what it was all
+about. Only Tik-Tok was unmoved at the discovery.
+
+"Then," said he, "if you are Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo,
+and think Rug-ge-do is to blame, I am sure that
+some-thing queer will hap-pen to the King of the
+Nomes."
+
+"I wonder what 'twill be," said Betsy.
+
+The Private Citizen--otherwise known as Tititi-
+Hoochoo, the Great Jinjin--looked at the little
+girl steadily.
+
+"I will presently decide what is to happen to
+Ruggedo," said he in a hard, stern voice. Then,
+turning to the throng of Kings and Queens, he
+continued: "Tik-Tok has spoken truly, for his
+machinery will not allow him to lie, nor will it
+allow his thoughts to think falsely. Therefore
+these people are not our enemies and must be
+treated with consideration and justice. Take them
+to your palaces and entertain them as guests until
+to-morrow, when I command that they be brought
+again to my Residence. By then I shall have formed
+my plans."
+
+No sooner had Tititi-Hoochoo spoken than he
+disappeared from sight. Immediately after, most of
+the Kings and Queens likewise disappeared. But
+several of them remained visible and approached
+the strangers with great respect. One of the
+lovely Queens said to Betsy:
+
+"I trust you will honor me by being my guest. I
+am Erma, Queen of Light."
+
+"May Hank come with me?" asked the girl.
+
+"The King of Animals will care for your mule,"
+was the reply. "But do not fear for him, for he
+will be treated royally. All of your party will be
+reunited on the morrow."
+
+"I--I'd like to have some one with me," said
+Betsy, pleadingly.
+
+Queen Erma looked around and smiled upon
+Polychrome.
+
+"Will the Rainbow's Daughter be an agreeable
+companion?" she asked.
+
+"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl.
+
+So Polychrome and Betsy became guests of the
+Queen of Light, while other beautiful Kings and
+Queens took charge of the others of the party.
+
+The two girls followed Erma out of the hall
+and through the gardens of the Residence to a
+village of pretty dwellings. None of these was so
+large or imposing as the castle of the Private
+Citizen, but all were handsome enough to be
+called palaces--as, in fact, they really were.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twelve
+
+The Lovely Lady of Light
+
+
+The palace of the Queen of Light stood on a little
+eminence and was a mass of crystal windows,
+surmounted by a vast crystal dome. When they
+entered the portals Erma was greeted by six lovely
+maidens, evidently of high degree, who at once
+aroused Betsy's admiration. Each bore a wand in
+her hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and
+their costumes were also emblematic of the lights
+they represented. Erma introduced them to her
+guests and each made a graceful and courteous
+acknowledgment.
+
+First was Sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very
+fair; the second was Moonlight, a soft, dreamy
+damsel with nut-brown hair; next came Starlight,
+equally lovely but inclined to be retiring and
+shy. These three were dressed in shimmering robes
+of silvery white. The fourth was Daylight, a
+brilliant damsel with laughing eyes and frank
+manners, who wore a variety of colors. Then came
+Firelight, clothed in a fleecy flame-colored robe
+that wavered around her shapely form in a very
+attractive manner. The sixth maiden, Electra, was
+the most beautiful of all, and Betsy thought from
+the first that both Sunlight and Daylight regarded
+Electra with envy and were a little jealous of
+her.
+
+But all were cordial in their greetings to the
+strangers and seemed to regard the Queen of Light
+with much affection, for they fluttered around her
+in a flashing, radiant group as she led the way to
+her regal drawing-room.
+
+This apartment was richly and cosily furnished,
+the upholstery being of many tints, and both Betsy
+and Polychrome enjoyed resting themselves upon the
+downy divans after their strenuous adventures of
+the day.
+
+The Queen sat down to chat with her guests, who
+noticed that Daylight was the only maiden now
+seated beside Erma. The others had retired to
+another part of the room, where they sat modestly
+with entwined arms and did not intrude themselves
+at all.
+
+The Queen told the strangers all about this
+beautiful land, which is one of the chief
+residences of fairies who minister to the needs of
+mankind. So many important fairies lived there
+that, to avoid rivalry, they had elected as their
+Ruler the only important personage in the country
+who had no duties to mankind to perform and was,
+in effect, a Private Citizen. This Ruler, or
+Jinjin, as was his title, bore the name of Tititi-
+Hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him was
+that he had no heart. But instead of this he
+possessed a high degree of Reason and Justice and
+while he showed no mercy in his judgments he never
+punished unjustly or without reason. To wrong-
+doers Tititi-Hoochoo was as terrible as he was
+heartless, but those who were innocent of evil had
+nothing to fear from him.
+
+All the Kings and Queens of this fairyland paid
+reverence to Jinjin, for as they expected to be
+obeyed by others they were willing to obey the one
+in authority over them.
+
+The inhabitants of the Land of Oz had heard many
+tales of this fearfully just Jinjin, whose
+punishments were always equal to the faults
+committed. Polychrome also knew of him, although
+this was the first time she had ever seen him face
+to face. But to Betsy the story was all new, and
+she was greatly interested in Tititi-Hoochoo, whom
+she no longer feared.
+
+Time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly
+Betsy noticed that Moonlight was sitting beside
+the Queen of Light, instead of Daylight.
+
+"But tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you
+all wear a dragon's head embroidered on your
+gowns?"
+
+Erma's pleasant face became grave as she
+answered:
+
+"The Dragon, as you must know, was the first
+living creature ever made; therefore the Dragon is
+the oldest and wisest of living things. By good
+fortune the Original Dragon, who still lives, is a
+resident of this land and supplies us with wisdom
+whenever we are in need of it. He is old as the
+world and remembers everything that has happened
+since the world was created."
+
+"Did he ever have any children?" inquired the
+girl.
+
+"Yes, many of them. Some wandered into other
+lands, where men, not understanding them, made war
+upon them; but many still reside in this country.
+None, however, is as wise as the Original Dragon,
+for whom we have great respect. As he was the
+first resident here, we wear the emblem of the
+dragon's head to show that we are the favored
+people who alone have the right to inhabit this
+fairyland, which in beauty almost equals the
+Fairyland of Oz, and in power quite surpasses it."
+
+"I understand about the dragon, now," said
+Polychrome, nodding her lovely head. Betsy did not
+quite understand, but she was at present
+interested in observing the changing lights. As
+Daylight had given way to Moonlight, so now
+Starlight sat at the right hand of Erma the Queen,
+and with her coming a spirit of peace and content
+seemed to fill the room. Polychrome, being
+herself a fairy, had many questions to ask about
+the various Kings and Queens who lived in this
+far-away, secluded place, and before Erma had
+finished answering them a rosy glow filled the
+room and Firelight took her place beside the
+Queen.
+
+Betsy liked Firelight, but to gaze upon her warm
+and glowing features made the little girl sleepy,
+and presently she began to nod. Thereupon Erma
+rose and took Betsy's hand gently in her own.
+
+"Come," said she; "the feast time has arrived
+and the feast is spread."
+
+"That's nice," exclaimed the small mortal.
+"Now that I think of it, I'm awful hungry. But
+p'raps I can't eat your fairy food."
+
+The Queen smiled and led her to a doorway. As
+she pushed aside a heavy drapery a flood of
+silvery light greeted them, and Betsy saw before
+her a splendid banquet hall, with a table spread
+with snowy linen and crystal and silver. At one
+side was a broad, throne-like seat for Erma and
+beside her now sat the brilliant maid Electra.
+Polychrome was placed on the Queen's right hand
+and Betsy upon her left. The other five messengers
+of light now waited upon them, and each person was
+supplied with just the food she liked best.
+Polychrome found her dish of dewdrops, all fresh
+and sparkling, while Betsy was so lavishly served
+that she decided she had never in her life eaten a
+dinner half so good.
+
+"I s'pose," she said to the Queen, "that Miss
+Electra is the youngest of all these girls."
+
+"Why do you suppose that?" inquired Erma, with a
+smile.
+
+"'Cause electric'ty is the newest light we
+know of. Didn't Mr. Edison discover it?"
+
+"Perhaps he was the first mortal to discover
+it," replied the Queen. "But electricity was a
+part of the world from its creation, and therefore
+my Electra is as old as Daylight or Moonlight,
+and equally beneficent to mortals and fairies
+alike."
+
+Betsy was thoughtful for a time. Then she
+remarked, as she looked at the six messengers of
+light:
+
+"We couldn't very well do without any of
+'em; could we?"
+
+Erma laughed softly. "I couldn't, I'm sure," she
+replied, "and I think mortals would miss any one
+of my maidens, as well. Daylight cannot take the
+place of Sunlight, which gives us strength and
+energy. Moonlight is of value when Daylight, worn
+out with her long watch, retires to rest. If the
+moon in its course is hidden behind the earth's
+rim, and my sweet Moonlight cannot cheer us,
+Starlight takes her place, for the skies always
+lend her power. Without Firelight we should miss
+much of our warmth and comfort, as well as much
+cheer when the walls of houses encompass us. But
+always, when other lights forsake us, our glorious
+Electra is ready to flood us with bright rays. As
+Queen of Light, I love all my maidens, for I know
+them to be faithful and true."
+
+"I love 'em too!" declared Betsy. "But
+sometimes, when I'm real sleepy, I can get along
+without any light at all."
+
+"Are you sleepy now?" inquired Erma, for the
+feast had ended.
+
+"A little," admitted the girl.
+
+So Electra showed her to a pretty chamber where
+there was a soft, white bed, and waited patiently
+until Betsy had undressed and put on a shimmery
+silken nightrobe that lay beside her pillow. Then
+the light-maid bade her good night and opened the
+door.
+
+When she closed it after her Betsy was in
+darkness. In six winks the little girl was fast
+asleep.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Thirteen
+
+The Jinjin's Just Judgment
+
+
+All the adventurers were reunited next morning
+when they were brought from various palaces to the
+Residence of Tititi-Hoochoo and ushered into the
+great Hall of State.
+
+As before, no one was visible except our friends
+and their escorts until the first bell sounded.
+Then in a flash the room was seen to be filled
+with the beautiful Kings and Queens of the land.
+The second bell marked the appearance in the
+throne of the mighty Jinjin, whose handsome
+countenance was as composed and expressionless as
+ever.
+
+All bowed low to the Ruler. Their voices softly
+murmured: "We greet the Private Citizen, mightiest
+of Rulers, whose word is Law and whose Law is
+just."
+
+Tititi-Hoochoo bowed in acknowledgment.
+Then, looking around the brilliant assemblage,
+and at the little group of adventurers before him,
+he said:
+
+"An unusual thing has happened. Inhabitants of
+other lands than ours, who are different from
+ourselves in many ways, have been thrust upon us
+through the Forbidden Tube, which one of our
+people foolishly made years ago and was properly
+punished for his folly. But these strangers had no
+desire to come here and were wickedly thrust into
+the Tube by a cruel King on the other side of the
+world, named Ruggedo. This King is an immortal,
+but he is not good. His magic powers hurt mankind
+more than they benefit them. Because he had
+unjustly kept the Shaggy Man's brother a prisoner,
+this little band of honest people, consisting of
+both mortals and immortals, determined to conquer
+Ruggedo and to punish him. Fearing they might
+succeed in this, the Nome King misled them so that
+they fell into the Tube.
+
+"Now, this same Ruggedo has been warned by me,
+many times, that if ever he used this Forbidden
+Tube in any way he would be severely punished. I
+find, by referring to the Fairy Records, that this
+King's servant, a nome named Kaliko, begged his
+master not to do such a wrong act as to drop these
+people into the Tube and send them tumbling into
+our country. But Ruggedo defied me and my orders.
+
+"Therefore these strangers are innocent of any
+wrong. It is only Ruggedo who deserves punishment,
+and I will punish him." He paused a moment and
+then continued in the same cold, merciless voice:
+
+"These strangers must return through the Tube to
+their own side of the world; but I will make their
+fall more easy and pleasant than it was before.
+Also I shall send with them an Instrument of
+Vengeance, who in my name will drive Ruggedo from
+his underground caverns, take away his magic
+powers and make him a homeless wanderer on the
+face of the earth--a place he detests."
+
+There was a little murmur of horror from the
+Kings and Queens at the severity of this
+punishment, but no one uttered a protest, for all
+realized that the sentence was just.
+
+"In selecting my Instrument of Vengeance," went
+on Tititi-Hoochoo, "I have realized that this will
+be an unpleasant mission. Therefore no one of us
+who is blameless should be forced to undertake it.
+In this wonderful land it is seldom one is guilty
+of wrong, even in the slightest degree, and on
+examining the Records I found no King or Queen had
+erred. Nor had any among their followers or
+servants done any wrong. But finally I came to the
+Dragon Family, which we highly respect, and then
+it was that I discovered the error of Quox.
+
+"Quox, as you well know, is a young dragon who
+has not yet acquired the wisdom of his race.
+Because of this lack, he has been disrespectful
+toward his most ancient ancestor, the Original
+Dragon, telling him once to mind his own business
+and again saying that the Ancient One had grown
+foolish with age. We are aware that dragons are
+not the same as fairies and cannot be altogether
+guided by our laws, yet such disrespect as Quox
+has shown should not be unnoticed by us. Therefore
+I have selected Quox as my royal Instrument of
+Vengeance and he shall go through the Tube with
+these people and inflict upon Ruggedo the
+punishment I have decreed."
+
+All had listened quietly to this speech and now
+the Kings and Queens bowed gravely to signify
+their approval of the Jinjin's judgment.
+
+Tititi-Hoochoo turned to Tubekins.
+
+"I command you," said he, "to escort these
+strangers to the Tube and see that they all enter
+it."
+
+The King of the Tube, who had first discovered
+our friends and brought them to the Private
+Citizen, stepped forward and bowed. As he did so,
+the Jinjin and all the Kings and Queens suddenly
+disappeared and only Tubekins remained visible.
+
+"All right," said Betsy, with a sigh; "I don't
+mind going back so very much, 'cause the Jinjin
+promised to make it easy for us."
+
+Indeed, Queen Ann and her officers were the only
+ones who looked solemn and seemed to fear the
+return journey. One thing that bothered Ann was
+her failure to conquer this land of Tititi-
+Hoochoo. As they followed their guide through the
+gardens to the mouth of the Tube she said to
+Shaggy:
+
+"How can I conquer the world, if I go away
+and leave this rich country unconquered?"
+
+"You can't," he replied. "Don't ask me why,
+please, for if you don't know I can't inform
+you."
+
+"Why not?" said Ann; but Shaggy paid no
+attention to the question.
+
+This end of the Tube had a silver rim and around
+it was a gold railing to which was attached a sign
+that read.
+
+"IF YOU ARE OUT, STAY THERE.
+IF YOU ARE IN, DON'T COME OUT."
+
+
+On a little silver plate just inside the Tube
+was engraved the words:
+
+
+"Burrowed and built by
+Hiergargo the Magician,
+In the Year of the World
+1 9 6 2 5 4 7 8
+For his own exclusive uses."
+
+
+"He was some builder, I must say," remarked
+Betsy, when she had read the inscription; "but
+if he had known about that star I guess he'd
+have spent his time playing solitaire."
+
+"Well, what are we waiting for?" inquired
+Shaggy, who was impatient to start.
+
+"Quox," replied Tubekins. "But I think I hear
+him coming."
+
+"Is the young dragon invisible?" asked Ann,
+who had never seen a live dragon and was a little
+fearful of meeting one.
+
+"No, indeed," replied the King of the Tube.
+"You'll see him in a minute; but before you part
+company I'm sure you'll wish he was invisible."
+
+"Is he dangerous, then?" questioned Files.
+
+"Not at all. But Quox tires me dreadfully," said
+Tubekins, "and I prefer his room to his company.
+
+At that instant a scraping sound was heard,
+drawing nearer and nearer until from between
+two big bushes appeared a huge dragon, who
+approached the party, nodded his head and said:
+"Good morning."
+
+Had Quox been at all bashful I am sure he would
+have felt uncomfortable at the astonished stare of
+every eye in the group--except Tubekins, of
+course, who was not astonished because he had seen
+Quox so often.
+
+Betsy had thought a "young" dragon must be a
+small dragon, yet here was one so enormous that
+the girl decided he must be full grown, if not
+overgrown. His body was a lovely sky-blue in color
+and it was thickly set with glittering silver
+scales, each one as big as a serving-tray. Around
+his neck was a pink ribbon with a bow just under
+his left ear, and below the ribbon appeared a
+chain of pearls to which was attached a golden
+locket about as large around as the end of a bass
+drum. This locket was set with many large and
+beautiful jewels.
+
+The head and face of Quox were not especially
+ugly, when you consider that he was a dragon; but
+his eyes were so large that it took him a long
+time to wink and his teeth seemed very sharp and
+terrible when they showed, which they did whenever
+the beast smiled. Also his nostrils were quite
+large and wide, and those who stood near him were
+liable to smell brimstone--especially when he
+breathed out fire, as it is the nature of dragons
+to do. To the end of his long tail was attached a
+big electric light.
+
+Perhaps the most singular thing about the
+dragon's appearance at this time was the fact that
+he had a row of seats attached to his back, one
+seat for each member of the party. These seats
+were double, with curved backs, so that two
+could sit in them, and there were twelve of these
+double seats, all strapped firmly around the
+dragon's thick body and placed one behind the
+other, in a row that extended from his shoulders
+nearly to his tail.
+
+"Aha!" exclaimed Tubekins; "I see that Tititi-
+Hoochoo has transformed Quox into a carryall."
+
+"I'm glad of that," said Betsy. "I hope, Mr.
+Dragon, you won't mind our riding on your back."
+
+"Not a bit," replied Quox. "I'm in disgrace just
+now, you know, and the only way to redeem my good
+name is to obey the orders of the Jinjin. If he
+makes me a beast of burden, it is only a part of
+my punishment, and I must bear it like a dragon. I
+don't blame you people at all, and I hope you'll
+enjoy the ride. Hop on, please. All aboard for the
+other side of the world!"
+
+Silently they took their places. Hank sat in the
+front seat with Betsy, so that he could rest his
+front hoofs upon the dragon's head. Behind them
+were Shaggy and Polychrome, then Files and the
+Princess, and Queen Ann and Tik-Tok. The officers
+rode in the rear seats. When all had mounted to
+their places the dragon looked very like one of
+those sightseeing wagons so common in big cities--
+only he had legs instead of wheels.
+
+"All ready?" asked Quox, and when they said they
+were he crawled to the mouth of the Tube and put
+his head in.
+
+"Good-bye, and good luck to you!" called
+Tubekins; but no one thought to reply, because
+just then the dragon slid his great body into the
+Tube and the journey to the other side of the
+world had begun.
+
+At first they went so fast that they could
+scarcely catch their breaths, but presently Quox
+slowed up and said with a sort of cackling laugh:
+
+"My scales! but that is some tumble. I think I
+shall take it easy and fall slower, or I'm likely to
+get dizzy. Is it very far to the other side of the
+world?"
+
+"Haven't you ever been through this Tube
+before?" inquired Shaggy.
+
+"Never. Nor has anyone else in our country;
+at least, not since I was born."
+
+"How long ago was that?" asked Betsy.
+
+"That I was born? Oh, not very long ago.
+I'm only a mere child. If I had not been sent on
+this journey, I would have celebrated my three
+thousand and fifty-sixth birthday next Thursday.
+Mother was going to make me a birthday cake
+with three thousand and fifty-six candles on it;
+but now, of course, there will be no celebration,
+for I fear I shall not get home in time for it."
+
+"Three thousand and fifty-six years!" cried
+Betsy. "Why, I had no idea anything could live
+that long!"
+
+"My respected Ancestor, whom I would call a
+stupid old humbug if I had not reformed, is so old
+that I am a mere baby compared with him," said
+Quox. "He dates from the beginning of the world,
+and insists on telling us stories of things that
+happened fifty thousand years ago, which are of no
+interest at all to youngsters like me. In fact,
+Grandpa isn't up to date. He lives altogether in
+the past, so I can't see any good reason for his
+being alive to-day.... Are you people able to see
+your way, or shall I turn on more light?"
+
+"Oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only
+there's nothing to see but ourselves," answered
+Betsy.
+
+This was true. The dragon's big eyes were like
+headlights on an automobile and illuminated the
+Tube far ahead of them. Also he curled his tail
+upward so that the electric light on the end of it
+enabled them to see one another quite clearly. But
+the Tube itself was only dark metal, smooth as
+glass but exactly the same from one of its ends to
+the other. Therefore there was no scenery of
+interest to beguile the journey.
+
+They were now falling so gently that the trip
+was proving entirely comfortable, as the Jinjin
+had promised it would be; but this meant a
+longer journey and the only way they could
+make time pass was to engage in conversation.
+The dragon seemed a willing and persistent
+talker and he was of so much interest to them
+that they encouraged him to chatter. His voice
+was a little gruff but not unpleasant when one
+became used to it.
+
+"My only fear," said he presently, "is that this
+constant sliding over the surface of the Tube will
+dull my claws. You see, this hole isn't straight
+down, but on a steep slant, and so instead of
+tumbling freely through the air I must skate along
+the Tube. Fortunately, there is a file in my tool-
+kit, and if my claws get dull they can be
+sharpened again."
+
+"Why do you want sharp claws?" asked Betsy.
+
+"They are my natural weapons, and you must not
+forget that I have been sent to conquer Ruggedo."
+
+"Oh, you needn't mind about that," remarked
+Queen Ann, in her most haughty manner; "for when
+we get to Ruggedo I and my invincible Army can
+conquer him without your assistance."
+
+"Very good," returned the dragon, cheerfully.
+"That will save me a lot of bother--if you
+succeed. But I think I shall file my claws, just
+the same."
+
+He gave a long sigh, as he said this, and a
+sheet of flame, several feet in length, shot from
+his mouth. Betsy shuddered and Hank said
+"Hee-haw!" while some of the officers screamed
+in terror. But the dragon did not notice that he
+had done anything unusual.
+
+"Is there fire inside of you?" asked Shaggy.
+
+"Of course," answered Quox. "What sort of a
+dragon would I be if my fire went out?"
+
+"What keeps it going?" Betsy inquired.
+
+"I've no idea. I only know it's there," said
+Quox. "The fire keeps me alive and enables me
+to move; also to think and speak."
+
+"Ah! You are ver-y much like my-self," said
+Tik-Tok. "The on-ly dif-fer-ence is that I move
+by clock-work, while you move by fire."
+
+"I don't see a particle of likeness between us,
+I must confess," retorted Quox, gruffly. "You are
+not a live thing; you're a dummy."
+
+"But I can do things, you must ad-mit," said
+Tik-Tok.
+
+"Yes, when you are wound up," sneered the
+dragon. "But if you run down, you are helpless."
+
+"What would happen to you, Quox, if you ran
+out of gasoline?" inquired Shaggy, who did not
+like this attack upon his friend.
+
+"I don't use gasoline."
+
+"Well, suppose you ran out of fire."
+
+"What's the use of supposing that?" asked
+Quox.  "My great-great-great-grandfather has
+lived since the world began, and he has never
+once run out of fire to keep him going. But I
+will confide to you that as he gets older he shows
+more smoke and less fire. As for Tik-Tok, he's
+well enough in his way, but he's merely copper.
+And the Metal Monarch knows copper through
+and through. I wouldn't be surprised if Ruggedo
+melted Tik-Tok in one of his furnaces and made
+copper pennies of him."
+
+"In that case, I would still keep going,"
+remarked Tik-Tok, calmly.
+
+"Pennies do," said Betsy regretfully.
+
+"This is all nonsense," said the Queen, with
+irritation. "Tik-Tok is my great Army--all but the
+officers--and I believe he will be able to conquer
+Ruggedo with ease. What do you think, Polychrome?"
+
+"You might let him try," answered the Rainbow's
+Daughter, with her sweet ringing laugh, that
+sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells. "And if
+Tik-Tok fails, you have still the big fire-
+breathing dragon to fall back on."
+
+"Ah!" said the dragon, another sheet of flame
+gushing from his mouth and nostrils; "it's a wise
+little girl, this Polychrome. Anyone would know
+she is a fairy."
+
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Fourteen
+
+The Long-Eared Hearer Learns by Listening
+
+
+During this time Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch and
+King of the Nomes, was trying to amuse himself in
+his splendid jeweled cavern. It was hard work for
+Ruggedo to find amusement to-day, for all the
+nomes were behaving well and there was no one to
+scold or to punish. The King had thrown his
+sceptre at Kaliko six times, without hitting him
+once. Not that Kaliko had done anything wrong. On
+the contrary, he had obeyed the King in every way
+but one: he would not stand still, when commanded
+to do so, and let the heavy sceptre strike him.
+
+We can hardly blame Kaliko for this, and even
+the cruel Ruggedo forgave him; for he knew very
+well that if he mashed his Royal Chamberlain he
+could never find another so intelligent and
+obedient. Kaliko could make the nomes work when
+their King could not, for the nomes hated Ruggedo
+and there were so many thousands of the quaint
+little underground people that they could easily
+have rebelled and defied the King had they dared
+to do so. Sometimes, when Ruggedo abused them
+worse than usual, they grew sullen and threw down
+their hammers and picks. Then, however hard the
+King scolded or whipped them, they would not work
+until Kaliko came and begged them to. For Kaliko
+was one of themselves and was as much abused by
+the King as any nome in the vast series of
+caverns.
+
+But to-day all the little people were working
+industriously at their tasks and Ruggedo, having
+nothing to do, was greatly bored. He sent for the
+Long-Eared Hearer and asked him to listen
+carefully and report what was going on in the big
+world.
+
+"It seems," said the Hearer, after listening for
+awhile, "that the women in America have clubs."
+
+"Are there spikes in them?" asked Ruggedo,
+yawning.
+
+"I cannot hear any spikes, Your Majesty," was
+the reply.
+
+"Then their clubs are not as good as my
+sceptre. What else do you hear?'
+
+"There's a war.
+
+"Bah! there's always a war. What else?"
+
+For a time the Hearer was silent, bending
+forward and spreading out his big ears to catch
+the slightest sound. Then suddenly he said:
+
+"Here is an interesting thing, Your Majesty.
+These people are arguing as to who shall conquer
+the Metal Monarch, seize his treasure and drive
+him from his dominions."
+
+"What people?" demanded Ruggedo, sitting
+up straight in his throne.
+
+"The ones you threw down the Hollow Tube."
+
+"Where are they now?"
+
+"In the same Tube, and coming back this way,"
+said the Hearer.
+
+Ruggedo got out of his throne and began to
+pace up and down the cavern.
+
+"I wonder what can be done to stop them,"
+he mused.
+
+"Well," said the Hearer, "if you could turn
+the Tube upside down, they would be falling
+the other way, Your Majesty."
+
+Ruggedo glared at him wickedly, for it was
+impossible to turn the Tube upside down and
+he believed the Hearer was slyly poking fun
+at him. Presently he asked:
+
+"How far away are those people now?"
+
+"About nine thousand three hundred and six
+miles, seventeen furlongs, eight feet and four
+inches--as nearly as I can judge from the sound
+of their voices," replied the Hearer.
+
+"Aha! Then it will be some time before they
+arrive," said Ruggedo, "and when they get here
+I shall be ready to receive them."
+
+He rushed to his gong and pounded upon it so
+fiercely that Kaliko came bounding into the cavern
+with one shoe off and one shoe on, for he was just
+dressing himself after a swim in the hot bubbling
+lake of the Underground Kingdom.
+
+"Kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down
+the Tube are coming back again!" he exclaimed.
+
+"I thought they would," said the Royal
+Chamberlain, pulling on the other shoe. "Tititi-
+Hoochoo would not allow them to remain in his
+kingdom, of course, and so I've been expecting
+them back for some time. That was a very foolish
+action of yours, Rug."
+
+"What, to throw them down the Tube?"
+
+"Yes. Tititi-Hoochoo has forbidden us to throw
+even rubbish into the Tube."
+
+"Pooh! what do I care for the Jinjin?" asked
+Ruggedo scornfully. "He never leaves his own
+kingdom, which is on the other side of the world."
+
+"True; but he might send some one through
+the Tube to punish you," suggested Kaliko.
+
+"I'd like to see him do it! Who could conquer my
+thousands of nomes?"
+
+"Why, they've been conquered before, if I
+remember aright," answered Kaliko with a grin.
+"Once I saw you running from a little girl named
+Dorothy, and her friends, as if you were really
+afraid."
+
+"Well, I was afraid, that time," admitted the
+Nome King, with a deep sigh, "for Dorothy had a
+Yellow Hen that laid eggs!"
+
+The King shuddered as he said "eggs," and Kaliko
+also shuddered, and so did the Long-Eared Hearer;
+for eggs are the only things that the nomes
+greatly dread. The reason for this is that eggs
+belong on the earth's surface, where birds and
+fowl of all sorts live, and there is something
+about a hen's egg, especially, that fills a nome
+with horror. If by chance the inside of an egg
+touches one of these underground people, he
+withers up and blows away and that is the end of
+him--unless he manages quickly to speak a magical
+word which only a few of the nomes know. Therefore
+Ruggedo and his followers had very good cause to
+shudder at the mere mention of eggs.
+
+"But Dorothy," said the King, "is not with this
+band of invaders; nor is the Yellow Hen. As for
+Tititi-Hoochoo, he has no means of knowing that we
+are afraid of eggs."
+
+"You mustn't be too sure of that," Kaliko warned
+him. "Tititi-Hoochoo knows a great many things,
+being a fairy, and his powers are far superior to
+any we can boast."
+
+Ruggedo shrugged impatiently and turned to the
+Hearer.
+
+"Listen," said he, "and tell me if you hear any
+eggs coming through the Tube."
+
+The Long-Eared one listened and then shook
+his head. But Kaliko laughed at the King.
+
+"No one can hear an egg, Your Majesty,"
+said he. "The only way to discover the truth is to
+look through the Magic Spyglass."
+
+"That's it!" cried the King. "Why didn't I
+think of it before? Look at once, Kaliko!"
+
+So Kaliko went to the Spyglass and by uttering a
+mumbled charm he caused the other end of it to
+twist around, so that it pointed down the opening
+of the Tube. Then he put his eye to the glass and
+was able to gaze along all the turns and windings
+of the Magic Spyglass and then deep into the Tube,
+to where our friends were at that time falling.
+
+"Dear me!" he exclaimed. "Here comes a dragon."
+
+"A big one?" asked Ruggedo.
+
+"A monster. He has an electric light on the end
+of his tail, so I can see him very plainly. And
+the other people are all riding upon his back."
+
+"How about the eggs?" inquired the King.
+
+Kaliko looked again.
+
+"I can see no eggs at all," said he; "but I
+imagine that the dragon is as dangerous as eggs.
+Probably Tititi-Hoochoo has sent him here to
+punish you for dropping those strangers into the
+Forbidden Tube. I warned you not to do it, Your
+Majesty."
+
+This news made the Nome King anxious. For a few
+minutes he paced up and down, stroking his long
+beard and thinking with all his might. After this
+he turned to Kaliko and said:
+
+"All the harm a dragon can do is to scratch with
+his claws and bite with his teeth."
+
+"That is not all, but it's quite enough,"
+returned Kaliko earnestly. "On the other hand, no
+one can hurt a dragon, because he's the toughest
+creature alive. One flop of his huge tail could
+smash a hundred nomes to pancakes, and with teeth
+and claws he could tear even you or me into small
+bits, so that it would be almost impossible to put
+us together again. Once, a few hundred years ago,
+while wandering through some deserted caverns, I
+came upon a small piece of a nome lying on the
+rocky floor. I asked the piece of nome what had
+happened to it. Fortunately the mouth was a part
+of this piece--the mouth and the left eye--so it
+was able to tell me that a fierce dragon was the
+cause. It had attacked the poor nome and scattered
+him in every direction, and as there was no friend
+near to collect his pieces and put him together,
+they had been separated for a great many years. So
+you see, Your Majesty, it is not in good taste to
+sneer at a dragon."
+
+The King had listened attentively to Kaliko.
+Said he:
+
+"It will only be necessary to chain this dragon
+which Tititi-Hoochoo has sent here, in order to
+prevent his reaching us with his claws and teeth."
+
+"He also breathes flames," Kaliko reminded him.
+
+"My nomes are not afraid of fire, nor am I,"
+said Ruggedo.
+
+"Well, how about the Army of Oogaboo?"
+
+"Sixteen cowardly officers and Tik-Tok! Why, I
+could defeat them single-handed; but I won't try
+to. I'll summon my army of nomes to drive the
+invaders out of my territory, and if we catch any
+of them I intend to stick needles into them until
+they hop with pain."
+
+"I hope you won't hurt any of the girls," said
+Kaliko.
+
+"I'll hurt 'em all!" roared the angry Metal
+Monarch. "And that braying Mule I'll make into
+hoof-soup, and feed it to my nomes, that it may
+add to their strength."
+
+"Why not be good to the strangers and release
+your prisoner, the Shaggy Man's brother?"
+suggested Kaliko.
+
+"Never!"
+
+"It may save you a lot of annoyance. And you
+don't want the Ugly One."
+
+"I don't want him; that's true. But I won't
+allow anybody to order me around. I'm King of the
+Nomes and I'm the Metal Monarch, and I shall do as
+I please and what I please and when I please!"
+
+With this speech Ruggedo threw his sceptre at
+Kaliko's head, aiming it so well that the Royal
+Chamberlain had to fall flat upon the floor in
+order to escape it. But the Hearer did not see the
+sceptre coming and it swept past his head so
+closely that it broke off the tip of one of his
+long ears. He gave a dreadful yell that quite
+startled Ruggedo, and the King was sorry for the
+accident because those long ears of the Hearer
+were really valuable to him.
+
+So the Nome King forgot to be angry with Kaliko
+and ordered his Chamberlain to summon General Guph
+and the army of nomes and have them properly
+armed. They were then to march to the mouth of the
+Tube, where they could seize the travelers as soon
+as they appeared.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Fifteen
+
+The Dragon Defies Danger
+
+
+Although the journey through the Tube was longer,
+this time, than before, it was so much more
+comfortable that none of our friends minded it at
+all. They talked together most of the time and as
+they found the dragon good-natured and fond of the
+sound of his own voice they soon became well
+acquainted with him and accepted him as a
+companion.
+
+"You see," said Shaggy, in his frank way, "Quox
+is on our side, and therefore the dragon is a good
+fellow. If he happened to be an enemy, instead of
+a friend, I am sure I should dislike him very
+much, for his breath smells of brimstone, he is
+very conceited and he is so strong and fierce that
+he would prove a dangerous foe."
+
+"Yes, indeed," returned Quox, who had listened
+to this speech with pleasure; "I suppose I am
+about as terrible as any living thing. I am glad
+you find me conceited, for that proves I know my
+good qualities. As for my breath smelling of
+brimstone, I really can't help it, and I once met
+a man whose breath smelled of onions, which I
+consider far worse."
+
+"I don't," said Betsy; "I love onions.
+
+"And I love brimstone," declared the dragon, "so
+don't let us quarrel over one another's
+peculiarities."
+
+Saying this, he breathed a long breath and shot
+a flame fifty feet from his mouth. The brimstone
+made Betsy cough, but she remembered about the
+onions and said nothing.
+
+They had no idea how far they had gone through
+the center of the earth, nor when to expect the
+trip to end. At one time the little girl remarked:
+
+"I wonder when we'll reach the bottom of this
+hole. And isn't it funny, Shaggy Man, that what is
+the bottom to us now, was the top when we fell the
+other way?"
+
+"What puzzles me," said Files, "is that we are
+able to fall both ways."
+
+"That," announced Tik-Tok, "is be-cause the world
+is round."
+
+"Exactly," responded Shaggy. "The machinery in
+your head is in fine working order, Tik-Tok. You
+know, Betsy, that there is such a thing as the
+Attraction of Gravitation, which draws everything
+toward the center of the earth. That is why we
+fall out of bed, and why everything clings to the
+surface of the earth."
+
+"Then why doesn't everyone go on down to
+the center of the earth?" inquired the little girl.
+
+"I was afraid you were going to ask me that,"
+replied Shaggy in a sad tone. "The reason, my
+dear, is that the earth is so solid that other solid
+things can't get through it. But when there's a
+hole, as there is in this case, we drop right down
+to the center of the world."
+
+"Why don't we stop there?" asked Betsy.
+
+"Because we go so fast that we acquire speed
+enough to carry us right up to the other end."
+
+"I don't understand that, and it makes my
+head ache to try to figure it out," she said after
+some thought. "One thing draws us to the center
+and another thing pushes us away from it.
+But--"
+
+"Don't ask me why, please," interrupted the
+Shaggy Man. "If you can't understand it, let it go
+at that."
+
+"Do you understand it?" she inquired.
+
+"All the magic isn't in fairyland," he said
+gravely. "There's lots of magic in all Nature,
+and you may see it as well in the United States,
+where you and I once lived, as you can here."
+
+"I never did," she replied.
+
+"Because you were so used to it all that you
+didn't realize it was magic. Is anything more
+wonderful than to see a flower grow and blossom,
+or to get light out of the electricity in the air?
+The cows that manufacture milk for us must have
+machinery fully as remarkable as that in Tik-Tok's
+copper body, and perhaps you've noticed that--"
+
+And then, before Shaggy could finish his speech,
+the strong light of day suddenly broke upon them,
+grew brighter, and completely enveloped them. The
+dragon's claws no longer scraped against the metal
+Tube, for he shot into the open air a hundred feet
+or more and sailed so far away from the slanting
+hole that when he landed it was on the peak of a
+mountain and just over the entrance to the many
+underground caverns of the Nome King.
+
+Some of the officers tumbled off their seats
+when Quox struck the ground, but most of the
+dragon's passengers only felt a slight jar. All
+were glad to be on solid earth again and they at
+once dismounted and began to look about them.
+Queerly enough, as soon as they had left the
+dragon, the seats that were strapped to the
+monster's back disappeared, and this probably
+happened because there was no further use for them
+and because Quox looked far more dignified in just
+his silver scales. Of course he still wore the
+forty yards of ribbon around his neck, as well as
+the great locket, but these only made him look
+"dressed up," as Betsy remarked.
+
+Now the army of nomes had gathered thickly
+around the mouth of the Tube, in order to be ready
+to capture the band of invaders as soon as they
+popped out. There were, indeed, hundreds of nomes
+assembled, and they were led by Guph, their most
+famous General. But they did not expect the dragon
+to fly so high, and he shot out of the Tube so
+suddenly that it took them by surprise. When the
+nomes had rubbed the astonishment out of their
+eyes and regained their wits, they discovered the
+dragon quietly seated on the mountainside far
+above their heads, while the other strangers were
+standing in a group and calmly looking down upon
+them.
+
+General Guph was very angry at the escape, which
+was no one's fault but his own.
+
+"Come down here and be captured!" he shouted,
+waving his sword at them.
+
+"Come up here and capture us--if you dare!"
+replied Queen Ann, who was winding up the
+clockwork of her Private Soldier, so he could
+fight more briskly.
+
+Guph's first answer was a roar of rage at the
+defiance; then he turned and issued a command to
+his nomes. These were all armed with sharp spears
+and with one accord they raised these spears and
+threw them straight at their foes, so that they
+rushed through the air in a perfect cloud of
+flying weapons.
+
+Some damage might have been done had not the
+dragon quickly crawled before the others, his body
+being so big that it shielded every one of them,
+including Hank. The spears rattled against the
+silver scales of Quox and then fell harmlessly to
+the ground. They were magic spears, of course, and
+all straightway bounded back into the hands of
+those who had thrown them, but even Guph could see
+that it was useless to repeat the attack.
+
+It was now Queen Ann's turn to attack, so the
+Generals yelled "For--ward march!" and the
+Colonels and Majors and Captains repeated the
+command and the valiant Army of Oogaboo,
+which seemed to be composed mainly of Tik-
+Tok, marched forward in single column toward
+the nomes, while Betsy and Polychrome cheered
+and Hank gave a loud "Hee-haw!" and Shaggy
+shouted "Hooray!" and Queen Ann screamed:
+"At 'em, Tik-Tok--at 'em!"
+
+The nomes did not await the Clockwork Man's
+attack but in a twinkling disappeared into the
+underground caverns. They made a great mistake in
+being so hasty, for Tik-Tok had not taken a dozen
+steps before he stubbed his copper toe on a rock
+and fell flat to the ground, where he cried: "Pick
+me up! Pick me up! Pick me up!" until Shaggy and
+Files ran forward and raised him to his feet
+again.
+
+The dragon chuckled softly to himself as he
+scratched his left ear with his hind claw, but no
+one was paying much attention to Quox just then.
+
+It was evident to Ann and her officers that
+there could be no fighting unless the enemy was
+present, and in order to find the enemy they must
+boldly enter the underground Kingdom of the nomes.
+So bold a step demanded a council of war.
+
+"Don't you think I'd better drop in on Ruggedo
+and obey the orders of the Jinjin?" asked Quox.
+
+"By no means!" returned Queen Ann. "We have
+already put the army of nomes to flight and all
+that yet remains is to force our way into those
+caverns, and conquer the Nome King and all his
+people."
+
+"That seems to me something of a job," said
+the dragon, closing his eyes sleepily. "But go
+ahead, if you like, and I'll wait here for you.
+Don't be in any hurry on my account. To one
+who lives thousands of years the delay of a few
+days means nothing at all, and I shall probably
+sleep until the time comes for me to act."
+
+Ann was provoked at this speech.
+
+"You may as well go back to Tititi-Hoochoo now,"
+she said, "for the Nome King is as good as
+conquered already."
+
+But Quox shook his head. "No," said he; "I'll wait."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Sixteen
+
+The Naughty Nome
+
+
+Shaggy Man had said nothing during the
+conversation between Queen Ann and Quox, for the
+simple reason that he did not consider the matter
+worth an argument. Safe within his pocket reposed
+the Love Magnet, which had never failed to win
+every heart. The nomes, he knew, were not like the
+heartless Roses and therefore could be won to his
+side as soon as he exhibited the magic talisman.
+
+Shaggy's chief anxiety had been to reach
+Ruggedo's Kingdom and now that the entrance lay
+before him he was confident he would be able to
+rescue his lost brother. Let Ann and the dragon
+quarrel as to who should conquer the nomes, if
+they liked; Shaggy would let them try, and if they
+failed he had the means of conquest in his own
+pocket.
+
+But Ann was positive she could not fail, for she
+thought her Army could do anything. So she called
+the officers together and told them how to act,
+and she also instructed Tik-Tok what to do and
+what to say.
+
+"Please do not shoot your gun except as a last
+resort," she added, "for I do not wish to be cruel
+or to shed any blood--unless it is absolutely
+necessary."
+
+"All right," replied Tik-Tok; "but I do not
+think Rug-ge-do would bleed if I filled him full
+of holes and put him in a ci-der press."
+
+Then the officers fell in line, the four
+Generals abreast and then the four Colonels and
+the four Majors and the four Captains. They drew
+their glittering swords and commanded Tik-Tok to
+march, which he did. Twice he fell down, being
+tripped by the rough rocks, but when he struck the
+smooth path he got along better. Into the gloomy
+mouth of the cavern entrance he stepped without
+hesitation, and after him proudly pranced the
+officers and Queen Ann. The others held back a
+little, waiting to see what would happen.
+
+Of course the Nome King knew they were coming
+and was prepared to receive them. Just within the
+rocky passage that led to the jeweled throne-room
+was a deep pit, which was usually covered. Ruggedo
+had ordered the cover removed and it now stood
+open, scarcely visible in the gloom.
+
+The pit was so large around that it nearly
+filled the passage and there was barely room for
+one to walk around it by pressing close to the
+rock walls. This Tik-Tok did, for his copper eyes
+saw the pit clearly and he avoided it; but the
+officers marched straight into the hole and
+tumbled in a heap on the bottom. An instant later
+Queen Ann also walked into the pit, for she had
+her chin in the air and was careless where she
+placed her feet. Then one of the nomes pulled a
+lever which replaced the cover on the pit and made
+the officers of Oogaboo and their Queen fast
+prisoners.
+
+As for Tik-Tok, he kept straight on to the
+cavern where Ruggedo sat in his throne and there
+he faced the Nome King and said:
+
+"I here-by con-quer you in the name of Queen Ann
+So-forth of Oo-ga-boo, whose Ar-my I am, and I
+de-clare that you are her pris-on-er!"
+
+Ruggedo laughed at him.
+
+"Where is this famous Queen?" he asked.
+
+"She'll be here in a min-ute," said Tik-Tok.
+"Per-haps she stopped to tie her shoe-string."
+
+"Now, see here, Tik-Tok," began the Nome King,
+in a stern voice, "I've had enough of this
+nonsense. Your Queen and her officers are all
+prisoners, having fallen into my power, so perhaps
+you'll tell me what you mean to do."
+
+"My or-ders were to con-quer you," replied Tik-
+Tok, "and my ma-chin-er-y has done the best it
+knows how to car-ry out those or-ders."
+
+Ruggedo pounded on his gong and Kaliko appeared,
+followed closely by General Guph.
+
+"Take this copper man into the shops and set him
+to work hammering gold," commanded the King.
+"Being run by machinery he ought to be a steady
+worker. He ought never to have been made, but
+since he exists I shall hereafter put him to good
+use."
+
+"If you try to cap-ture me," said Tik-Tok, "I
+shall fight."
+
+"Don't do that!" exclaimed General Guph,
+earnestly, "for it will be useless to resist and
+you might hurt some one."
+
+But Tik-Tok raised his gun and took aim and not
+knowing what damage the gun might do the nomes
+were afraid to face it.
+
+While he was thus defying the Nome King and his
+high officials, Betsy Bobbin rode calmly into the
+royal cavern, seated upon the back of Hank the
+mule. The little girl had grown tired of waiting
+for "something to happen" and so had come to see
+if Ruggedo had been conquered.
+
+"Nails and nuggets!" roared the King; "how
+dare you bring that beast here and enter my
+presence unannounced?"
+
+"There wasn't anybody to announce me," replied
+Betsy. "I guess your folks were all busy. Are you
+conquered yet?"
+
+"No!" shouted the King, almost beside himself
+with rage.
+
+"Then please give me something to eat, for I'm
+awful hungry," said the girl. "You see, this
+conquering business is a good deal like waiting
+for a circus parade; it takes a long time to get
+around and don't amount to much anyhow."
+
+The nomes were so much astonished at this speech
+that for a time they could only glare at her
+silently, not finding words to reply. The King
+finally recovered the use of his tongue and said:
+
+"Earth-crawler! this insolence to my majesty
+shall be your death-warrant. You are an ordinary
+mortal, and to stop a mortal from living is so
+easy a thing to do that I will not keep you
+waiting half so long as you did for my conquest."
+
+"I'd rather you wouldn't stop me from living,"
+remarked Betsy, getting off Hank's back and
+standing beside him. "And it would be a pretty
+cheap King who killed a visitor while she was
+hungry. If you'll give me something to eat, I'll
+talk this killing business over with you
+afterward; only, I warn you now that I don't
+approve of it, and never will."
+
+Her coolness and lack of fear impressed the Nome
+King, although he bore an intense hatred toward
+all mortals.
+
+"What do you wish to eat?" he asked gruffly.
+
+"Oh, a ham-sandwich would do, or perhaps a
+couple of hard-boiled eggs--"
+
+"Eggs!" shrieked the three nomes who were
+present, shuddering till their teeth chattered.
+
+"What's the matter?" asked Betsy wonderingly.
+"Are eggs as high here as they are at home?"
+
+"Guph," said the King in an agitated voice,
+turning to his General, "let us destroy this rash
+mortal at once! Seize her and take her to the
+Slimy Cave and lock her in."
+
+Guph glanced at Tik-Tok, whose gun was still
+pointed, but just then Kaliko stole softly behind
+the copper man and kicked his knee-joints so that
+they suddenly bent forward and tumbled Tik-Tok to
+the floor, his gun falling from his grasp.
+
+Then Guph, seeing Tik-Tok helpless, made a grab
+at Betsy. At the same time Hank's heels shot out
+and caught the General just where his belt was
+buckled. He rose into the air swift as a cannon-
+ball, struck the Nome King fairly and flattened
+his Majesty against the wall of rock on the
+opposite side of the cavern. Together they fell to
+the floor in a dazed and crumpled condition,
+seeing which Kaliko whispered to Betsy:
+
+"Come with me--quick!--and I will save you."
+
+She looked into Kaliko's face inquiringly and
+thought he seemed honest and good-natured, so
+she decided to follow him. He led her and the
+mule through several passages and into a small
+cavern very nicely and comfortably furnished.
+
+"This is my own room," said he, "but you are
+quite welcome to use it. Wait here a minute and
+I'll get you something to eat."
+
+When Kaliko returned he brought a tray
+containing some broiled mushrooms, a loaf of
+mineral bread and some petroleum-butter. The
+butter Betsy could not eat, but the bread was good
+and the mushrooms delicious.
+
+"Here's the door key," said Kaliko, "and you'd
+better lock yourself in."
+
+"Won't you let Polychrome and the Rose Princess
+come here, too?" she asked.
+
+"I'll see. Where are they?"
+
+"I don't know. I left them outside," said Betsy.
+
+"Well, if you hear three raps on the door, open
+it," said Kaliko; "but don't let anyone in unless
+they give the three raps."
+
+"All right," promised Betsy, and when Kaliko
+left the cosy cavern she closed and locked the
+door.
+
+In the meantime Ann and her officers, finding
+themselves prisoners in the pit, had shouted and
+screamed until they were tired out, but no one had
+come to their assistance. It was very dark and
+damp in the pit and they could not climb out
+because the walls were higher than their heads and
+the cover was on. The Queen was first angry and
+then annoyed and then discouraged; but the
+officers were only afraid. Every one of the poor
+fellows heartily wished he was back in Oogaboo
+caring for his orchard, and some were so unhappy
+that they began to reproach Ann for causing them
+all this trouble and danger.
+
+Finally the Queen sat down on the bottom of the
+pit and leaned her back against the wall. By good
+luck her sharp elbow touched a secret spring in
+the wall and a big flat rock swung inward. Ann
+fell over backward, but the next instant she
+jumped up and cried to the others:
+
+"A passage! A passage! Follow me, my brave men,
+and we may yet escape."
+
+Then she began to crawl through the passage,
+which was as dark and dank as the pit, and the
+officers followed her in single file. They
+crawled, and they crawled, and they kept on
+crawling, for the passage was not big enough to
+allow them to stand upright. It turned this way
+and twisted that, sometimes like a corkscrew and
+sometimes zigzag, but seldom ran for long in a
+straight line.
+
+"It will never end--never!" moaned the officers,
+who were rubbing all the skin off their knees on
+the rough rocks.
+
+"It must end," retorted Ann courageously, "or
+it never would have been made. We don't know
+where it will lead us to, but any place is better
+than that loathsome pit."
+
+So she crawled on, and the officers crawled on,
+and while they were crawling through this awful
+underground passage Polychrome and Shaggy and
+Files and the Rose Princess, who were standing
+outside the entrance to Ruggedo's domains, were
+wondering what had become of them.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Seventeen
+
+A Tragic Transformation
+
+
+"Don't let us worry," said Shaggy to his
+companions, "for it may take the Queen some time
+to conquer the Metal Monarch, as Tik-Tok has to do
+everything in his slow, mechanical way."
+
+"Do you suppose they are likely to fail?" asked
+the Rose Princess.
+
+"I do, indeed," replied Shaggy. "This Nome King
+is really a powerful fellow and has a legion of
+nomes to assist him, whereas our bold Queen
+commands a Clockwork Man and a band of faint-
+hearted officers."
+
+"She ought to have let Quox do the conquering,"
+said Polychrome, dancing lightly upon a point of
+rock and fluttering her beautiful draperies. "But
+perhaps the dragon was wise to let her go first,
+for when she fails to conquer Ruggedo she may
+become more modest in her ambitions."
+
+"Where is the dragon now?" inquired Ozga.
+
+"Up there on the rocks," replied Files. "Look,
+my dear; you may see him from here. He said he
+would take a little nap while we were mixing up
+with Ruggedo, and he added that after we had
+gotten into trouble he would wake up and conquer
+the Nome King in a jiffy, as his master the Jinjin
+has ordered him to do."
+
+"Quox means well," said Shaggy, "but I do not
+think we shall need his services; for just as soon
+as I am satisfied that Queen Ann and her army have
+failed to conquer Ruggedo, I shall enter the
+caverns and show the King my Love Magnet. That he
+cannot resist; therefore the conquest will be made
+with ease."
+
+This speech of Shaggy Man's was overheard by the
+Long-Eared Hearer, who was at that moment standing
+by Ruggedo's side. For when the King and Guph had
+recovered from Hank's kick and had picked
+themselves up, their first act was to turn Tik-Tok
+on his back and put a heavy diamond on top of him,
+so that he could not get up again. Then they
+carefully put his gun in a corner of the cavern
+and the King sent Guph to fetch the Long-Eared
+Hearer.
+
+The Hearer was still angry at Ruggedo for
+breaking his ear, but he acknowledged the Nome
+King to be his master and was ready to obey his
+commands. Therefore he repeated Shaggy's speech to
+the King, who at once realized that his Kingdom
+was in grave danger. For Ruggedo knew of the Love
+Magnet and its powers and was horrified at the
+thought that Shaggy might show him the magic
+talisman and turn all the hatred in his heart into
+love. Ruggedo was proud of his hatred and abhorred
+love of any sort.
+
+
+"Really," said he, "I'd rather he conquered and
+lose my wealth and my Kingdom than gaze at that
+awful Love Magnet. What can I do to prevent the
+Shaggy Man from taking it out of his pocket?"
+
+Kaliko returned to the cavern in time to
+overhear this question, and being a loyal nome and
+eager to serve his King, he answered by saying:
+
+"If we can manage to bind the Shaggy Man's arms,
+tight to his body, he could not get the Love
+Magnet out of his pocket."
+
+"True!" cried the King in delight at this easy
+solution of the problem. "Get at once a dozen
+nomes, with ropes, and place them in the passage
+where they can seize and bind Shaggy as soon as he
+enters."
+
+This Kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers
+outside the entrance were growing more and more
+uneasy about their friends.
+
+"I don't worry so much about the Oogaboo
+people," said Polychrome, who had grown sober with
+waiting, and perhaps a little nervous, "for they
+could not be killed, even though Ruggedo might
+cause them much suffering and perhaps destroy them
+utterly. But we should not have allowed Betsy and
+Hank to go alone into the caverns. The little girl
+is mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever,
+so if Ruggedo captures her she will be wholly at
+his mercy."
+
+"That is indeed true," replied Shaggy. "I
+wouldn't like to have anything happen to dear
+little Betsy, so I believe I'll go in right away
+and put an end to all this worry."
+
+"We may as well go with you," asserted Files,
+"for by means of the Love Magnet, you can soon
+bring the Nome King to reason."
+
+So it was decided to wait no longer. Shaggy
+walked through the entrance first, and after him
+came the others. They had no thought of danger to
+themselves, and Shaggy, who was going along with
+his hands thrust into his pockets, was much
+surprised when a rope shot out from the darkness
+and twined around his body, pinning down his arms
+so securely that he could not even withdraw his
+hands from the pockets. Then appeared several
+grinning nomes, who speedily tied knots in the
+ropes and then led the prisoner along the passage
+to the cavern. No attention was paid to the
+others, but Files and the Princess followed on
+after Shaggy, determined not to desert their
+friend and hoping that an opportunity might arise
+to rescue him.
+
+As for Polychrome, as soon as she saw that
+trouble had overtaken Shaggy she turned and ran
+lightly back through the passage and out of the
+entrance. Then she easily leaped from rock to rock
+until she paused beside the great dragon, who lay
+fast asleep.
+
+"Wake up, Quox!" she cried. "It is time for you
+to act."
+
+But Quox did not wake up. He lay as one in a
+trance, absolutely motionless, with his enormous
+eyes tight closed. The eyelids had big silver
+scales on them, like all the rest of his body.
+
+Polychrome might have thought Quox was dead had
+she not known that dragons do not die easily or
+had she not observed his huge body swelling as he
+breathed. She picked up a piece of rock and
+pounded against his eyelids with it, saying:
+
+"Wake up, Quox--wake up!" But he would not waken.
+
+"Dear me, how unfortunate!" sighed the
+lovely Rainbow's Daughter. "I wonder what is
+the best and surest way to waken a dragon. All
+our friends may be captured and destroyed
+while this great beast lies asleep."
+
+She walked around Quox two or three times,
+trying to discover some tender place on his body
+where a thump or a punch might he felt; but he lay
+extended along the rocks with his chin flat upon
+the ground and his legs drawn underneath his body,
+and all that one could see was his thick sky-blue
+skin--thicker than that of a rhinoceros--and his
+silver scales.
+
+Then, despairing at last of wakening the beast,
+and worried over the fate of her friends,
+Polychrome again ran down to the entrance and
+hurried along the passage into the Nome King's
+cavern.
+
+Here she found Ruggedo lolling in his throne and
+smoking a long pipe. Beside him stood General Guph
+and Kaliko, and ranged before the King were the
+Rose Princess, Files and the Shaggy Man. Tik-Tok
+still lay upon the floor, weighted down by the big
+diamond.
+
+Ruggedo was now in a more contented frame of
+mind. One by one he had met the invaders and
+easily captured them. The dreaded Love Magnet was
+indeed in Shaggy's pocket, only a few feet away
+from the King, but Shaggy was powerless to show it
+and unless Ruggedo's eyes beheld the talisman it
+could not affect him. As for Betsy Bobbin and her
+mule, he believed Kaliko had placed them in the
+Slimy Cave, while Ann and her officers he thought
+safely imprisoned in the pit. Ruggedo had no fear
+of Files or Ozga, but to be on the safe side he
+had ordered golden handcuffs placed upon their
+wrists. These did not cause them any great
+annoyance but prevented them from making an
+attack, had they been inclined to do so.
+
+The Nome King, thinking himself wholly master of
+the situation, was laughing and jeering at his
+prisoners when Polychrome, exquisitely beautiful
+and dancing like a ray of light, entered the
+cavern.
+
+"Oho!" cried the King; "a Rainbow under ground,
+eh?" and then he stared hard at Polychrome, and
+still harder, and then he sat up and pulled the
+wrinkles out of his robe and arranged his
+whiskers. "On my word," said he, "you are a very
+captivating creature; moreover, I perceive you
+are a fairy."
+
+"I am Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter," she
+said proudly.
+
+"Well," replied Ruggedo, "I like you. The others
+I hate. I hate everybody--but you! Wouldn't you
+like to live always in this beautiful cavern,
+Polychrome? See! the jewels that stud the walls
+have every tint and color of your Rainbow--and
+they are not so elusive. I'll have fresh dewdrops
+gathered for your feasting every day and you shall
+be Queen of all my nomes and pull Kaliko's nose
+whenever you like."
+
+"No, thank you," laughed Polychrome. "My home is
+in the sky, and I'm only on a visit to this solid,
+sordid earth. But tell me, Ruggedo, why my friends
+have been wound with cords and bound with chains?"
+
+"They threatened me," answered Ruggedo. "The
+fools did not know how powerful I am."
+
+"Then, since they are now helpless, why not
+release them and send them back to the earth's
+surface?"
+
+"Because I hate 'em and mean to make 'em suffer
+for their invasion. But I'll make a bargain with
+you, sweet Polly. Remain here and live with me and
+I'll set all these people free. You shall be my
+daughter or my wife or my aunt or grandmother--
+whichever you like--only stay here to brighten my
+gloomy kingdom and make me happy!"
+
+Polychrome looked at him wonderingly. Then she
+turned to Shaggy and asked:
+
+"Are you sure he hasn't seen the Love Magnet?"
+
+"I'm positive," answered Shaggy. "But you seem
+to be something of a Love Magnet yourself,
+Polychrome."
+
+She laughed again and said to Ruggedo: "Not even
+to rescue my friends would I live in your kingdom.
+Nor could I endure for long the society of such a
+wicked monster as you."
+
+"You forget," retorted the King, scowling
+darkly, "that you also are in my power."
+
+"Not so, Ruggedo. The Rainbow's Daughter is
+beyond the reach of your spite or malice."
+
+"Seize her!" suddenly shouted the King, and
+General Guph sprang forward to obey. Polychrome
+stood quite still, yet when Guph attempted to
+clutch her his hands met in air, and now the
+Rainbow's Daughter was in another part of the
+room, as smiling and composed as before.
+
+Several times Guph endeavored to capture her and
+Ruggedo even came down from his throne to assist
+his General; but never could they lay hands upon
+the lovely sky fairy, who flitted here and there
+with the swiftness of light and constantly defied
+them with her merry laughter as she evaded their
+efforts.
+
+So after a time they abandoned the chase and
+Ruggedo returned to his throne and wiped the
+perspiration from his face with a finely-woven
+handkerchief of cloth-of-gold.
+
+"Well," said Polychrome, "what do you intend to
+do now?"
+
+"I'm going to have some fun, to repay me for all
+my bother," replied the Nome King. Then he said to
+Kaliko: "Summon the executioners."
+
+Kaliko at once withdrew and presently returned
+with a score of nomes, all of whom were nearly as
+evil looking as their hated master. They bore
+great golden pincers, and prods of silver, and
+clamps and chains and various wicked-looking
+instruments, all made of precious metals and set
+with diamonds and rubies.
+
+"Now, Pang," said Ruggedo, addressing the leader
+of the executioners, "fetch the Army of Oogaboo
+and their Queen from the pit and torture them here
+in my presence--as well as in the presence of
+their friends. It will be great sport."
+
+"I hear Your Majesty, and I obey Your Majesty,"
+answered Pang, and went with his nomes into the
+passage. In a few minutes he returned and bowed to
+Ruggedo.
+
+"They're all gone," said he.
+
+"Gone!" exclaimed the Nome King. "Gone where?"
+
+"They left no address, Your Majesty; but they
+are not in the pit."
+
+"Picks and puddles!" roared the King; "who took
+the cover off?"
+
+"No one," said Pang. "The cover was there, but
+the prisoners were not under it."
+
+"In that case," snarled the King, trying to
+control his disappointment, "go to the Slimy Cave
+and fetch hither the girl and the donkey. And
+while we are torturing them Kaliko must take a
+hundred nomes and search for the escaped
+prisoners--the Queen of Oogaboo and her officers.
+If he does not find them, I will torture Kaliko."
+
+Kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, for
+he knew the King was cruel and unjust enough to
+carry out this threat. Pang and the executioners
+also went away, in another direction, but when
+they came back Betsy Bobbin was not with them, nor
+was Hank.
+
+"There is no one in the Slimy Cave, Your
+Majesty," reported Pang.
+
+"Jumping jellycakes!" screamed the King.
+"Another escape? Are you sure you found the right
+cave?"
+
+"There is but one Slimy Cave, and there is no
+one in it," returned Pang positively.
+
+Ruggedo was beginning to be alarmed as well as
+angry. However, these disappointments but made him
+the more vindictive and he cast an evil look at
+the other prisoners and said:
+
+"Never mind the girl and the donkey. Here are
+four, at least, who cannot escape my vengeance.
+Let me see; I believe I'll change my mind about
+Tik-Tok. Have the gold crucible heated to a white,
+seething heat, and then we'll dump the copper man
+into it and melt him up."
+
+"But, Your Majesty," protested Kaliko, who had
+returned to the room after sending a hundred nomes
+to search for the Oogaboo people, "you must
+remember that Tik-Tok is a very curious and
+interesting machine. It would be a shame to
+deprive the world of such a clever contrivance."
+
+"Say another word, and you'll go into the
+furnace with him!" roared the King. "I'm getting
+tired of you, Kaliko, and the first thing you know
+I'll turn you into a potato and make Saratoga-
+chips of you! The next to consider," he added more
+mildly, "is the Shaggy Man. As he owns the Love
+Magnet, I think I'll transform him into a dove,
+and then we can practice shooting at him with Tik-
+Tok's gun. Now, this is a very interesting
+ceremony and I beg you all to watch me closely and
+see that I've nothing up my sleeve."
+
+He came out of his throne to stand before the
+Shaggy Man, and then he waved his hands, palms
+downward, in seven semicircles over his victim's
+head, saying in a low but clear tone of voice the
+magic wugwa:
+
+"Adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo!
+Idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!"
+
+The effect of this well-known sorcery was
+instantaneous. Instead of the Shaggy Man, a pretty
+dove lay fluttering upon the floor, its wings
+confined by tiny cords wound around them. Ruggedo
+gave an order to Pang, who cut the cords with a
+pair of scissors. Being freed, the dove quickly
+flew upward and alighted on the shoulder of the
+Rose Princess, who stroked it tenderly.
+
+"Very good! Very good!" cried Ruggedo, rubbing
+his hands gleefully together. "One enemy is out of
+my way, and now for the others."
+
+(Perhaps my readers should be warned not to
+attempt the above transformation; for, although
+the exact magical formula has been described, it
+is unlawful in all civilized countries for anyone
+to transform a person into a dove by muttering the
+words Ruggedo used. There were no laws to prevent
+the Nome King from performing this transformation,
+but if it should be attempted in any other
+country, and the magic worked, the magician would
+be severely punished.)
+
+When Polychrome saw Shaggy Man transformed into
+a dove and realized that Ruggedo was about do
+something as dreadful to the Princess and Files,
+and that Tik-Tok would soon be melted in a
+crucible, she turned and ran from the cavern,
+through the passage and back to the place where
+Quox lay asleep.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eighteen
+
+A Clever Conquest
+
+
+The great dragon still had his eyes closed and was
+even snoring in a manner that resembled distant
+thunder; but Polychrome was now desperate, because
+any further delay meant the destruction of her
+friends. She seized the pearl necklace, to which
+was attached the great locket, and jerked it with
+all her strength.
+
+The result was encouraging. Quox stopped
+snoring and his eyelids flickered. So Polychrome
+jerked again--and again--till slowly the great
+lids raised and the dragon looked at her steadily.
+Said he, in a sleepy tone:
+
+"What's the matter, little Rainbow?"
+
+"Come quick!" exclaimed Polychrome. "Ruggedo has
+captured all our friends and is about to destroy
+them."
+
+"Well, well," said Quox, "I suspected that would
+happen. Step a little out of my path, my dear, and
+I'll make a rush for the Nome King's cavern."
+
+She fell back a few steps and Quox raised
+himself on his stout legs, whisked his long tail
+and in an instant had slid down the rocks and made
+a dive through the entrance.
+
+Along the passage he swept, nearly filling it
+with his immense body, and now he poked his head
+into the jeweled cavern of Ruggedo.
+
+But the King had long since made arrangements to
+capture the dragon, whenever he might appear. No
+sooner did Quox stick his head into the room than
+a thick chain fell from above and encircled his
+neck. Then the ends of the chain were drawn tight--
+for in an adjoining cavern a thousand nomes were
+pulling on them--and so the dragon could advance
+no further toward the King. He could not use his
+teeth or his claws and as his body was still in
+the passage he had not even room to strike his
+foes with his terrible tail.
+
+Ruggedo was delighted with the success of his
+stratagem. He had just transformed the Rose
+Princess into a fiddle and was about to transform
+Files into a fiddle bow, when the dragon appeared
+to interrupt him. So he called out:
+
+"Welcome, my dear Quox, to my royal
+entertainment. Since you are here, you shall
+witness some very neat magic, and after I have
+finished with Files and Tik-Tok I mean to
+transform you into a tiny lizard--one of the
+chameleon sort--and you shall live in my cavern
+and amuse me."
+
+"Pardon me for contradicting Your Majesty,"
+returned Quox in a quiet voice, "but I don't
+believe you'll perform any more magic."
+
+"Eh? Why not?" asked the King in surprise.
+
+"There's a reason," said Quox. "Do you see this
+ribbon around my neck?"
+
+"Yes; and I'm astonished that a dignified dragon
+should wear such a silly thing."
+
+"Do you see it plainly?" persisted the dragon,
+with a little chuckle of amusement.
+
+"I do," declared Ruggedo.
+
+"Then you no longer possess any magical powers,
+and are as helpless as a clam," asserted Quox. "My
+great master, Tititi-Hoochoo, the Jinjin,
+enchanted this ribbon in such a way that whenever
+Your Majesty looked upon it all knowledge of magic
+would desert you instantly, nor will any magical
+formula you can remember ever perform your
+bidding."
+
+"Pooh! I don't believe a word of it!" cried
+Ruggedo, half frightened, nevertheless. Then he
+turned toward Files and tried to transform him
+into a fiddle bow. But he could not remember the
+right words or the right pass of the hands and
+after several trials he finally gave up the
+attempt.
+
+By this time the Nome King was so alarmed that
+he was secretly shaking in his shoes.
+
+"I told you not to anger Tititi-Hoochoo,"
+grumbled Kaliko, "and now you see the result of
+your disobedience."
+
+Ruggedo promptly threw his sceptre at his Royal
+Chamberlain, who dodged it with his usual
+cleverness, and then he said with an attempt to
+swagger:
+
+"Never mind; I don't need magic to enable me to
+destroy these invaders; fire and the sword will do
+the business and I am still King of the Nomes and
+lord and master of my Underground Kingdom!"
+
+"Again I beg to differ with Your Majesty," said
+Quox. "The Great Jinjin commands you to depart
+instantly from this Kingdom and seek the earth's
+surface, where you will wander for all time to
+come, without a home or country, without a friend
+or follower, and without any more riches than you
+can carry with you in your pockets. The Great
+Jinjin is so generous that he will allow you to
+fill your pockets with jewels or gold, but you
+must take nothing more."
+
+Ruggedo now stared at the dragon in amazement.
+
+"Does Tititi-Hoochoo condemn me to such a fate?"
+he asked in a hoarse voice.
+
+"He does," said Quox.
+
+"And just for throwing a few strangers down the
+Forbidden Tube?"
+
+"Just for that," repeated Quox in a stern, gruff
+voice.
+
+"Well, I won't do it. And your crazy old Jinjin
+can't make me do it, either!" declared Ruggedo. "I
+intend to remain here, King of the Nomes, until
+the end of the world, and I defy your Tititi-
+Hoochoo and all his fairies--as well as his clumsy
+messenger, whom I have been obliged to chain up!"
+
+The dragon smiled again, but it was not the sort
+of smile that made Ruggedo feel very happy.
+Instead, there was something so cold and merciless
+in the dragon's expression that the condemned Nome
+King trembled and was sick at heart.
+
+There was little comfort for Ruggedo in the fact
+that the dragon was now chained, although he had
+boasted of it. He glared at the immense head of
+Quox as if fascinated and there was fear in the
+old King's eyes as he watched his enemy's
+movements.
+
+For the dragon was now moving; not abruptly, but
+as if he had something to do and was about to do
+it. Very deliberately he raised one claw, touched
+the catch of the great jeweled locket that was
+suspended around his neck, and at once it opened
+wide.
+
+Nothing much happened at first; half a dozen
+hen's eggs rolled out upon the floor and then the
+locket closed with a sharp click. But the effect
+upon the nomes of this simple thing was
+astounding. General Guph, Kaliko, Pang and his
+band of executioners were all standing close to
+the door that led to the vast series of
+underground caverns which constituted the
+dominions of the nomes, and as soon as they saw
+the eggs they raised a chorus of frantic screams
+and rushed through the door, slamming it in
+Ruggedo's face and placing a heavy bronze bar
+across it.
+
+Ruggedo, dancing with terror and uttering
+loud cries, now leaped upon the seat of his
+throne to escape the eggs, which had rolled
+steadily toward him. Perhaps these eggs, sent
+by the wise and crafty Tititi-Hoochoo, were in
+some way enchanted, for they all rolled directly
+after Ruggedo and when they reached the
+throne where he had taken refuge they began
+rolling up the legs to the seat.
+
+This was too much for the King to bear. His
+horror of eggs was real and absolute and he made a
+leap from the throne to the center of the room and
+then ran to a far corner.
+
+The eggs followed, rolling slowly but steadily
+in his direction. Ruggedo threw his sceptre at
+them, and then his ruby crown, and then he drew
+off his heavy golden sandals and hurled these at
+the advancing eggs. But the eggs dodged every
+missile and continued to draw nearer. The King
+stood trembling, his eyes staring in terror, until
+they were but half a yard distant; then with an
+agile leap he jumped clear over them and made a
+rush for the passage that led to the outer
+entrance.
+
+Of course the dragon was in his way, being
+chained in the passage with his head in the
+cavern, but when he saw the King making toward him
+he crouched as low as he could and dropped his
+chin to the floor, leaving a small space between
+his body and the roof of the passage.
+
+Ruggedo did not hesitate an instant. Impelled
+by fear, he leaped to the dragon's nose and then
+scrambled to his back, where he succeeded in
+squeezing himself through the opening. After
+the head was passed there was more room and
+he slid along the dragon's scales to his tail and
+then ran as fast as his legs would carry him to
+the entrance. Not pausing here, so great was his
+fright, the King dashed on down the mountain
+path, but before he had gone very far he
+stumbled and fell.
+
+When he picked himself up he observed that no
+one was following him, and while he recovered his
+breath he happened to think of the decree of the
+Jinjin--that he should be driven from his Kingdom
+and made a wanderer on the face of the earth.
+Well, here he was, driven from his cavern in
+truth; driven by those dreadful eggs; but he would
+go back and defy them; he would not submit to
+losing his precious Kingdom and his tyrannical
+powers, all because Tititi-Hoochoo had said he
+must.
+
+So, although still afraid, Ruggedo nerved
+himself to creep back along the path to the
+entrance, and when he arrived there he saw the six
+eggs lying in a row just before the arched
+opening.
+
+At first he paused a safe distance away to
+consider the case, for the eggs were now
+motionless. While he was wondering what could be
+done, he remembered there was a magical charm
+which would destroy eggs and render them harmless
+to nomes. There were nine passes to be made and
+six verses of incantation to be recited; but
+Ruggedo knew them all. Now that he had ample time
+to be exact, he carefully went through the entire
+ceremony.
+
+But nothing happened. The eggs did not
+disappear, as he had expected; so he repeated the
+charm a second time. When that also failed, he
+remembered, with a moan of despair, that his magic
+power had been taken away from him and in the
+future he could do no more than any common mortal.
+
+And there were the eggs, forever barring him
+from the Kingdom which he had ruled so long with
+absolute sway! He threw rocks at them, but could
+not hit a single egg. He raved and scolded and
+tore his hair and beard, and danced in helpless
+passion, but that did nothing to avert the just
+judgment of the Jinjin, which Ruggedo's own evil
+deeds had brought upon him.
+
+From this time on he was an outcast--a wanderer
+upon the face of the earth--and he had even
+forgotten to fill his pockets with gold and jewels
+before he fled from his former Kingdom!
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Nineteen
+
+King Kaliko
+
+
+After the King had made good his escape Files said
+to the dragon, in a sad voice:
+
+"Alas! why did you not come before? Because you
+were sleeping instead of conquering, the lovely
+Rose Princess has become a fiddle without a bow,
+while poor Shaggy sits there a cooing dove!"
+
+"Don't worry," replied Quox. "Tititi-Hoochoo
+knows his business, and I have my orders from the
+Great Jinjin himself. Bring the fiddle here and
+touch it lightly to my pink ribbon."
+
+Files obeyed and at the moment of contact with
+the ribbon the Nome King's charm was broken and
+the Rose Princess herself stood before them as
+sweet and smiling as ever.
+
+The dove, perched on the back of the throne, had
+seen and heard all this, so without being told
+what to do it flew straight to the dragon and
+alighted on the ribbon. Next instant Shaggy was
+himself again and Quox said to him grumblingly:
+
+"Please get off my left toe, Shaggy Man, and be
+more particular where you step."
+
+"I beg your pardon!" replied Shaggy, very
+glad to resume his natural form. Then he ran
+to lift the heavy diamond off Tik-Tok's chest
+and to assist the Clockwork Man to his feet.
+
+"Ma-ny thanks!" said Tik-Tok. "Where is the
+wicked King who want-ed to melt me in a cru-ci-
+ble?"
+
+"He has gone, and gone for good," answered
+Polychrome, who had managed to squeeze into the
+room beside the dragon and had witnessed the
+occurrences with much interest. "But I wonder
+where Betsy Bobbin and Hank can be, and if any
+harm has befallen them."
+
+"We must search the cavern until we find them,"
+declared Shaggy; but when he went to the door
+leading to the other caverns he found it shut and
+barred.
+
+"I've a pretty strong push in my forehead," said
+Quox, "and I believe I can break down that door,
+even though it's made of solid gold."
+
+"But you are a prisoner, and the chains that
+hold you are fastened in some other room, so that
+we cannot release you," Files said anxiously.
+
+"Oh, never mind that," returned the dragon. "I
+have remained a prisoner only because I wished to
+be one," and with this he stepped forward and
+burst the stout chains as easily as if they had
+been threads.
+
+But when he tried to push in the heavy metal
+door, even his mighty strength failed, and after
+several attempts he gave it up and squatted
+himself in a corner to think of a better way.
+
+"I'll o-pen the door," asserted Tik-Tok, and
+going to the King's big gong he pounded upon it
+until the noise was almost deafening.
+
+Kaliko, in the next cavern, was wondering what
+had happened to Ruggedo and if he had escaped the
+eggs and outwitted the dragon. But when he heard
+the sound of the gong, which had so often called
+him into the King's presence, he decided that
+Ruggedo had been victorious; so he took away the
+bar, threw open the door and entered the royal
+cavern.
+
+Great was his astonishment to find the King gone
+and the enchantments removed from the Princess and
+Shaggy. But the eggs were also gone and so Kaliko
+advanced to the dragon, whom he knew to be
+Tititi-Hoochoo's messenger, and bowed humbly
+before the beast.
+
+"What is your will?" he inquired.
+
+"Where is Betsy?" demanded the dragon.
+
+"Safe in my own private room," said Kaliko.
+
+"Go and get her!" commanded Quox.
+
+So Kaliko went to Betsy's room and gave three
+raps upon the door. The little girl had been
+asleep, but she heard the raps and opened the
+door.
+
+"You may come out now," said Kaliko. "The King
+has fled in disgrace and your friends are asking
+for you."
+
+So Betsy and Hank returned with the Royal
+Chamberlain to the throne cavern, where she was
+received with great joy by her friends. They told
+her what had happened to Ruggedo and she told them
+how kind Kaliko had been to her. Quox did not have
+much to say until the conversation was ended, but
+then he turned to Kaliko and asked:
+
+"Do you suppose you could rule your nomes better
+than Ruggedo has done?"
+
+"Me?" stammered the Chamberlain, greatly
+surprised by the question. "Well, I couldn't be a
+worse King, I'm sure."
+
+"Would the nomes obey you?" inquired the dragon.
+
+"Of course," said Kaliko. "They like me better
+than ever they did Ruggedo."
+
+"Then hereafter you shall be the Metal Monarch,
+King of the Nomes, and Tititi-Hoochoo expects you
+to rule your Kingdom wisely and well," said Quox.
+
+"Hooray!" cried Betsy; "I'm glad of that. King
+Kaliko, I salute Your Majesty and wish you joy in
+your gloomy old Kingdom!"
+
+"We all wish him joy," said Polychrome; and then
+the others made haste to congratulate the new
+King.
+
+"Will you release my dear brother?" asked
+Shaggy.
+
+"The Ugly One? Very willingly," replied Kaliko.
+"I begged Ruggedo long ago to send him away, but
+he would not do so. I also offered to help your
+brother to escape, but he would not go."
+
+"He's so conscientious!" said Shaggy, highly
+pleased. "All of our family have noble natures.
+But is my dear brother well?" he added anxiously.
+
+"He eats and sleeps very steadily," replied the
+new King.
+
+"I hope he doesn't work too hard," said Shaggy.
+
+"He doesn't work at all. In fact, there is
+nothing he can do in these dominions as well as
+our nomes, whose numbers are so great that it
+worries us to keep them all busy. So your brother
+has only to amuse himself."
+
+"Why, it's more like visiting, than being a
+prisoner," asserted Betsy.
+
+"Not exactly," returned Kaliko. "A prisoner
+cannot go where or when he pleases, and is not
+his own master."
+
+"Where is my brother now?" inquired Shaggy.
+
+"In the Metal Forest."
+
+"Where is that?"
+
+"The Metal Forest is in the Great Domed Cavern,
+the largest in all our dominions," replied Kaliko.
+"It is almost like being out of doors, it is so
+big, and Ruggedo made the wonderful forest to
+amuse himself, as well as to tire out his hard-
+working nomes. All the trees are gold and silver
+and the ground is strewn with precious stones, so
+it is a sort of treasury."
+
+"Let us go there at once and rescue my dear
+brother," pleaded Shaggy earnestly.
+
+Kaliko hesitated.
+
+"I don't believe I can find the way," said he.
+"Ruggedo made three secret passages to the Metal
+Forest, but he changes the location of these
+passages every week, so that no one can get to the
+Metal Forest without his permission. However, if
+we look sharp, we may be able to discover one of
+these secret ways."
+
+"That reminds me to ask what has become of Queen
+Ann and the Officers of Oogaboo," said Files.
+
+"I'm sure I can't say," replied Kaliko.
+
+"Do you suppose Ruggedo destroyed them?"
+
+"Oh, no; I'm quite sure he didn't. They fell
+into the big pit in the passage, and we put the
+cover on to keep them there; but when the
+executioners went to look for them they had all
+disappeared from the pit and we could find no
+trace of them."
+
+"That's funny," remarked Betsy thoughtfully. "I
+don't believe Ann knew any magic, or she'd have
+worked it before. But to disappear like that seems
+like magic; now, doesn't it?"
+
+They agreed that it did, but no one could
+explain the mystery.
+
+"However," said Shaggy, "they are gone, that is
+certain, so we cannot help them or be helped by
+them. And the important thing just now is to
+rescue my dear brother from captivity."
+
+"Why do they call him the Ugly One?" asked
+Betsy.
+
+"I do not know," confessed Shaggy. "I can not
+remember his looks very well, it is so long since
+I have seen him; but all of our family are noted
+for their handsome faces."
+
+Betsy laughed and Shaggy seemed rather hurt; but
+Polychrome relieved his embarrassment by saying
+softly: "One can be ugly in looks, but lovely in
+disposition."
+
+"Our first task," said Shaggy, a little
+comforted by this remark, "is to find one of those
+secret passages to the Metal Forest."
+
+"True," agreed Kaliko. "So I think I will
+assemble the chief nomes of my kingdom in this
+throne room and tell them that I am their new
+King. Then I can ask them to assist us in
+searching for the secret passages.
+
+"That's a good idea," said the dragon, who
+seemed to be getting sleepy again.
+
+Kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it
+just as Ruggedo used to do; but no one answered
+the summons.
+
+"Of course not," said he, jumping up from the
+throne, where he had seated himself. "That is my
+call, and I am still the Royal Chamberlain, and
+will be until I appoint another in my place."
+
+So he ran out of the room and found Guph and
+told him to answer the summons of the King's gong.
+Having returned to the royal cavern, Kaliko first
+pounded the gong and then sat in the throne,
+wearing Ruggedo's discarded ruby crown and holding
+in his hand the sceptre which Ruggedo had so often
+thrown at his head.
+
+When Guph entered he was amazed.
+
+"Better get out of that throne before old
+Ruggedo comes back," he said warningly.
+
+"He isn't coming back, and I am now the King of
+the Nomes, in his stead," announced Kaliko.
+
+"All of which is quite true," asserted the
+dragon, and all of those who stood around the
+throne bowed respectfully to the new King.
+
+Seeing this, Guph also bowed, for he was glad to
+be rid of such a hard master as Ruggedo. Then
+Kaliko, in quite a kingly way, informed Guph that
+he was appointed the Royal Chamberlain, and
+promised not to throw the sceptre at his head
+unless he deserved it.
+
+All this being pleasantly arranged, the new
+Chamberlain went away to tell the news to all the
+nomes of the underground Kingdom, every one of
+whom would be delighted with the change in Kings.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty
+
+Quox Quietly Quits
+
+
+When the chief nomes assembled before their new
+King they joyfully saluted him and promised to
+obey his commands. But, when Kaliko questioned
+them, none knew the way to the Metal Forest,
+although all had assisted in its making. So the
+King instructed them to search carefully for one
+of the passages and to bring him the news as soon
+as they had found it.
+
+Meantime Quox had managed to back out of the
+rocky corridor and so regain the open air and his
+old station on the mountain-side, and there he lay
+upon the rocks, sound asleep, until the next day.
+The others of the party were all given as good
+rooms as the caverns of the nomes afforded, for
+King Kaliko felt that he was indebted to them for
+his promotion and was anxious to be as hospitable
+as he could.
+
+Much wonderment had been caused by the absolute
+disappearance of the sixteen officers of Oogaboo
+and their Queen. Not a nome had seen them, nor
+were they discovered during the search for the
+passages leading to the Metal Forest. Perhaps no
+one was unhappy over their loss, but all were
+curious to know what had become of them.
+
+On the next day, when our friends went to visit
+the dragon, Quox said to them: "I must now bid you
+good-bye, for my mission here is finished and I
+must depart for the other side of the world,
+where I belong."
+
+"Will you go through the Tube again?" asked
+Betsy.
+
+"To be sure. But it will be a lonely trip this
+time, with no one to talk to, and I cannot invite
+any of you to go with me. Therefore, as soon as I
+slide into the hole I shall go to sleep, and when
+I pop out at the other end I will wake up at
+home."
+
+They thanked the dragon for befriending them and
+wished him a pleasant journey. Also they sent
+their thanks to the great Jinjin, whose just
+condemnation of Ruggedo had served their interests
+so well. Then Quox yawned and stretched himself
+and ambled over to the Tube, into which he slid
+headforemost and disappeared.
+
+They really felt as if they had lost a friend,
+for the dragon had been both kind and sociable
+during their brief acquaintance with him; but they
+knew it was his duty to return to his own country.
+So they went back to the caverns to renew the
+search for the hidden passages that led to the
+forest, but for three days all efforts to find
+them proved in vain.
+
+It was Polychrome's custom to go every day to
+the mountain and watch for her father, the
+Rainbow, for she was growing tired with wandering
+upon the earth and longed to rejoin her sisters in
+their sky palaces. And on the third day, while she
+sat motionless upon a point of rock, whom should
+she see slyly creeping up the mountain but
+Ruggedo!
+
+The former King looked very forlorn. His clothes
+were soiled and torn and he had no sandals upon
+his feet or hat upon his head. Having left his
+crown and sceptre behind when he fled, the old
+nome no longer seemed kingly, but more like a
+beggerman.
+
+Several times had Ruggedo crept up to the
+mouth of the caverns, only to find the six eggs
+still on guard. He knew quite well that he must
+accept his fate and become a homeless wanderer,
+but his chief regret now was that he had neglected
+to fill his pockets with gold and jewels. He was
+aware that a wanderer with wealth at his command
+would fare much better than one who was a pauper,
+so he still loitered around the caverns wherein he
+knew so much treasure was stored, hoping for a
+chance to fill his pockets.
+
+That was how he came to recollect the Metal
+Forest.
+
+"Aha!" said he to himself, "I alone know the way
+to that Forest, and once there I can fill my
+pockets with the finest jewels in all the world."
+
+He glanced at his pockets and was grieved to
+find them so small. Perhaps they might be
+enlarged, so that they would hold more. He knew of
+a poor woman who lived in a cottage at the foot of
+the mountain, so he went to her and begged her to
+sew pockets all over his robe, paying her with the
+gift of a diamond ring which he had worn upon his
+finger. The woman was delighted to possess so
+valuable a ring and she sewed as many pockets on
+Ruggedo's robe as she possibly could.
+
+Then he returned up the mountain and, after
+gazing cautiously around to make sure he was
+not observed, he touched a spring in a rock and
+it swung slowly backward, disclosing a broad
+passageway. This he entered, swinging the rock
+in place behind him.
+
+However, Ruggedo had failed to look as carefully
+as he might have done, for Polychrome was seated
+only a little distance off and her clear eyes
+marked exactly the manner in which Ruggedo had
+released the hidden spring. So she rose and
+hurried into the cavern, where she told Kaliko and
+her friends of her discovery.
+
+"I've no doubt that that is a way to the Metal
+Forest," exclaimed Shaggy. "Come, let us follow
+Ruggedo at once and rescue my poor brother!"
+
+They agreed to this and King Kaliko called
+together a band of nomes to assist them by
+carrying torches to light their way.
+
+"The Metal Forest has a brilliant light of its
+own," said he, "but the passage across the valley
+is likely to be dark."
+
+Polychrome easily found the rock and touched the
+spring, so in less than an hour after Ruggedo had
+entered they were all in the passage and following
+swiftly after the former King.
+
+"He means to rob the Forest, I'm sure," said
+Kaliko; "but he will find he is no longer of any
+account in this Kingdom and I will have my nomes
+throw him out."
+
+"Then please throw him as hard as you can," said
+Betsy, "for he deserves it. I don't mind an
+honest, out-an'-out enemy, who fights square; but
+changing girls into fiddles and ordering 'em put
+into Slimy Caves is mean and tricky, and Ruggedo
+doesn't deserve any sympathy. But you'll have to
+let him take as much treasure as he can get in his
+pockets, Kaliko."
+
+"Yes, the Jinjin said so; but we won't miss it
+much. There is more treasure in the Metal Forest
+than a million nomes could carry in their
+pockets."
+
+It was not difficult to walk through this
+passage, especially when the torches lighted the
+way, so they made good progress. But it proved to
+be a long distance and Betsy had tired herself
+with walking and was seated upon the back of the
+mule when the passage made a sharp turn and a
+wonderful and glorious light burst upon them. The
+next moment they were all standing upon the edge
+of the marvelous Metal Forest.
+
+It lay under another mountain and occupied a
+great domed cavern, the roof of which was higher
+than a church steeple. In this space the
+industrious nomes had built, during many years of
+labor, the most beautiful forest in the world. The
+trees--trunks, branches and leaves--were all of
+solid gold, while the bushes and underbrush were
+formed of filigree silver, virgin pure. The trees
+towered as high as natural live oaks do and were
+of exquisite workmanship.
+
+On the ground were thickly strewn precious gems
+of every hue and size, while here and there among
+the trees were paths pebbled with cut diamonds of
+the clearest water. Taken all together, more
+treasure was gathered in this Metal Forest than is
+contained in all the rest of the world--if we
+except the land of Oz, where perhaps its value is
+equalled in the famous Emerald City.
+
+Our friends were so amazed at the sight that for
+a while they stood gazing in silent wonder. Then
+Shaggy exclaimed.
+
+"My brother! My dear lost brother! Is he indeed
+a prisoner in this place?"
+
+"Yes," replied Kaliko. "The Ugly One has been
+here for two or three years, to my positive
+knowledge."
+
+"But what could he find to eat?" inquired
+Betsy. "It's an awfully swell place to live in, but
+one can't breakfast on rubies and di'monds, or
+even gold."
+
+"One doesn't need to, my dear," Kaliko assured
+her. "The Metal Forest does not fill all of this
+great cavern, by any means. Beyond these gold and
+silver trees are other trees of the real sort,
+which bear foods very nice to eat. Let us walk in
+that direction, for I am quite sure we will find
+Shaggy's brother in that part of the cavern,
+rather than in this."
+
+So they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbled
+paths, and at every step they were more and more
+bewildered by the wondrous beauty of the golden
+trees with their glittering foliage.
+
+Suddenly they heard a scream. Jewels scattered
+in every direction as some one hidden among the
+bushes scampered away before them. Then a loud
+voice cried: "Halt!" and there was the sound of a
+struggle.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-One
+
+A Bashful Brother
+
+
+With fast beating hearts they all rushed forward
+and, beyond a group of stately metal trees, came
+full upon a most astonishing scene.
+
+There was Ruggedo in the hands of the officers
+of Oogaboo, a dozen of whom were clinging to the
+old nome and holding him fast in spite of his
+efforts to escape. There also was Queen Ann,
+looking grimly upon the scene of strife; but when
+she observed her former companions approaching she
+turned away in a shamefaced manner.
+
+For Ann and her officers were indeed a sight to
+behold. Her Majesty's clothing, once so rich and
+gorgeous, was now worn and torn into shreds by her
+long crawl through the tunnel, which, by the way,
+had led her directly into the Metal Forest. It
+was, indeed, one of the three secret passages, and
+by far the most difficult of the three. Ann had
+not only torn her pretty skirt and jacket, but her
+crown had become bent and battered and even her
+shoes were so cut and slashed that they were ready
+to fall from her feet.
+
+The officers had fared somewhat worse than their
+leader, for holes were worn in the knees of their
+trousers, while sharp points of rock in the roof
+and sides of the tunnel had made rags of every
+inch of their once brilliant uniforms. A more
+tattered and woeful army never came out of a
+battle, than these harmless victims of the rocky
+passage. But it had seemed their only means of
+escape from the cruel Nome King; so they had
+crawled on, regardless of their sufferings.
+
+When they reached the Metal Forest their eyes
+beheld more plunder than they had ever dreamed of;
+yet they were prisoners in this huge dome and
+could not escape with the riches heaped about
+them. Perhaps a more unhappy and homesick lot of
+"conquerors" never existed than this band from
+Oogaboo.
+
+After several days of wandering in their
+marvelous prison they were frightened by the
+discovery that Ruggedo had come among them.
+Rendered desperate by their sad condition, the
+officers exhibited courage for the first time
+since they left home and, ignorant of the fact
+that Ruggedo was no longer King of the nomes, they
+threw themselves upon him and had just succeeded
+in capturing him when their fellow adventurers
+reached the spot.
+
+"Goodness gracious!" cried Betsy. "What has
+happened to you all?"
+
+Ann came forward to greet them, sorrowful and
+indignant.
+
+"We were obliged to escape from the pit through
+a small tunnel, which was lined with sharp and
+jagged rocks," said she, "and not only was our
+clothing torn to rags but our flesh is so bruised
+and sore that we are stiff and lame in every
+joint. To add to our troubles we find we are still
+prisoners; but now that we have succeeded in
+capturing the wicked Metal Monarch we shall force
+him to grant us our liberty."
+
+"Ruggedo is no longer Metal Monarch, or King of
+the nomes," Files informed her. "He has been
+deposed and cast out of his kingdom by Quox; but
+here is the new King, whose name is Kaliko, and I
+am pleased to assure Your Majesty that he is our
+friend."
+
+"Glad to meet Your Majesty, I'm sure," said
+Kaliko, bowing as courteously as if the Queen
+still wore splendid raiment.
+
+The officers, having heard this explanation, now
+set Ruggedo free; but, as he had no place to go,
+he stood by and faced his former servant, who was
+now King in his place, in a humble and pleading
+manner.
+
+"What are you doing here?" asked Kaliko sternly.
+
+"Why, I was promised as much treasure as I
+could carry in my pockets," replied Ruggedo;
+"so I came here to get it, not wishing to disturb
+Your Majesty."
+
+"You were commanded to leave the country of the
+nomes forever!" declared Kaliko.
+
+"I know; and I'll go as soon as I have filled my
+pockets," said Ruggedo, meekly.
+
+"Then fill them, and be gone," returned the new
+King.
+
+Ruggedo obeyed. Stooping down, he began
+gathering up jewels by the handful and stuffing
+them into his many pockets. They were heavy
+things, these diamonds and rubies and emeralds and
+amethysts and the like, so before long Ruggedo was
+staggering with the weight he bore, while the
+pockets were not yet filled. When he could no
+longer stoop over without falling, Betsy and
+Polychrome and the Rose Princess came to his
+assistance, picking up the finest gems and tucking
+them into his pockets.
+
+At last these were all filled and Ruggedo
+presented a comical sight, for surely no man ever
+before had so many pockets, or any at all filled
+with such a choice collection of precious stones.
+He neglected to thank the young ladies for their
+kindness, but gave them a surly nod of farewell
+and staggered down the path by the way he had
+come. They let him depart in silence, for with all
+he had taken, the masses of jewels upon the ground
+seemed scarcely to have been disturbed, so
+numerous were they. Also they hoped they had seen
+the last of the degraded King.
+
+"I'm awful glad he's gone," said Betsy, sighing
+deeply. "If he doesn't get reckless and spend his
+wealth foolishly, he's got enough to start a bank
+when he gets to Oklahoma."
+
+"But my brother--my dear brother! Where is he?"
+inquired Shaggy anxiously. "Have you seen him,
+Queen Ann?"
+
+"What does your brother look like?" asked the
+Queen.
+
+Shaggy hesitated to reply, but Betsy said: "He's
+called the Ugly One. Perhaps you'll know him by
+that."
+
+"The only person we have seen in this cavern,"
+said Ann, "has run away from us whenever we
+approached him. He hides over yonder, among the
+trees that are not gold, and we have never been
+able to catch sight of his face. So I can not tell
+whether he is ugly or not."
+
+"That must be my dear brother!" exclaimed
+Shaggy.
+
+"Yes, it must be," assented Kaliko. "No one else
+inhabits this splendid dome, so there can be no
+mistake."
+
+"But why does he hide among those green trees,
+instead of enjoying all these glittery golden
+ones?" asked Betsy.
+
+"Because he finds food among the natural trees,"
+replied Kaliko, "and I remember that he has built
+a little house there, to sleep in. As for these
+glittery golden trees, I will admit they are very
+pretty at first sight. One cannot fail to admire
+them, as well as the rich jewels scattered beneath
+them; but if one has to look at them always, they
+become pretty tame."
+
+"I believe that is true," declared Shaggy. "My
+dear brother is very wise to prefer real trees to
+the imitation ones. But come; let us go there and
+find him."
+
+Shaggy started for the green grove at once, and
+the others followed him, being curious to witness
+the final rescue of his long-sought, long-lost
+brother.
+
+Not far from the edge of the grove they came
+upon a small hut, cleverly made of twigs and
+golden branches woven together. As they approached
+the place they caught a glimpse of a form that
+darted into the hut and slammed the door tight
+shut after him.
+
+Shaggy Man ran to the door and cried aloud:
+
+"Brother! Brother!"
+
+"Who calls," demanded a sad, hollow voice
+from within.
+
+"It is Shaggy--your own loving brother--who has
+been searching for you a long time and has now
+come to rescue you."
+
+"Too late!" replied the gloomy voice. "No one
+can rescue me now."
+
+"Oh, but you are mistaken about that," said
+Shaggy. "There is a new King of the nomes, named
+Kaliko, in Ruggedo's place, and he has promised
+you shall go free."
+
+"Free! I dare not go free!" said the Ugly One,
+in a voice of despair.
+
+"Why not, Brother?" asked Shaggy, anxiously.
+
+"Do you know what they have done to me?" came
+the answer through the closed door.
+
+"No. Tell me, Brother, what have they done?"
+
+"When Ruggedo first captured me I was very
+handsome. Don't you remember, Shaggy?"
+
+"Not very well, Brother; you were so young when
+I left home. But I remember that mother thought
+you were beautiful."
+
+"She was right! I am sure she was right," wailed
+the prisoner. "But Ruggedo wanted to injure me--to
+make me ugly in the eyes of all the world--so he
+performed a wicked enchantment. I went to bed
+beautiful--or you might say handsome--to be very
+modest I will merely claim that I was good-
+looking--and I wakened the next morning the
+homeliest man in all the world! I am so repulsive
+that when I look in a mirror I frighten myself."
+
+"Poor Brother!" said Shaggy softly, and all the
+others were silent from sympathy.
+
+"I was so ashamed of my looks," continued the
+voice of Shaggy's brother, "that I tried to hide;
+but the cruel King Ruggedo forced me to appear
+before all the legion of nomes, to whom he said:
+'Behold the Ugly One!' But when the nomes saw my
+face they all fell to laughing and jeering, which
+prevented them from working at their tasks. Seeing
+this, Ruggedo became angry and pushed me into a
+tunnel, closing the rock entrance so that I could
+not get out. I followed the length of the tunnel
+until I reached this huge dome, where the
+marvelous Metal Forest stands, and here I have
+remained ever since."
+
+"Poor Brother!" repeated Shaggy. "But I beg you
+now to come forth and face us, who are your
+friends. None here will laugh or jeer, however
+unhandsome you may be."
+
+"No, indeed," they all added pleadingly.
+
+But the Ugly One refused the invitation.
+
+"I cannot," said he; "indeed, I cannot face
+strangers, ugly as I am."
+
+Shaggy Man turned to the group surrounding him.
+
+"What shall I do?" he asked in sorrowful tones.
+"I cannot leave my dear brother here, and he
+refuses to come out of that house and face us."
+
+"I'll tell you," replied Betsy. "Let him put on
+a mask."
+
+"The very idea I was seeking!" exclaimed Shaggy
+joyfully; and then he called out: "Brother, put a
+mask over your face, and then none of us can see
+what your features are like."
+
+"I have no mask," answered the Ugly One.
+
+"Look here," said Betsy; "he can use my
+handkerchief."
+
+Shaggy looked at the little square of cloth and
+shook his head.
+
+"It isn't big enough," he objected; "I'm sure it
+isn't big enough to hide a man's face. But he can
+use mine."
+
+Saying this he took from his pocket his own
+handkerchief and went to the door of the hut.
+
+"Here, my Brother," he called, "take this
+handkerchief and make a mask of it. I will also
+pass you my knife, so that you may cut holes for
+the eyes, and then you must tie it over your
+face."
+
+The door slowly opened, just far enough for the
+Ugly One to thrust out his hand and take the
+handkerchief and the knife. Then it closed again.
+
+"Don't forget a hole for your nose," cried
+Betsy. "You must breathe, you know."
+
+For a time there was silence. Queen Ann and her
+army sat down upon the ground to rest. Betsy sat
+on Hank's back. Polychrome danced lightly up and
+down the jeweled paths while Files and the
+Princess wandered through the groves arm in arm.
+Tik-Tok, who never tired, stood motionless.
+
+By and by a noise sounded from within the hut.
+
+"Are you ready?" asked Shaggy.
+
+"Yes, Brother," came the reply and the door was
+thrown open to allow the Ugly One to step forth.
+
+Betsy might have laughed aloud had she not
+remembered how sensitive to ridicule Shaggy's
+brother was, for the handkerchief with which he
+had masked his features was a red one covered with
+big white polka dots. In this two holes had been
+cut--in front of the eyes--while two smaller ones
+before the nostrils allowed the man to breathe
+freely. The cloth was then tightly drawn over the
+Ugly One's face and knotted at the back of his
+neck.
+
+He was dressed in clothes that had once been
+good, but now were sadly worn and frayed. His silk
+stockings had holes in them, and his shoes were
+stub-toed and needed blackening. "But what can you
+expect," whispered Betsy, "when the poor man has
+been a prisoner for so many years?"
+
+Shaggy had darted forward, and embraced his
+newly found brother with both his arms. The
+brother also embraced Shaggy, who then led him
+forward and introduced him to all the assembled
+company.
+
+"This is the new Nome King," he said when he
+came to Kaliko. "He is our friend, and has granted
+you your freedom."
+
+"That is a kindly deed," replied Ugly in a sad
+voice, "but I dread to go back to the world in
+this direful condition. Unless I remain forever
+masked, my dreadful face would curdle all the milk
+and stop all the clocks."
+
+"Can't the enchantment be broken in some way?"
+inquired Betsy.
+
+Shaggy looked anxiously at Kaliko, who shook his
+head.
+
+"I am sure I can't break the enchantment," he
+said. "Ruggedo was fond of magic, and learned a
+good many enchantments that we nomes know
+nothing of."
+
+"Perhaps Ruggedo himself might break his own
+enchantment," suggested Ann; "but unfortunately we
+have allowed the old King to escape."
+
+"Never mind, my dear Brother," said Shaggy
+consolingly; "I am very happy to have found you
+again, although I may never see your face. So let
+us make the most of this joyful reunion."
+
+The Ugly One was affected to tears by this
+tender speech, and the tears began to wet the red
+handkerchief; so Shaggy gently wiped them away
+with his coat sleeve.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Two
+
+Kindly Kisses
+
+
+"Won't you be dreadful sorry to leave this lovely
+place?" Betsy asked the Ugly One.
+
+"No, indeed," said he. "Jewels and gold are cold
+and heartless things, and I am sure I would
+presently have died of loneliness had I not found
+the natural forest at the edge of the artificial
+one. Anyhow, without these real trees I should
+soon have starved to death."
+
+Betsy looked around at the quaint trees.
+
+"I don't just understand that," she admitted.
+"What could you find to eat here."
+
+"The best food in the world," Ugly answered. "Do
+you see that grove at your left?" he added,
+pointing it out; "well, such trees as those do not
+grow in your country, or in any other place but
+this cavern. I have named them 'Hotel Trees,'
+because they bear a certain kind of table d'hote
+fruit called 'Three-Course Nuts.' "
+
+"That's funny!" said Betsy. "What are the
+'Three-Course Nuts' like?"
+
+"Something like cocoanuts, to look at,"
+explained the Ugly One. "All you have to do is to
+pick one of them and then sit down and eat your
+dinner. You first unscrew the top part and find a
+cupfull of good soup. After you've eaten that, you
+unscrew the middle part and find a hollow filled
+with meat and potatoes, vegetables and a fine
+salad. Eat that, and unscrew the next section, and
+you come to the dessert in the bottom of the nut.
+That is, pie and cake, cheese and crackers, and
+nuts and raisins. The Three-Course Nuts are not
+all exactly alike in flavor or in contents, but
+they are all good and in each one may be found a
+complete three-course dinner."
+
+"But how about breakfasts?" inquired Betsy.
+
+"Why, there are Breakfast Trees for that, which
+grow over there at the right. They bear nuts, like
+the others, only the nuts contain coffee or
+chocolate, instead of soup; oatmeal instead of
+meat-and-potatoes, and fruits instead of dessert.
+Sad as has been my life in this wonderful prison,
+I must admit that no one could live more
+luxuriously in the best hotel in the world than I
+have lived here; but I will be glad to get into
+the open air again and see the good old sun and
+the silvery moon and the soft green grass and the
+flowers that are kissed by the morning dew. Ah,
+how much more lovely are those blessed things than
+the glitter of gems or the cold gleam of gold!"
+
+"Of course," said Betsy. "I once knew a little
+boy who wanted to catch the measles, because all
+the little boys in his neighborhood but him had
+'em, and he was really unhappy 'cause he couldn't
+catch 'em, try as he would. So I'm pretty certain
+that the things we want, and can't have, are not
+good for us. Isn't that true, Shaggy?"
+
+"Not always, my dear," he gravely replied. "If
+we didn't want anything, we would never get
+anything, good or bad. I think our longings are
+natural, and if we act as nature prompts us we
+can't go far wrong."
+
+"For my part," said Queen Ann, "I think the
+world would be a dreary place without the gold and
+jewels."
+
+"All things are good in their way," said Shaggy;
+"but we may have too much of any good thing. And I
+have noticed that the value of anything depends
+upon how scarce it is, and how difficult it is to
+obtain."
+
+"Pardon me for interrupting you," said King
+Kaliko, coming to their side, "but now that we
+have rescued Shaggy's brother I would like to
+return to my royal cavern. Being the King of the
+Nomes, it is my duty to look after my restless
+subjects and see that they behave themselves."
+
+So they all turned and began walking through the
+Metal Forest to the other side of the great domed
+cave, where they had first entered it. Shaggy and
+his brother walked side by side and both seemed
+rejoiced that they were together after their long
+separation. Betsy didn't dare look at the polka
+dot handkerchief, for fear she would laugh aloud;
+so she walked behind the two brothers and led Hank
+by holding fast to his left ear.
+
+When at last they reached the place where the
+passage led to the outer world, Queen Ann said, in
+a hesitating way that was unusual with her:
+
+"I have not conquered this Nome Country, nor do
+I expect to do so; but I would like to gather a
+few of these pretty jewels before I leave this
+place."
+
+"Help yourself, ma'am," said King Kaliko, and at
+once the officers of the Army took advantage of
+his royal permission and began filling their
+pockets, while Ann tied a lot of diamonds in a big
+handkerchief.
+
+This accomplished, they all entered the passage,
+the nomes going first to light the way with their
+torches. They had not proceeded far when Betsy
+exclaimed:
+
+"Why, there are jewels here, too!"
+
+All eyes were turned upon the ground and they
+found a regular trail of jewels strewn along the
+rock floor.
+
+"This is queer!" said Kaliko, much surprised. "I
+must send some of my nomes to gather up these gems
+and replace them in the Metal Forest, where they
+belong. I wonder how they came to be here?"
+
+All the way along the passage they found this
+trail of jewels, but when they neared the end the
+mystery was explained. For there, squatted upon
+the floor with his back to the rock wall, sat old
+Ruggedo, puffing and blowing as if he was all
+tired out. Then they realized it was he who had
+scattered the jewels, from his many pockets, which
+one by one had burst with the weight of their
+contents as he had stumbled along the passage.
+
+"But I don't mind," said Ruggedo, with a deep
+sigh. "I now realize that I could not have carried
+such a weighty load very far, even had I managed
+to escape from this passage with it. The woman who
+sewed the pockets on my robe used poor thread, for
+which I shall thank her."
+
+"Have you any jewels left?" inquired Betsy.
+
+He glanced into some of the remaining
+pockets.
+
+"A few," said he, "but they will be sufficient
+to supply my wants, and I no longer have any
+desire to be rich. If some of you will kindly help
+me to rise, I'll get out of here and leave you,
+for I know you all despise me and prefer my room
+to my company."
+
+Shaggy and Kaliko raised the old King to his
+feet, when he was confronted by Shaggy's brother,
+whom he now noticed for the first time. The queer
+and unexpected appearance of the Ugly One so
+startled Ruggedo that he gave a wild cry and began
+to tremble, as if he had seen a ghost.
+
+"Wh--wh--who is this?" he faltered.
+
+"I am that helpless prisoner whom your cruel
+magic transformed from a handsome man into an ugly
+one!" answered Shaggy's brother, in a voice of
+stern reproach.
+
+"Really, Ruggedo," said Betsy, "you ought to be
+ashamed of that mean trick."
+
+"I am, my dear," admitted Ruggedo, who was now
+as meek and humble as formerly he had been cruel
+and vindictive.
+
+"Then," returned the girl, "you'd better do some
+more magic and give the poor man his own face
+again."
+
+"I wish I could," answered the old King; "but
+you must remember that Tititi-Hoochoo has deprived
+me of all my magic powers. However, I never took
+the trouble to learn just how to break the charm I
+cast over Shaggy's brother, for I intended he
+should always remain ugly."
+
+"Every charm," remarked pretty Polychrome, "has
+its antidote; and, if you knew this charm of
+ugliness, Ruggedo, you must have known how to
+dispel it."
+
+He shook his head.
+
+"If I did, I--I've forgotten," he stammered
+regretfully.
+
+"Try to think!" pleaded Shaggy, anxiously.
+"Please try to think!"
+
+Ruggedo ruffled his hair with both hands,
+sighed, slapped his chest, rubbed his ear, and
+stared stupidly around the group.
+
+"I've a faint recollection that there was one
+thing that would break the charm," said he; "but
+misfortune has so addled my brain that I can't
+remember what it was."
+
+"See here, Ruggedo," said Betsy, sharply, "we've
+treated you pretty well, so far, but we won't
+stand for any nonsense, and if you know what's
+good for yourself you'll think of that charm!"
+
+"Why?" he demanded, turning to look wonderingly
+at the little girl.
+
+"Because it means so much to Shaggy's brother.
+He's dreadfully ashamed of himself, the way he is
+now, and you're to blame for it. Fact is, Ruggedo,
+you've done so much wickedness in your life that
+it won't hurt you to do a kind act now."
+
+Ruggedo blinked at her, and sighed again, and
+then tried very hard to think.
+
+"I seem to remember, dimly," said he, "that a
+certain kind of a kiss will break the charm of
+ugliness."
+
+"What kind of a kiss?"
+
+"What kind? Why, it was--it was--it was either
+the kiss of a Mortal Maid; or--or--the kiss of a
+Mortal Maid who had once been a Fairy; or--or the
+kiss of one who is still a Fairy. I can't remember
+which. But of course no maid, mortal or fairy,
+would ever consent to kiss a person so ugly--so
+dreadfully, fearfully, terribly ugly--as Shaggy's
+brother."
+
+"I'm not so sure of that," said Betsy, with
+admirable courage; "I'm a Mortal Maid, and if it
+is my kiss that will break this awful charm, I--
+I'll do it!"
+
+"Oh, you really couldn't," protested Ugly. "I
+would be obliged to remove my mask, and when you
+saw my face, nothing could induce you to kiss me,
+generous as you are."
+
+"Well, as for that," said the little girl, "I
+needn't see your face at all. Here's my plan: You
+stay in this dark passage, and we'll send away the
+nomes with their torches. Then you'll take off the
+handkerchief, and I--I'll kiss you."
+
+"This is awfully kind of you, Betsy!" said
+Shaggy, gratefully.
+
+"Well, it surely won't kill me," she replied;
+"and, if it makes you and your brother happy, I'm
+willing to take some chances."
+
+So Kaliko ordered the torch-bearers to leave the
+passage, which they did by going through the rock
+opening. Queen Ann and her army also went out; but
+the others were so interested in Betsy's
+experiment that they remained grouped at the mouth
+of the passageway. When the big rock swung into
+place, closing tight the opening, they were left
+in total darkness.
+
+"Now, then," called Betsy in a cheerful voice,
+"have you got that handkerchief off your face,
+Ugly?"
+
+"Yes," he replied.
+
+"Well, where are you, then?" she asked, reaching
+out her arms.
+
+"Here," said he.
+
+"You'll have to stoop down, you know."
+
+He found her hands and clasping them in his own
+stooped until his face was near to that of the
+little girl. The others heard a clear, smacking
+kiss, and then Betsy exclaimed:
+
+"There! I've done it, and it didn't hurt a bit!"
+
+"Tell me, dear brother; is the charm broken?"
+asked Shaggy.
+
+"I do not know," was the reply. "It may be, or
+it may not be. I cannot tell."
+
+"Has anyone a match?" inquired Betsy.
+
+"I have several," said Shaggy.
+
+"Then let Ruggedo strike one of them and look at
+your brother's face, while we all turn our backs.
+Ruggedo made your brother ugly, so I guess he can
+stand the horror of looking at him, if the charm
+isn't broken."
+
+Agreeing to this, Ruggedo took the match and
+lighted it. He gave one look and then blew out
+the match.
+
+"Ugly as ever!" he said with a shudder. "So it
+wasn't the kiss of a Mortal Maid, after all."
+
+"Let me try," proposed the Rose Princess, in her
+sweet voice. "I am a Mortal Maid who was once a
+Fairy. Perhaps my kiss will break the charm."
+
+Files did not wholly approve of this, but he was
+too generous to interfere. So the Rose Princess
+felt her way through the darkness to Shaggy's
+brother and kissed him.
+
+Ruggedo struck another match, while they all
+turned away.
+
+"No," announced the former King; "that didn't
+break the charm, either. It must be the kiss of a
+Fairy that is required--or else my memory has
+failed me altogether."
+
+"Polly," said Betsy, pleadingly, "won't you
+try?"
+
+"Of course I will!" answered Polychrome, with a
+merry laugh. "I've never kissed a mortal man in
+all the thousands of years I have existed, but
+I'll do it to please our faithful Shaggy Man,
+whose unselfish affection for his ugly brother
+deserves to be rewarded."
+
+Even as Polychrome was speaking she tripped
+lightly to the side of the Ugly One and quickly
+touched his cheek with her lips.
+
+"Oh, thank you--thank you!" he fervently cried.
+"I've changed, this time, I know. I can feel it!
+I'm different. Shaggy--dear Shaggy--I am myself
+again!"
+
+Files, who was near the opening, touched the
+spring that released the big rock and it suddenly
+swung backward and let in a flood of daylight.
+
+Everyone stood motionless, staring hard at
+Shaggy's brother, who, no longer masked by the
+polka-dot handkerchief, met their gaze with a
+glad smile.
+
+"Well," said Shaggy Man, breaking the silence at
+last and drawing a long, deep breath of
+satisfaction, "you are no longer the Ugly One, my
+dear brother; but, to be entirely frank with you,
+the face that belongs to you is no more handsome
+than it ought to be."
+
+"I think he's rather good looking," remarked
+Betsy, gazing at the man critically.
+
+"In comparison with what he was," said King
+Kaliko, "he is really beautiful. You, who never
+beheld his ugliness, may not understand that; but
+it was my misfortune to look at the Ugly One many
+times, and I say again that, in comparison with
+what he was, the man is now beautiful."
+
+"All right," returned Betsy, briskly, "we'll
+take your word for it, Kaliko. And now let us get
+out of this tunnel and into the world again."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Three
+
+Ruggedo Reforms
+
+
+It did not take them long to regain the royal
+cavern of the Nome King, where Kaliko ordered
+served to them the nicest refreshments the place
+afforded.
+
+Ruggedo had come trailing along after the rest
+of the party and while no one paid any attention
+to the old King they did not offer any objection
+to his presence or command him to leave them. He
+looked fearfully to see if the eggs were still
+guarding the entrance, but they had now
+disappeared; so he crept into the cavern after the
+others and humbly squatted down in a corner of the
+room.
+
+There Betsy discovered him. All of the little
+girl's companions were now so happy at the success
+of Shaggy's quest for his brother, and the
+laughter and merriment seemed so general, that
+Betsy's heart softened toward the friendless old
+man who had once been their bitter enemy, and she
+carried to him some of the food and drink.
+Ruggedo's eyes filled with tears at this
+unexpected kindness. He took the child's hand in
+his own and pressed it gratefully.
+
+"Look here, Kaliko," said Betsy, addressing the
+new King, "what's the use of being hard on
+Ruggedo? All his magic power is gone, so he can't
+do any more harm, and I'm sure he's sorry he acted
+so badly to everybody."
+
+"Are you?" asked Kaliko, looking down at his
+former master.
+
+"I am," said Ruggedo. "The girl speaks truly.
+I'm sorry and I'm harmless. I don't want to wander
+through the wide world, on top of the ground, for
+I'm a nome. No nome can ever be happy any place
+but underground."
+
+"That being the case," said Kaliko, "I will let
+you stay here as long as you behave yourself;
+but, if you try to act badly again, I shall drive
+you out, as Tititi-Hoochoo has commanded, and
+you'll have to wander."
+
+"Never fear. I'll behave," promised Ruggedo. "It
+is hard work being a King, and harder still to be
+a good King. But now that I am a common nome I am
+sure I can lead a blameless life."
+
+They were all pleased to hear this and to know
+that Ruggedo had really reformed.
+
+"I hope he'll keep his word," whispered Betsy to
+Shaggy; "but if he gets bad again we will be far
+away from the Nome Kingdom and Kaliko will have to
+'tend to the old nome himself."
+
+Polychrome had been a little restless during the
+last hour or two. The lovely Daughter of the Rainbow
+knew that she had now done all in her power to
+assist her earth friends, and so she began to long
+for her sky home.
+
+"I think," she said, after listening intently,
+"that it is beginning to rain. The Rain King is my
+uncle, you know, and perhaps he has read my
+thoughts and is going to help me. Anyway I must
+take a look at the sky and make sure."
+
+So she jumped up and ran through the passage to
+the outer entrance, and they all followed after
+her and grouped themselves on a ledge of the
+mountain-side. Sure enough, dark clouds had filled
+the sky and a slow, drizzling rain had set in.
+
+"It can't last for long," said Shaggy, looking
+upward, "and when it stops we shall lose the sweet
+little fairy we have learned to love. Alas," he
+continued, after a moment, "the clouds are already
+breaking in the west, and--see!--isn't that the
+Rainbow coming?"
+
+Betsy didn't look at the sky; she looked at
+Polychrome, whose happy, smiling face surely
+foretold the coming of her father to take her to
+the Cloud Palaces. A moment later a gleam of
+sunshine flooded the mountain and a gorgeous
+Rainbow appeared.
+
+With a cry of gladness Polychrome sprang upon a
+point of rock and held out her arms. Straightway
+the Rainbow descended until its end was at her
+very feet, when with a graceful leap she sprang
+upon it and was at once clasped in
+the arms of her radiant sisters, the Daughters of
+the Rainbow. But Polychrome released herself
+to lean over the edge of the glowing arch and
+nod, and smile and throw a dozen kisses to her
+late comrades.
+
+"Good-bye!" she called, and they all shouted
+"Good-bye!" in return and waved their hands to
+their pretty friend.
+
+Slowly the magnificent bow lifted and melted
+into the sky, until the eyes of the earnest
+watchers saw only fleecy clouds flitting across
+the blue.
+
+"I'm dreadful sorry to see Polychrome go,"
+said Betsy, who felt like crying; "but I s'pose
+she'll be a good deal happier with her sisters in
+the sky palaces."
+
+"To be sure," returned Shaggy, nodding
+gravely. "It's her home, you know, and those
+poor wanderers who, like ourselves, have no
+home, can realize what that means to her."
+
+"Once," said Betsy, "I, too, had a home. Now,
+I've only--only--dear old Hank!"
+
+She twined her arms around her shaggy friend who
+was not human, and he said: "Hee-haw!" in a tone
+that showed he understood her mood. And the shaggy
+friend who was human stroked the child's head
+tenderly and said: "You're wrong about that,
+Betsy, dear. I will never desert you."
+
+"Nor I!" exclaimed Shaggy's brother, in earnest
+tones.
+
+The little girl looked up at them gratefully,
+and her eyes smiled through their tears.
+
+"All right," she said. "It's raining again, so
+let's go back into the cavern."
+
+Rather soberly, for all loved Polychrome and
+would miss her, they reentered the dominions of
+the Nome King.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Four
+
+Dorothy is Delighted
+
+
+"Well," said Queen Ann, when all were again seated
+in Kaliko's royal cavern, "I wonder what we shall
+do next. If I could find my way back to Oogaboo
+I'd take my army home at once, for I'm sick and
+tired of these dreadful hardships."
+
+"Don't you want to conquer the world?" asked Betsy.
+
+"No; I've changed my mind about that," admitted
+the Queen. "The world is too big for one person to
+conquer and I was happier with my own people in
+Oogaboo. I wish--Oh, how earnestly I wish--that I
+was back there this minute!"
+
+"So do I!" yelled every officer in a fervent
+tone.
+
+Now, it is time for the reader to know that in
+the far-away Land of Oz the lovely Ruler, Ozma,
+had been following the adventures of her Shaggy
+Man, and Tik-Tok, and all the others they had met.
+Day by day Ozma, with the wonderful Wizard of Oz
+seated beside her, had gazed upon a Magic Picture
+in a radium frame, which occupied one side of the
+Ruler's cosy boudoir in the palace of the Emerald
+City. The singular thing about this Magic Picture
+was that it showed whatever scene Ozma wished to
+see, with the figures all in motion, just as it
+was taking place. So Ozma and the Wizard had
+watched every action of the adventurers from the
+time Shaggy had met shipwrecked Betsy and Hank in
+the Rose Kingdom, at which time the Rose Princess,
+a distant cousin of Ozma, had been exiled by her
+heartless subjects.
+
+When Ann and her people so earnestly wished to
+return to Oogaboo, Ozma was sorry for them and
+remembered that Oogaboo was a corner of the Land
+of Oz. She turned to her attendant and asked:
+
+"Can not your magic take these unhappy people to
+their old home, Wizard?"
+
+"It can, Your Highness," replied the little
+Wizard.
+
+"I think the poor Queen has suffered enough in
+her misguided effort to conquer the world," said
+Ozma, smiling at the absurdity of the undertaking,
+"so no doubt she will hereafter be contented in
+her own little Kingdom. Please send her there,
+Wizard, and with her the officers and Files."
+
+"How about the Rose Princess?" asked the Wizard.
+
+"Send her to Oogaboo with Files," answered Ozma.
+"They have become such good friends that I am sure
+it would make them unhappy to separate them."
+
+"Very well," said the Wizard, and without any
+fuss or mystery whatever he performed a magical
+rite that was simple and effective. Therefore
+those seated in the Nome King's cavern were both
+startled and amazed when all the people of Oogaboo
+suddenly disappeared from the room, and with them
+the Rose Princess. At first they could not
+understand it at all; but presently Shaggy
+suspected the truth, and believing that Ozma was
+now taking an interest in the party he drew from
+his pocket a tiny instrument which he placed
+against his ear.
+
+Ozma, observing this action in her Magic
+Picture, at once caught up a similar instrument
+from a table beside her and held it to her own
+ear. The two instruments recorded the same
+delicate vibrations of sound and formed a wireless
+telephone, an invention of the Wizard. Those
+separated by any distance were thus enabled to
+converse together with perfect ease and without
+any wire connection.
+
+"Do you hear me, Shaggy Man?" asked Ozma.
+
+"Yes, Your Highness," he replied.
+
+"I have sent the people of Oogaboo back to their
+own little valley," announced the Ruler of Oz; "so
+do not worry over their disappearance."
+
+"That was very kind of you," said Shaggy. "But
+Your Highness must permit me to report that my own
+mission here is now ended. I have found my lost
+brother, and he is now beside me, freed from the
+enchantment of ugliness which Ruggedo cast upon
+him. Tik-Tok has served me and my comrades
+faithfully, as you requested him to do, and I hope
+you will now transport the Clockwork Man back to
+your fairyland of Oz."
+
+"I will do that," replied Ozma. "But how
+about yourself, Shaggy?"
+
+"I have been very happy in Oz," he said, "but my
+duty to others forces me to exile myself from that
+delightful land. I must take care of my new-found
+brother, for one thing, and I have a new comrade
+in a dear little girl named Betsy Bobbin, who has
+no home to go to, and no other friends but me and
+a small donkey named Hank. I have promised Betsy
+never to desert her as long as she needs a friend,
+and so I must give up the delights of the Land of
+Oz forever."
+
+He said this with a sigh of regret, and Ozma
+made no reply but laid the tiny instrument on her
+table, thus cutting off all further communication
+with the Shaggy Man. But the lovely Ruler of Oz
+still watched her magic picture, with a thoughtful
+expression upon her face, and the little Wizard of
+Oz watched Ozma and smiled softly to himself.
+
+In the cavern of the Nome King Shaggy replaced
+the wireless telephone in his pocket and turning
+to Betsy said in as cheerful a voice as he could
+muster:
+
+"Well, little comrade, what shall we do next?"
+
+"I don't know, I'm sure," she answered with a
+puzzled face. "I'm kind of sorry our adventures
+are over, for I enjoyed them, and now that Queen
+Ann and her people are gone, and Polychrome is
+gone, and--dear me!--where's Tik-Tok, Shaggy?"
+
+"He also has disappeared," said Shaggy, looking
+around the cavern and nodding wisely. "By this
+time he is in Ozma's palace in the Land of Oz,
+which is his home."
+
+"Isn't it your home, too?" asked Betsy.
+
+"It used to be, my dear; but now my home is
+wherever you and my brother are. We are wanderers,
+you know, but if we stick together I am sure we
+shall have a good time."
+
+"Then," said the girl, "let us get out of this
+stuffy, underground cavern and go in search of
+new adventures. I'm sure it has stopped raining."
+
+"I'm ready," said Shaggy, and then they bade
+good-bye to King Kaliko, and thanked him for
+his assistance, and went out to the mouth of
+the passage.
+
+The sky was now clear and a brilliant blue in
+color; the sun shone brightly and even this
+rugged, rocky country seemed delightful after
+their confinement underground. There were but four
+of them now--Betsy and Hank, and Shaggy and his
+brother--and the little party made their way down
+the mountain and followed a faint path that led
+toward the southwest.
+
+During this time Ozma had been holding a
+conference with the Wizard, and later with Tik-
+Tok, whom the magic of the Wizard had quickly
+transported to Ozma's palace. Tik-Tok had only
+words of praise for Betsy Bobbin, "who," he said,
+"is al-most as nice as Dor-o-thy her-self."
+
+"Let us send for Dorothy," said Ozma, and
+summoning her favorite maid, who was named Jellia
+Jamb, she asked her to request Princess Dorothy to
+attend her at once. So a few moments later Dorothy
+entered Ozma's room and greeted her and the Wizard
+and Tik-Tok with the same gentle smile and simple
+manner that had won for the little girl the love
+of everyone she met.
+
+"Did you want to see me, Ozma?" she asked.
+
+"Yes, dear. I am puzzled how to act, and I want
+your advice."
+
+"I don't b'lieve it's worth much," replied
+Dorothy, "but I'll do the best I can. What is it
+all about, Ozma?"
+
+"You all know," said the girl Ruler, addressing
+her three friends, "what a serious thing it is to
+admit any mortals into this fairyland of Oz. It is
+true I have invited several mortals to make their
+home here, and all of them have proved true and
+loyal subjects. Indeed, no one of you three was a
+native of Oz. Dorothy and the Wizard came here
+from the United States, and Tik-Tok came from the
+Land of Ev. But of course he is not a mortal.
+Shaggy is another American, and he is the cause of
+all my worry, for our dear Shaggy will not return
+here and desert the new friends he has found in
+his recent adventures, because he believes they
+need his services."
+
+"Shaggy Man was always kind-hearted," remarked
+Dorothy. "But who are these new friends he has
+found?"
+
+"One is his brother, who for many years has been
+a prisoner of the Nome King, our old enemy
+Ruggedo. This brother seems a kindly, honest
+fellow, but he has done nothing to entitle him to
+a home in the Land of Oz."
+
+"Who else?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"I have told you about Betsy Bobbin, the little
+girl who was shipwrecked--in much the same way you
+once were--and has since been following the Shaggy
+Man in his search for his lost brother. You
+remember her, do you not?"
+
+"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I've often
+watched her and Hank in the Magic Picture, you
+know. She's a dear little girl, and old Hank is a
+darling! Where are they now?"
+
+"Look and see," replied Ozma with a smile at
+her friend's enthusiasm.
+
+Dorothy turned to the Picture, which showed
+Betsy and Hank, with Shaggy and his brother,
+trudging along the rocky paths of a barren
+country.
+
+"Seems to me," she said, musingly, "that
+they're a good way from any place to sleep, or
+any nice things to eat."
+
+"You are right," said Tik-Tok. "I have been in
+that coun-try, and it is a wil-der-ness."
+
+"It is the country of the nomes," explained the
+Wizard, "who are so mischievous that no one cares
+to live near them. I'm afraid Shaggy and his
+friends will endure many hardships before they get
+out of that rocky place, unless--"
+
+He turned to Ozma and smiled.
+
+"Unless I ask you to transport them all here?"
+she asked.
+
+"Yes, your Highness."
+
+"Could your magic do that?" inquired Dorothy.
+
+"I think so," said the Wizard.
+
+"Well," said Dorothy, "as far as Betsy and Hank
+are concerned, I'd like to have them here in Oz.
+It would be such fun to have a girl playmate of my
+own age, you see. And Hank is such a dear little
+mule!"
+
+Ozma laughed at the wistful expression in the
+girl's eyes, and then she drew Dorothy to her and
+kissed her.
+
+"Am I not your friend and playmate?" she asked.
+
+Dorothy flushed.
+
+"You know how dearly I love you, Ozma!" she
+cried. "But you're so busy ruling all this Land of
+Oz that we can't always be together."
+
+"I know, dear. My first duty is to my subjects,
+and I think it would be a delight to us all to
+have Betsy with us. There's a pretty suite of
+rooms just opposite your own where she can live,
+and I'll build a golden stall for Hank in the
+stable where the Sawhorse lives. Then we'll
+introduce the mule to the Cowardly Lion and the
+Hungry Tiger, and I'm sure they will soon become
+firm friends. But I cannot very well admit Betsy
+and Hank into Oz unless I also admit Shaggy's
+brother."
+
+"And, unless you admit Shaggy's brother, you
+will keep out poor Shaggy, whom we are all very
+fond of," said the Wizard.
+
+"Well, why not ad-mit him?" demanded Tik-Tok.
+
+"The Land of Oz is not a refuge for all mortals
+in distress," explained Ozma. "I do not wish to be
+unkind to Shaggy Man, but his brother has no claim
+on me."
+
+"The Land of Oz isn't crowded," suggested
+Dorothy.
+
+"Then you advise me to admit Shaggy's brother?"
+inquired Ozma.
+
+"Well, we can't afford to lose our Shaggy Man,
+can we?"
+
+"No, indeed!" returned Ozma. "What do you say,
+Wizard?"
+
+"I'm getting my magic ready to transport them
+all."
+
+"And you, Tik-Tok?"
+
+"Shag-gy's broth-er is a good fel-low, and we
+can't spare Shag-gy."
+
+"So, then; the question is settled," decided
+Ozma. "Perform your magic, Wizard!"
+
+He did so, placing a silver plate upon a small
+standard and pouring upon the plate a small
+quantity of pink powder which was contained in a
+crystal vial. Then he muttered a rather difficult
+incantation which the sorceress Glinda the Good
+had taught him, and it all ended in a puff of
+perfumed smoke from the silver plate. This smoke
+was so pungent that it made both Ozma and Dorothy
+rub their eyes for a moment.
+
+"You must pardon these disagreeable fumes," said
+the Wizard. "I assure you the smoke is a very
+necessary part of my wizardry."
+
+"Look!" cried Dorothy, pointing to the Magic
+Picture; "they're gone! All of them are gone."
+
+Indeed, the picture now showed the same rocky
+landscape as before, but the three people and the
+mule had disappeared from it.
+
+"They are gone," said the Wizard, polishing the
+silver plate and wrapping it in a fine cloth,
+"because they are here."
+
+At that moment Jellia Jamb entered the room.
+
+"Your Highness," she said to Ozma, "the Shaggy
+Man and another man are in the waiting room and
+ask to pay their respects to you. Shaggy is crying
+like a baby, but he says they are tears of joy."
+
+"Send them here at once, Jellia!" commanded Ozma.
+
+"Also," continued the maid, "a girl and a small-
+sized mule have mysteriously arrived, but they
+don't seem to know where they are or how they came
+here. Shall I send them here, too?"
+
+"Oh, no!" exclaimed Dorothy, eagerly jumping up
+from her chair; "I'll go to meet Betsy myself,
+for she'll feel awful strange in this big palace."
+
+And she ran down the stairs two at a time to
+greet her new friend, Betsy Bobbin.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Five
+
+The Land of Love
+
+
+"Well, is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?"
+inquired the Sawhorse, as he examined Hank with
+his knot eyes and slowly wagged the branch that
+served him for a tail.
+
+They were in a beautiful stable in the rear of
+Ozma's palace, where the wooden Sawhorse--very
+much alive--lived in a gold-paneled stall, and
+where there were rooms for the Cowardly Lion and
+the Hungry Tiger, which were filled with soft
+cushions for them to lie upon and golden troughs
+for them to eat from.
+
+Beside the stall of the Sawhorse had been placed
+another for Hank, the mule. This was not quite so
+beautiful as the other, for the Sawhorse was
+Ozma's favorite steed; but Hank had a supply of
+cushions for a bed (which the Sawhorse did not
+need because he never slept) and all this luxury
+was so strange to the little mule that he could
+only stand still and regard his surroundings and
+his queer companions with wonder and amazement.
+
+The Cowardly Lion, looking very dignified, was
+stretched out upon the marble floor of the stable,
+eyeing Hank with a calm and critical gaze, while
+near by crouched the huge Hungry Tiger, who seemed
+equally interested in the new animal that had just
+arrived. The Sawhorse, standing stiffly before
+Hank, repeated his question:
+
+"Is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?"
+
+Hank moved his ears in an embarrassed manner.
+
+"I have never said anything else, until now," he
+replied; and then he began to tremble with fright
+to hear himself talk.
+
+"I can well understand that," remarked the Lion,
+wagging his great head with a swaying motion.
+"Strange things happen in this Land of Oz, as they
+do everywhere else. I believe you came here from
+the cold, civilized, outside world, did you not?"
+
+"I did," replied Hank. "One minute I was outside
+of Oz--and the next minute I was inside! That was
+enough to give me a nervous shock, as you may
+guess; but to find myself able to talk, as Betsy
+does, is a marvel that staggers me."
+
+"That is because you are in the Land of Oz,"
+said the Sawhorse. "All animals talk, in this
+favored country, and you must admit it is more
+sociable than to bray your dreadful 'hee-haw,'
+which nobody can understand."
+
+"Mules understand it very well," declared Hank.
+
+"Oh, indeed! Then there must be other mules in
+your outside world," said the Tiger, yawning
+sleepily.
+
+"There are a great many in America," said Hank.
+"Are you the only Tiger in Oz?"
+
+"No," acknowledged the Tiger, "I have many
+relatives living in the Jungle Country; but I am
+the only Tiger living in the Emerald City."
+
+"There are other Lions, too," said the Sawhorse;
+"but I am the only horse, of any description, in
+this favored Land."
+
+"That is why this Land is favored," said the
+Tiger. "You must understand, friend Hank, that the
+Sawhorse puts on airs because he is shod with
+plates of gold, and because our beloved Ruler,
+Ozma of Oz, likes to ride upon his back."
+
+"Betsy rides upon my back," declared Hank
+proudly.
+
+"Who is Betsy?"
+
+"The dearest, sweetest girl in all the world!"
+
+The Sawhorse gave an angry snort and stamped his
+golden feet. The Tiger crouched and growled.
+Slowly the great Lion rose to his feet, his mane
+bristling.
+
+"Friend Hank," said he, "either you are mistaken
+in judgment or you are willfully trying to deceive
+us. The dearest, sweetest girl in the world is our
+Dorothy, and I will fight anyone--animal or human--
+who dares to deny it!"
+
+"So will I!" snarled the Tiger, showing two
+rows of enormous white teeth.
+
+"You are all wrong!" asserted the Sawhorse in a
+voice of scorn. "No girl living can compare with
+my mistress, Ozma of Oz!"
+
+Hank slowly turned around until his heels were
+toward the others. Then he said stubbornly:
+
+"I am not mistaken in my statement, nor will I
+admit there can be a sweeter girl alive than Betsy
+Bobbin. If you want to fight, come on--I'm ready
+for you!"
+
+While they hesitated, eyeing Hank's heels
+doubtfully, a merry peal of laughter startled the
+animals and turning their heads they beheld three
+lovely girls standing just within the richly
+carved entrance to the stable. In the center was
+Ozma, her arms encircling the waists of Dorothy
+and Betsy, who stood on either side of her. Ozma
+was nearly half a head taller than the two other
+girls, who were almost of one size. Unobserved,
+they had listened to the talk of the animals,
+which was a very strange experience indeed to
+little Betsy Bobbin.
+
+"You foolish beasts!" exclaimed the Ruler of Oz,
+in a gentle but chiding voice. "Why should you
+fight to defend us, who are all three loving
+friends and in no sense rivals? Answer me!" she
+continued, as they bowed their heads sheepishly.
+
+"I have the right to express my opinion, your
+Highness," pleaded the Lion.
+
+"And so have the others," replied Ozma. "I am
+glad you and the Hungry Tiger love Dorothy best,
+for she was your first friend and companion. Also
+I am pleased that my Sawhorse loves me best, for
+together we have endured both joy and sorrow. Hank
+has proved his faith and loyalty by defending his
+own little mistress; and so you are all right in
+one way, but wrong in another. Our Land of Oz is a
+Land of Love, and here friendship outranks every
+other quality. Unless you can all be friends, you
+cannot retain our love."
+
+They accepted this rebuke very meekly.
+
+"All right," said the Sawhorse, quite
+cheerfully; "shake hoofs, friend Mule."
+
+Hank touched his hoof to that of the wooden
+horse.
+
+"Let us be friends and rub noses," said the
+Tiger. So Hank modestly rubbed noses with the big
+beast.
+
+The Lion merely nodded and said, as he crouched
+before the mule:
+
+"Any friend of a friend of our beloved Ruler is
+a friend of the Cowardly Lion. That seems to cover
+your case. If ever you need help or advice, friend
+Hank, call on me."
+
+"Why, this is as it should be," said Ozma,
+highly pleased to see them so fully reconciled.
+Then she turned to her companions: "Come, my
+dears, let us resume our walk."
+
+As they turned away Betsy said wonderingly:
+
+"Do all the animals in Oz talk as we do?"
+
+"Almost all," answered Dorothy. "There's a
+Yellow Hen here, and she can talk, and so can her
+chickens; and there's a Pink Kitten upstairs in my
+room who talks very nicely; but I've a little
+fuzzy black dog, named Toto, who has been with me
+in Oz a long time, and he's never said a single
+word but 'Bow-wow!'"
+
+"Do you know why?" asked Ozma.
+
+"Why, he's a Kansas dog; so I s'pose he's
+different from these fairy animals," replied
+Dorothy.
+
+"Hank isn't a fairy animal, any more than Toto,"
+said Ozma, "yet as soon as he came under the spell
+of our fairyland he found he could talk. It was
+the same way with Billina, the Yellow Hen whom you
+brought here at one time. The same spell has
+affected Toto, I assure you; but he's a wise
+little dog and while he knows everything that is
+said to him he prefers not to talk."
+
+"Goodness me!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I never
+s'pected Toto was fooling me all this time." Then
+she drew a small silver whistle from her pocket
+and blew a shrill note upon it. A moment later
+there was a sound of scurrying footsteps, and a
+shaggy black dog came running up the path.
+
+Dorothy knelt down before him and shaking her
+finger just above his nose she said:
+
+"Toto, haven't I always been good to you?"
+
+Toto looked up at her with his bright black eyes
+and wagged his tail.
+
+"Bow-wow!" he said, and Betsy knew at once that
+meant yes, as well as Dorothy and Ozma knew it,
+for there was no mistaking the tone of Toto's
+voice.
+
+"That's a dog answer," said Dorothy. "How would
+you like it, Toto, if I said nothing to you but
+'bow-wow'?"
+
+Toto's tail was wagging furiously now, but
+otherwise he was silent.
+
+"Really, Dorothy," said Betsy, "he can talk with
+his bark and his tail just as well as we can.
+Don't you understand such dog language?"
+
+"Of course I do," replied Dorothy. "But Toto's
+got to be more sociable. See here, sir!" she
+continued, addressing the dog, "I've just learned,
+for the first time, that you can say words--if you
+want to. Don't you want to, Toto?"
+
+"Woof!" said Toto, and that meant "no."
+
+"Not just one word, Toto, to prove you're as
+any other animal in Oz?"
+
+"Woof!"
+
+"Just one word, Toto--and then you may run
+away."
+
+He looked at her steadily a moment.
+
+"All right. Here I go!" he said, and darted away
+as swift as an arrow.
+
+Dorothy clapped her hands in delight, while
+Betsy and Ozma both laughed heartily at her
+pleasure and the success of her experiment. Arm in
+arm they sauntered away through the beautiful
+gardens of the palace, where magnificent flowers
+bloomed in abundance and fountains shot their
+silvery sprays far into the air. And by and by, as
+they turned a corner, they came upon Shaggy Man
+and his brother, who were seated together upon a
+golden bench.
+
+The two arose to bow respectfully as the Ruler
+of Oz approached them.
+
+"How are you enjoying our Land of Oz?" Ozma
+asked the stranger.
+
+"I am very happy here, Your Highness," replied
+Shaggy's brother. "Also I am very grateful to you
+for permitting me to live in this delightful
+place."
+
+"You must thank Shaggy for that," said Ozma.
+"Being his brother, I have made you welcome here."
+
+"When you know Brother better," said Shaggy
+earnestly, "you will be glad he has become one of
+your loyal subjects. I am just getting acquainted
+with him myself and I find much in his character
+to admire."
+
+Leaving the brothers, Ozma and the girls
+continued their walk. Presently Betsy exclaimed:
+
+"Shaggy's brother can't ever be as happy in Oz
+as I am. Do you know, Dorothy, I didn't believe
+any girl could ever have such a good time--
+anywhere--as I'm having now?"
+
+"I know," answered Dorothy. "I've felt that way
+myself, lots of times."
+
+"I wish," continued Betsy, dreamily, "that every
+little girl in the world could live in the Land of
+Oz; and every little boy, too!"
+
+Ozma laughed at this.
+
+"It is quite fortunate for us, Betsy, that your
+wish cannot be granted," said she, "for all that
+army of girls and boys would crowd us so that we
+would have to move away."
+
+"Yes," agreed Betsy, after a little thought, "I
+guess that's true."
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+The Wonderful Oz Books by L. Frank Baum
+
+THE WIZARD OF OZ
+THE LAND OF OZ
+OZMA OF OZ
+DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ
+THE ROAD TO OZ
+THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ
+THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ
+TIK-TOK OF OZ
+THE SCARECROW OF OZ
+RINKITINK IN OZ
+THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ
+THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ
+THE MAGIC OF OZ
+GLINDA OF OZ
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+The Project Gutenberg Etext of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
+*****This file should be named 08woz11.txt or 08woz11.zip*****
+
+Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, 08woz11.txt
+VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, 08woz10a.txt
+
+This Etext was prepared for Project Gutenberg by Anthony Matonac.
+Proofreading and corrections by Paul Selkirk, January 2002.
+
+More information about this book is at the top of this file.
+
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+End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
+