diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/08woz11h.htm')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/08woz11h.htm | 6858 |
1 files changed, 6858 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/08woz11h.htm b/old/08woz11h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..efafef0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/08woz11h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6858 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + text-indent: 1em; + line-height: 115%; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + } + td {font-size: 120%; + } + body{margin-left: 8%; + margin-right: 8%; + } + .center {margin-top: 1.5em; + margin-bottom: 1.5em; + text-align: center; + text-indent: 0em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> + +<body> + +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum +#8 in our series by L. Frank Baum + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg file. + +We encourage you to keep this file, exactly as it is, on your own disk, +thereby keeping an electronic path open for future readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This header should be the first thing seen when anyone starts to +view the etext. Do not change or edit it without written permission. +The words are carefully chosen to provide users with the information +they need to understand what they may and may not do with the etext. +To encourage this, we have moved most of the information to the end, +rather than having it all here at the beginning. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These Etexts Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get etexts, and +further information, is included below. We need your donations. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541 +Find out about how to make a donation at the bottom of this file. + + + +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***** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, 08woz12.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, 08woz11a.txt + +This Etext was prepared for Project Gutenberg by Anthony Matonac. +Proofreading and corrections by Paul Selkirk, January 2002. + + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep etexts in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +The "legal small print" and other information about this book +may now be found at the end of this file. Please read this +important information, as it gives you specific rights and +tells you about restrictions in how the file may be used. + + +</pre> + + +<h1>TIK-TOK OF OZ</h1> + +<h2>by L. FRANK BAUM</h2> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="center">To Louis F. Gottschalk, <br /> +Whose sweet and dainty melodies<br /> +breathe the true spirit of fairyland, <br /> +this book is affectionately dedicated</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2>To My Readers</h2> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>L. Frank Baum.<br /> + <br /> +"OZCOT" <br /> +at HOLLYWOOD <br /> +in CALIFORNIA, <br /> +1914. +</p> + + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h3>CONTENTS</h3> + +<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0"> +<tr> + <td align="right">CHAPTER</td> + <td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">I</td> + <td><a href="#CH1">Ann's Army</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">II</td> + <td><a href="#CH2">Out of Oogaboo</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">III</td> + <td><a href="#CH3">Magic Mystifies the Marchers</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">IV</td> + <td><a href="#CH4">Betsy Braves the Billows</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">V</td> + <td><a href="#CH5">The Roses Repulse the Refugees</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">VI</td> + <td><a href="#CH6">Shaggy Seeks his Stray Brother</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">VII</td> + <td><a href="#CH7">Polychrome's Pitiful Plight</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">VIII</td> + <td><a href="#CH8">Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">IX</td> + <td><a href="#CH9">Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">X</td> + <td><a href="#CH10">A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XI</td> + <td><a href="#CH11">The Famous Fellowship of Fairies</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XII</td> + <td><a href="#CH12">The Lovely Lady of Light</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XIII</td> + <td><a href="#CH13">The Jinjin's Just Judgment</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XIV</td> + <td><a href="#CH14">The Long-Eared Hearer Learns by Listening</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XV</td> + <td><a href="#CH15">The Dragon Defies Danger</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XVI</td> + <td><a href="#CH16">The Naughty Nome</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XVII</td> + <td><a href="#CH17">A Tragic Transformation</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XVIII</td> + <td><a href="#CH18">A Clever Conquest</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XIX</td> + <td><a href="#CH19">King Kaliko</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XX</td> + <td><a href="#CH20">Quox Quietly Quits</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XXI</td> + <td><a href="#CH21">A Bashful Brother</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XXII</td> + <td><a href="#CH22">Kindly Kisses</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XXIII</td> + <td><a href="#CH23">Ruggedo Reforms</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XXIV</td> + <td><a href="#CH24">Dorothy is Delighted</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td align="right">XXV</td> + <td><a href="#CH25">The Land of Love</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h1>TIK-TOK of OZ</h1> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH1" id="CH1">Chapter One</a></h2> + + +<h3>Ann's Army</h3> + + +<p>"I won't!" cried Ann; "I won't sweep the floor. It is beneath my +dignity." </p> + +<p>"Some one must sweep it," replied Ann's younger sister, Salye; +"else we shall soon he wading in dust. And you are the eldest, +and the head of the family."</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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. +</p> + +<p>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 bad 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: </p> + +<p>"I'm going away. This absurd Kingdom of Oogaboo tires me."</p> + +<p>"Go, if you want to," answered Salye; "but you are very foolish +to leave this place." </p> + +<p>"Why?" asked Ann.</p> + +<p>"Because in the Land of Oz, which is Ozma's country, you will be +a nobody, while here you are a Queen." </p> + +<p>"Oh, yes! Queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven women and +forty-four children!" returned Ann bitterly.</p> + +<p>"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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>This argument, which she repeated to herself more than once, +finally determined the Queen of Oogaboo to undertake the +audacious venture. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>That very day she started out to organize her Army. </p> + +<p>The first man she came to was Jo Apple, so called because he +had an apple orchard.</p> + +<p>"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the world, and I want you to join my Army." </p> + +<p>"Don't ask me to do such a fool thing, for I must politely +refuse Your Majesty," said Jo Apple."</p> + +<p>"I have no intention of asking you. I shall command you, as Queen +of Oogaboo, to join," said Ann.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"You shall be a General," promised Ann. </p> + +<p>"With gold epaulets and a sword?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Of course," said the Queen.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the world, and I command +you to join my Army."</p> + +<p>"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "The bun crop has to be picked."</p> + +<p>"Let your wife and children do the picking," said Ann. </p> + +<p>"But I'm a man of great importance, Your Majesty," he protested.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the world, and you must +join my Army."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"This must be an army of men—fierce, ferocious warriors," +declared Ann, looking sternly upon the mild little man.</p> + +<p>"And you will leave my wife here in Oogaboo?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes; and make you a General."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"How many Generals are there in your army?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Four, so far," replied Ann.</p> + +<p>"And how big will the army he?" was his next question.</p> + +<p>"I intend to make every one of the eighteen men in Oogaboo join it," she said.</p> + +<p>"Then four Generals are enough," announced Jo Clock. "I advise +you to make the rest of them Colonels." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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 cracker-jack and buttered popcorn 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Ann did not like this idea at all.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH2" id="CH2">Chapter Two</a></h2> + +<h3>Out of Oogaboo</h3> + + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>The women were there, protesting that Queen Ann Soforth bad 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice.</p> + +<p>Salye leaned out of the palace window and laughed.</p> + +<p>"I believe your Army can run better than it can fight," she observed.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"For-ward March!" </p> + +<p>Then the Colonels shouted to the Majors: "Forward March!" and +the Majors yelled to the Captains: "For-ward March!" and the +Captains screamed to the Private:</p> + +<p>"For-ward March!" </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>In this order the procession marched out of Oogaboo and took the +narrow mountain pass which led into the lovely Fairyland of Oz.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH3" id="CH3">Chapter Three</a></h2> + +<h3>Magic Mystifies the Marchers</h3> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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. +</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"Have we conquered this place, Your Majesty?" anxiously inquired Major Cake.</p> + +<p>"Most certainly," said Ann. "We have met no people, as yet, but +when we do, we will inform them that they are our slaves." </p> + +<p>"And afterward we will plunder them of all their possessions," +added General Apple.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"A fog is coming toward us." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"What is a Rak?" asked Ann, looking about fearfully. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Hearing this, the officers became quite worried and gathered +closer about their soldier. </p> + +<p>"What is the thing like?" asked one.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>The officers now began to groan and to tremble, but Files +tried to cheer them, saying:</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"Nevertheless," said Captain Buttons, "if the Rak catches us, +and chews us up into small pieces, and swallows us—what will +happen then?"</p> + +<p>"Then each small piece will still be alive," declared Files. </p> + +<p>"I cannot see how that would help us," wailed Colonel Banjo. +"A hamburger steak is a hamburger steak, whether it is alive or not!"</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>He raised his gun, took aim and fired. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Badness me!" moaned the Rak. "See what you've done with that +dangerous gun of yours!" </p> + +<p>"I can't see," replied Files, "for the cloud formed by your +breath darkens my sight!"</p> + +<p>"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!" </p> + +<p>"I don't intend to," replied Files. "Did the bullets hurt you very badly?"</p> + +<p>"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!" </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I shall not die," answered the monster, "for I bear a charmed +life. But I beg you not to leave me!" </p> + +<p>"Why not?" asked Files.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Oh; that's different," said the monster. "If you've an +engagement, don't let me detain you." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Queen Ann gave them a severe scolding for their cowardice, at the +same time praising Files for his courage. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH4" id="CH4">Chapter Four</a></h2> + +<h3>Betsy Braves the Billows</h3> + + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>The light wakened Betsy Bobbin. She sat up, rubbed her eyes +and stared across the water.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Hank; there's land ahead!" she exclaimed. </p> + +<p>"Hee-haw!" answered Hank in his plaintive voice.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH5" id="CH5">Chapter Five</a></h2> + +<h3>The Roses Repulse the Refugees</h3> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Hee-haw!" replied Hank and trotted up a little pathway to the +top of the bank.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"I—I beg your pardon!" stammered Betsy, blushing and confused.</p> + +<p>"O-o-o-h!" cried the Roses, in a sort of sighing chorus; and +one of them added: "What a horrid noise!"</p> + +<p>"Why, that was only Hank," said Betsy, and as if to prove the +truth of her words the mule uttered another loud "Hee-haw!"</p> + +<p>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!"</p> + +<p>"It isn't dreadful at all," said Betsy, somewhat indignant. "When +you get used to Hank's voice it will put you to sleep." </p> + +<p>The Roses now looked at the mule less fearfully and one of them asked:</p> + +<p>"Is that savage beast named Hank?" </p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>Hank could only say in reply: "Hee-haw!" and at his bray the +Roses shivered again.</p> + +<p>"Please go away!" begged one. "Can't you see you're +frightening us out of a week's growth?"</p> + +<p>"Go away!" echoed Betsy. "Why, we've no place to go. We've just +been wrecked."</p> + +<p>"Wrecked?" asked the Roses in a surprised chorus.</p> + +<p>"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?" </p> + +<p>"This is the Rose Kingdom," replied the Moss Rose, haughtily, +"and it is devoted to the culture of the rarest and fairest Roses grown."</p> + +<p>"I believe it," said Betsy, admiring the pretty blossoms. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Oh! Is there a Royal Gardener, then?" inquired Betsy. </p> + +<p>"To be sure."</p> + +<p>"And is he a Rose, also?" </p> + +<p>"Of course not; he's a man—a wonderful man," was the reply.</p> + +<p>"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. </p> + +<p>He was a funny little man, dressed in a rosecolored 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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Look out for his heels!" called Betsy warningly and the Gardener +scrambled to his feet and hastily hid behind the Roses.</p> + +<p>"You are breaking the Law!" he shouted, sticking out his head +to glare at the girl and the mule.</p> + +<p>"What Law?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"The Law of the Rose Kingdom. No strangers are allowed in +these domains."</p> + +<p>"Not when they're shipwrecked?" she inquired. </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH6" id="CH6">Chapter Six</a></h2> + +<h3>Shaggy Seeks his Stray Brother</h3> + +<p>This sudden arrival was a queer looking man, dressed all in +garments so shaggy that Betsy at first thought he must he 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.</p> + +<p>"Good gracious!" exclaimed Betsy, approaching him. "Who are you, +and where did you come from?" </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why, I s'pose you couldn't help the haste," said Betsy.</p> + +<p>"No. I climbed an apple tree, outside; branch gave way and—here I am."</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"You're breaking the Law! You're breaking the Law!" </p> + +<p>Shaggy stared at him solemnly.</p> + +<p>"Is the glass the Law in this country?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"How do you know?" asked Shaggy. </p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>But the mule's attack frightened the girl.</p> + +<p>"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!" </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"The Love Magnet! Why, what is that?" asked Betsy. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" cried Betsy, staring hard at him; "are you really from the +wonderful Land of Oz?" </p> + +<p>"Yes. Ever been there, my dear?"</p> + +<p>"No; but I've heard about it. And do you know Princess Ozma?"</p> + +<p>"Very well indeed."</p> + +<p>"And—and Princess Dorothy?"</p> + +<p>"Dorothy's an old chum of mine," declared Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" exclaimed Betsy. "And why did you ever leave such a +beautiful land as Oz?" </p> + +<p>"On an errand," said Shaggy, looking sad and solemn. "I'm +trying to find my dear little brother."</p> + +<p>"Oh! Is he lost?" questioned Betsy, feeling very sorry for the +poor man.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Where was he lost?" asked the girl sympathetically. </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"For goodness sake! What do you s'pose became of him?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"The Nome King! Who is he?" </p> + +<p>"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 my why."</p> + +<p>"Why?" </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"But—dear me!—in that case you will never find your lost +brother!" exclaimed the girl. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Well," said Betsy doubtfully, "it strikes me that if you ever +manage to get there the Metal Monarch will make you, too, his prisoner." </p> + +<p>"Nonsense!" answered Shaggy, carelessly. "You mustn't forget the Love Magnet."</p> + +<p>"What about it?" she asked. </p> + +<p>"When the fierce Metal Monarch sees the Love Magnet, he will +love me dearly and do anything I ask."</p> + +<p>"It must be wonderful," said Betsy, with awe. </p> + +<p>"It is," the man assured her. "Shall I show it to you?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, do!" she cried; so Shaggy searched in his shaggy pocket and +drew out a small silver magnet, shaped like a horseshoe. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>But they were interrupted by the Royal Gardener, who stuck his +head into the greenhouse and shouted angrily: </p> + +<p>"You are all condemned to death! Your only chance to escape is +to leave here instantly."</p> + +<p>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: </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I'm not going to die," declared Shaggy Man. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"No Ruler has condemned us yet," said Betsy.</p> + +<p>"Of course not," added Shaggy. "We haven't even seen the Ruler +of the Rose Kingdom."</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"How do you know?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"Wait a minute," pleaded Betsy. "I'd like to see those Royal +Gardens before I die."</p> + +<p>"So would I," added Shaggy Man. "Take us there, Gardener." </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"Why, she's ripe!" cried Betsy, pushing aside some of the +broad leaves to observe her more clearly.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"You see," explained the Gardener, "the subjects of Rose Kingdom +don't want a girl Ruler. They want a King." </p> + +<p>"A King! We want a King!" repeated the chorus of Roses.</p> + +<p>"Isn't she Royal?" inquired Shaggy, admiring the lovely Princess.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>The Gardener then turned away to talk with his Roses and Betsy +whispered to her companion: "Let's pick her, Shaggy." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Audacious mortals! What have you done?" </p> + +<p>"Picked a Princess for you, that's all," replied Betsy, cheerfully.</p> + +<p>"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!" </p> + +<p>The newly-picked Princess looked from one to another of her +rebellious subjects in astonishment. A grieved look came over her +exquisite features.</p> + +<p>"Have I no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she asked gently. +"Have I not come from my Royal Bush to be your Ruler?" </p> + +<p>"You were picked by mortals, without our consent," replied the +Moss Rose, coldly; "so we refuse to allow you to rule us."</p> + +<p>"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" cried the Tea Rose.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held it poised before the eyes +of her subjects; but the Roses regarded it with calm disdain.</p> + +<p>"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy in surprise. "The +Magnet never failed to work before!"</p> + +<p>"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely. "These Roses have +no hearts." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet to the Shaggy Man. </p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy, carelessly displaying the Magnet. </p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>The Rose Princess was sobbing bitterly; Betsy was indignant and +angry; Hank uttered defiant "Hee-haws" and the Shaggy Man +whistled softly to himself. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"Hee-haw!" said Hank, and the Shaggy Man thanked them both. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>(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.)</p> + +<p>"Doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquired Betsy. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"We may find it ourselves, without any help," suggested Betsy. +"Who knows?" </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH7" id="CH7">Chapter Seven</a></h2> + +<h3>Polychrome's Pitiful Plight </h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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!</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>She crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her draperies about +her and bowed her head.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!"</p> + +<p>Polychrome raised her golden head. There were tears in her blue eyes.</p> + +<p>"I'm the most miserable girl in the whole world!" she sobbed.</p> + +<p>The others gathered around her.</p> + +<p>"Tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the Princess.</p> + +<p>"I—I've lost my bow!" wailed Polychrome.</p> + +<p>"Take me, my dear," said Shaggy Man in a sympathetic tone, +thinking she meant "beau" instead of "bow."</p> + +<p>"I don't want you!" cried Polychrome, stamping her foot +imperiously; "I want my Rainbow." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Polychrome looked at him reproachfully. </p> + +<p>"I don't like you," she said.</p> + +<p>"No?" replied Shaggy, drawing the Love Magnet from his pocket; +"not a little bit?—just a wee speck of a like?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes!" said Polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy as +she gazed at the enchanted talisman; "I love you, Shaggy Man!"</p> + +<p>"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?" </p> + +<p>"Where are you going?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"We don't just know that," said Betsy, taking her hand; "but +we're trying to find Shaggy's longlost brother, who has been +captured by the terrible Metal Monarch. Won't you come with us, +and help us?" </p> + +<p>Polychrome looked from one to another of the queer party of +travelers and a bewitching smile suddenly lighted her face.</p> + +<p>"A donkey, a mortal maid, a Rose Princess and a Shaggy Man!" she +exclaimed. "Surely you need help, if you intend to face Ruggedo."</p> + +<p>"Do you know him, then?" inquired Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"Do you fear him, then?" asked the Princess, anxiously.</p> + +<p>"No one can harm a Daughter of the Rainbow," said Polychrome +proudly. "I'm a sky fairy."</p> + +<p>"Then," said Betsy, quickly, "you will be able to tell us the +way to Ruggedo's cavern."</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>While the party halted, puzzled which way to proceed, the mule +approached the well and tried to look into it. </p> + +<p>"He's thirsty," said Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if he sees anything down there?" she said.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Really," said Shaggy, "there does seem to be something at the +bottom of this old well." </p> + +<p>"Can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked the girl.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured with the hook +and drew up, but none of these was important.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>She ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much +effort a confused mass of copper came in sight.</p> + +<p>"Good gracious!" exclaimed Shaggy. "Here is a surprise, indeed!"</p> + +<p>"What is it?" inquired Betsy, clinging to the windlass and +panting for breath.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>At this moment the Rainbow's Daughter and the Rose Princess +approached them, and Polychrome said:</p> + +<p>"What have you found, Shaggy One?"</p> + +<p>"Either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Then she read the following words, engraved upon the copper +plates of the man's body: </p> + +<p class="center">SMITH TINKER'S <br /> +Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive,<br /> +Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking<br /> +MECHANICAL MAN <br /> +Fitted with our Special Clockwork Attachment.<br /> +Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything but Live.</p> + +<p>"Isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the Princess.</p> + +<p>"Yes; but here's more," said Betsy, reading from another engraved plate:</p> + +<p class="center">DIRECTIONS FOR USING:<br /> + <br /> +For THINKING:—Wind the Clockwork<br /> +Man under his left arm, (marked No. 1). <br /> +For SPEAKING:—Wind the Clockwork <br /> +Man under his right arm, (marked No. 2). <br /> +For WALKING and ACTION:—Wind Clockwork<br /> +Man in the middle of his back, (marked No. 3).<br /> + <br /> +N. B.—This Mechanism is guaranteed to <br /> +work perfectly for a thousand years.</p> + +<p>"If he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said Polychrome, +"he ought to work yet."</p> + +<p>"Of course," replied Shaggy. "Let's wind him up." </p> + +<p>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 TikTok seemed to be +balanced and stood alone upon his broad feet.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome, "for it requires +thought to speak or move intelligently."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his phonograph." </p> + +<p>"What's that?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may be interesting, but +they don't tell us anything." </p> + +<p>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!"</p> + +<p>"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 clock-work 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!" </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"How in the world did you happen to be in that well, when I left +you safe in Oz?" inquired Shaggy. </p> + +<p>"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 wandering 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."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I know; but which road shall we take?" </p> + +<p>"My ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that," replied Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Then," said Betsy, "let us select any road, haphazard, and +see where it leads us."</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"If you keep me wound up," said Tik-Tok, "I will last a +thou-sand years."</p> + +<p>"Then the only question to decide is which way to go," added +Shaggy, looking first at one road and then at another. </p> + +<p>But while they stood hesitating, a peculiar sound reached +their ears—a sound like the tramping of many feet.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH8" id="CH8">Chapter Eight</a></h2> + +<h3>Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task</h3> + +<p>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. +</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>Some of the officers now stuck their heads out of the bushes and asked:</p> + +<p>"Is the coast clear, Private Files?"</p> + +<p>"There is no coast here," was the reply, "but all's well." </p> + +<p>"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:</p> + +<p>"Mercy, kind enemies! Mercy! Spare us, and we will be your slaves forever!"</p> + +<p>The other officers, who had now advanced into the clearing, +likewise fell upon their knees and begged for mercy.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"What's all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as Queen Ann +reached the place and beheld her kneeling army.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"But you haven't conquered us yet," called Betsy indignantly.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"That's all right," replied Shaggy. "Conquer us as often as you +like. We don't mind." </p> + +<p>"But we won't be anybody's slaves," added Betsy, positively.</p> + +<p>"We'll see about that," retorted the Queen, angrily. "Advance, +Private Files, and bind the enemy hand and foot!" </p> + +<p>But Private Files looked at pretty Betsy and fascinating +Polychrome and the beautiful Rose Princess and shook his head.</p> + +<p>"It would be impolite, and I won't do it," he asserted. </p> + +<p>"You must!" cried Ann. "It is your duty to obey orders."</p> + +<p>"I haven't received any orders from my officers," objected the Private.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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. </p> + +<p>"Private Files, seize and bind these prisoners!" screamed the Queen.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Then he walked over to the others and shook hands with Shaggy and Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"Treason!" shrieked Ann, and all the officers echoed her cry.</p> + +<p>"Nonsense," said Files. "I've the right to resign if I want to."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Who is he?" asked Ann. </p> + +<p>"The Metal Monarch, King of the Nomes."</p> + +<p>"Is he rich?" inquired Major Stockings in an anxious voice. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Ah!" exclaimed General Apple, heaving a deep sigh, "that would +be plunder worth our while. Let's conquer him, Your Majesty."</p> + +<p>The Queen looked reproachfully at Files, who was sitting next +to the lovely Princess and whispering in her ear.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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:</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Nor I!" shouted each of the other officers. </p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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!"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I'll keep you wound up, Tik-Tok," promised Betsy.</p> + +<p>"Why, it isn't a bad idea," said Shaggy. "TikTok 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."</p> + +<p>"What must I do?" asked Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"Obey orders," replied Ann. "When the officers command you to do +anything, you must do it; that is all."</p> + +<p>"And that's enough, too," said Files.</p> + +<p>"Do I get a salary?" inquired Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"You get your share of the plunder," answered the Queen.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"Fall-in!" yelled the Generals, drawing their swords.</p> + +<p>"Fall-in!" cried the Colonels, drawing their swords. </p> + +<p>"Fall-in!" shouted the Majors, drawing their swords.</p> + +<p>"Fall-in!" bawled the Captains, drawing their swords. </p> + +<p>Tik-Tok looked at them and then around him in surprise.</p> + +<p>"Fall in what? The well?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"No," said Queen Ann, "you must fall in marching order."</p> + +<p>"Can-not I march without fall-ing in-to it?" asked the Clockwork Man.</p> + +<p>"Shoulder your gun and stand ready to march," advised Files; +so Tik-Tok held the gun straight and stood still."</p> + +<p>"What next?" he asked.</p> + +<p>The Queen turned to Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"Which road leads to the Metal Monarch's cavern?"</p> + +<p>"We don't know, Your Majesty," was the reply.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Well, then, get busy and discover it," snapped the Queen.</p> + +<p>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. </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Why don't you ask the flowers to tell you the way?" he said to +his companion. </p> + +<p>"The flowers?" returned the Princess, surprised at the question.</p> + +<p>"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." </p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>She dropped to her knees, facing the flowers, and extended both +her arms pleadingly toward them. </p> + +<p>"Tell me, pretty cousins," she said in her sweet, gentle +voice, "which way will lead us to the Kingdom of Ruggedo, the +Nome King?"</p> + +<p>At once all the stems bent gracefully to the right and the flower +heads nodded once—twice—thrice in that direction.</p> + +<p>"That's it!" cried Files joyfully. "Now we know the way."</p> + +<p>Ozga rose to her feet and looked wonderingly at the +field-flowers, which had now resumed their upright position. </p> + +<p>"Was it the wind, do you think?" she asked in a low whisper.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH9" id="CH9">Chapter Nine</a></h2> + +<h3>Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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,</p> + +<p>The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed aside and Kaliko, the +King's High Chamberlain, entered the royal presence.</p> + +<p>"What's up, Your Majesty?" he asked, with a wide yawn, for he had just +wakened.</p> + +<p>"Up?" roared Ruggedo, stamping his foot viciously. "Those foolish +mortals are up, that's what! And they want to come down."</p> + +<p>"Down here?" inquired Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"Yes!"</p> + +<p>"How do you know?" continued the Chamberlain, yawning again.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"Well, what's to be done?" demanded the nome.</p> + +<p>"Look through your spyglass, and see where the invaders are," +commanded the King.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Ho—hum," said he. "I see 'em, Your Majesty."</p> + +<p>"What do they look like?" inquired the Monarch.</p> + +<p>"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—"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Then some one must have pulled him out again," said Kaliko. "And +there's a little girl—"</p> + +<p>"Dorothy?" asked Ruggedo, jumping up in fear.</p> + +<p>"No; some other girl. In fact, there are several girls, of various +sizes; but Dorothy is not with them, nor is Ozma."</p> + +<p>"That's good!" exclaimed the King, sighing in relief.</p> + +<p>Kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Polychrome! Is she among them?" asked the King.</p> + +<p>"Yes; I have just recognized her."</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"Very true," said Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"I must in some way prevent these people from reaching my dominions. +Where are they now?"</p> + +<p>"Just now they are crossing the Rubber Country, Your Majesty."</p> + +<p>"Good! Are your magnetic rubber wires in working order?"</p> + +<p>"I think so," replied Kaliko. "Is it your Royal Will that we have some +fun with these invaders?"</p> + +<p>"It is," answered Ruggedo. "I want to teach them a lesson they will +never forget."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Why did you do that?" demanded Ann, who seemed greatly provoked.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"There is no rubber over here," she called to them. "Suppose you all +try to bound over the stream, without touching the stepping-stones."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"In that case," returned Betsy, "they can all walk through the water."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>When Kaliko again looked through his magic spyglass he exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Bad luck, Your Majesty! All the invaders have passed the Rubber +Country and now are fast approaching the entrance to your caverns."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"There's no help for it; we must drop these audacious invaders down +the Hollow Tube."</p> + +<p>Kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at his master wonderingly.</p> + +<p>"If you do that, Your Majesty," he said, "you will make Tititi-Hoochoo +very angry."</p> + +<p>"Never mind that," retorted Ruggedo. "Tititi-Hoochoo lives on the +other side of the world, so what do I care for his anger?"</p> + +<p>Kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>The Metal Monarch walked up and down in silence, thinking deeply.</p> + +<p>"Of two dangers," said he, "it is wise to choose the least. What do +you suppose these invaders want?"</p> + +<p>"Let the Long-Eared Hearer listen to them," suggested Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"Call him here at once!" commanded Ruggedo eagerly.</p> + +<p>So in a few minutes there entered the cavern a nome with enormous +ears, who bowed low before the King.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Shaggy Man is coming here to rescue his brother from captivity," said +he.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"And defy Tititi-Hoochoo?" asked Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH10" id="CH10">Chapter Ten</a></h2> + +<h3>A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Stop, Hank—stop!" cried the girl; but Hank only uttered a plaintive +"Hee-haw!" for it was impossible for him to obey.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"This is awful, Hank!" cried Betsy in a loud voice, and Queen Ann +heard her and called out: "Are you safe, Betsy?"</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why?" said Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"I'd like to know where and when we'll arrive, just the same," +exclaimed the little girl.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"How do you know we're in the center of the earth?" asked Betsy, her +voice trembling a little through nervousness.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.</p> + +<p>"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."</p> + +<p>"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the girl.</p> + +<p>"No one knows that," answered Polychrome. "But I don't think it +matters much."</p> + +<p>"It matters a good deal, if we also hit the stars when we come out," +said Queen Ann, with a moan.</p> + +<p>"Don't worry," advised Polychrome. "I believe the Magician was going +the other way, and probably he went much faster than we are going."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"I'll try," laughed the Rainbow's Daughter.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Out came the officers, in quick succession, tumbling heels over head +and striking the ground in many undignified attitudes.</p> + +<p>"For the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a Peculiar Person who was +hoeing pink violets in a garden. "What can all this mean?"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "Where did you come from and how did +you get here?"</p> + +<p>Betsy tried to answer him, for Queen Ann was surly and silent.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"Because all tubes are made that way. But this Tube is private +property and everyone is forbidden to fall into it."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Ha! Ruggedo! Did you say Ruggedo?" cried the man, becoming much +excited.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Then you are enemies of Ruggedo?" inquired the peculiar Person.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Very well, Tubekins," responded a Voice, deep and powerful, that +seemed to come out of the air, for the speaker was invisible.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Follow me to the Residence—all of you!"</p> + +<p>But just then a Voice exclaimed: "Here's another of them, Tubekins, +lying in the water of the fountain."</p> + +<p>"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok, and he'll drown."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very sorry for Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs oiling," replied Shaggy.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Come!" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back upon them he walked +up the path toward the castle.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH11" id="CH11">Chapter Eleven</a></h2> + +<h3>The Famous Fellowship of Fairies</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"Who's he?" inquired Betsy.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"What charge lies against these people, Tubekins?" he asked in quiet, +even tones.</p> + +<p>"They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty Citizen," was the +reply.</p> + +<p>"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—"</p> + +<p>"Who are you?" demanded the Private Citizen sternly.</p> + +<p>"Me? Oh, I'm Betsy Bobbin, and—"</p> + +<p>"Who is the leader of this party?" asked the Citizen.</p> + +<p>"Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and—"</p> + +<p>"Then keep quiet," said the Citizen. "Who is the leader?"</p> + +<p>No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn stood up.</p> + +<p>"Sit down!" commanded the Citizen. "I can see that sixteen of you are +merely officers, and of no account."</p> + +<p>"But we have an Army," said General Clock, blusteringly, for he didn't +like to be told he was of no account.</p> + +<p>"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed respectfully to the Clockwork +Man.</p> + +<p>"Pardon me for not realizing your importance before," said he. "Will +you oblige me by taking a seat beside me on my throne?"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"And you intended to conquer Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch and King of +the Nomes?" asked the Citizen.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>The Citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be thinking. Then he +said:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>The Citizen drew himself up proudly.</p> + +<p>"Do you imagine anything in the world or upon it can be out of the +reach of the Great Jinjin?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Oh! Are you, then, the Great Jinjin?" inquired Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"I am."</p> + +<p>"Then your name is Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?"</p> + +<p>"It is."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I wonder what 'twill be," said Betsy.</p> + +<p>The Private Citizen—otherwise known as Tititi-Hoochoo, the Great +Jinjin—looked at the little girl steadily.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"I trust you will honor me by being my guest. I am Erma, Queen of +Light."</p> + +<p>"May Hank come with me?" asked the girl.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I—I'd like to have some one with me," said Betsy, pleadingly.</p> + +<p>Queen Erma looked around and smiled upon Polychrome.</p> + +<p>"Will the Rainbow's Daughter be an agreeable companion?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH12" id="CH12">Chapter Twelve</a></h2> + +<h3>The Lovely Lady of Light</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly Betsy noticed that +Moonlight was sitting beside the Queen of Light, instead of Daylight.</p> + +<p>"But tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you all wear a dragon's +head embroidered on your gowns?"</p> + +<p>Erma's pleasant face became grave as she answered:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Did he ever have any children?" inquired the girl.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Come," said she; "the feast time has arrived and the feast is +spread."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"I s'pose," she said to the Queen, "that Miss Electra is the youngest +of all these girls."</p> + +<p>"Why do you suppose that?" inquired Erma, with a smile.</p> + +<p>"'Cause electric'ty is the newest light we know of. Didn't Mr. Edison +discover it?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Betsy was thoughtful for a time. Then she remarked, as she looked at +the six messengers of light:</p> + +<p>"We couldn't very well do without any of 'em; could we?"</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"I love 'em too!" declared Betsy. "But sometimes, when I'm real +sleepy, I can get along without any light at all."</p> + +<p>"Are you sleepy now?" inquired Erma, for the feast had ended.</p> + +<p>"A little," admitted the girl.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>When she closed it after her Betsy was in darkness. In six winks the +little girl was fast asleep.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH13" id="CH13">Chapter Thirteen</a></h2> + +<h3>The Jinjin's Just Judgment</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>Tititi-Hoochoo bowed in acknowledgment. Then, looking around the +brilliant assemblage, and at the little group of adventurers before +him, he said:</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>All had listened quietly to this speech and now the Kings and Queens +bowed gravely to signify their approval of the Jinjin's judgment.</p> + +<p>Tititi-Hoochoo turned to Tubekins.</p> + +<p>"I command you," said he, "to escort these strangers to the Tube and +see that they all enter it."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"How can I conquer the world, if I go away and leave this rich country +unconquered?"</p> + +<p>"You can't," he replied. "Don't ask me why, please, for if you don't +know I can't inform you."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" said Ann; but Shaggy paid no attention to the question.</p> + +<p>This end of the Tube had a silver rim and around it was a gold railing +to which was attached a sign that read.</p> + +<p class="center">"IF YOU ARE OUT, STAY THERE.<br /> +IF YOU ARE IN, DON'T COME OUT."</p> + + +<p>On a little silver plate just inside the Tube was engraved the words:</p> + + +<p class="center">"Burrowed and built by <br /> +Hiergargo the Magician, <br /> +In the Year of the World <br /> +1 9 6 2 5 4 7 8 <br /> +For his own exclusive uses."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Well, what are we waiting for?" inquired Shaggy, who was impatient to +start.</p> + +<p>"Quox," replied Tubekins. "But I think I hear him coming."</p> + +<p>"Is the young dragon invisible?" asked Ann, who had never seen a live +dragon and was a little fearful of meeting one.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Is he dangerous, then?" questioned Files.</p> + +<p>"Not at all. But Quox tires me dreadfully," said Tubekins, "and I +prefer his room to his company."</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Aha!" exclaimed Tubekins; "I see that Tititi-Hoochoo has transformed +Quox into a carryall."</p> + +<p>"I'm glad of that," said Betsy. "I hope, Mr. Dragon, you won't mind +our riding on your back."</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"All ready?" asked Quox, and when they said they were he crawled to +the mouth of the Tube and put his head in.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"Haven't you ever been through this Tube before?" inquired Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"Never. Nor has anyone else in our country; at least, not since I was +born."</p> + +<p>"How long ago was that?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Three thousand and fifty-six years!" cried Betsy. "Why, I had no idea +anything could live that long!"</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only there's nothing to see +but ourselves," answered Betsy.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why do you want sharp claws?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"They are my natural weapons, and you must not forget that I have been +sent to conquer Ruggedo."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Is there fire inside of you?" asked Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"Of course," answered Quox. "What sort of a dragon would I be if my +fire went out?"</p> + +<p>"What keeps it going?" Betsy inquired.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"But I can do things, you must ad-mit," said Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"Yes, when you are wound up," sneered the dragon. "But if you run +down, you are helpless."</p> + +<p>"What would happen to you, Quox, if you ran out of gasoline?" inquired +Shaggy, who did not like this attack upon his friend.</p> + +<p>"I don't use gasoline."</p> + +<p>"Well, suppose you ran out of fire."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"In that case, I would still keep going," remarked Tik-Tok, calmly.</p> + +<p>"Pennies do," said Betsy regretfully.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH14" id="CH14">Chapter Fourteen</a></h2> + +<h3>The Long-Eared Hearer Learns by Listening</h3> + + <p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"It seems," said the Hearer, after listening for awhile, "that the +women in America have clubs."</p> + +<p>"Are there spikes in them?" asked Ruggedo, yawning.</p> + +<p>"I cannot hear any spikes, Your Majesty," was the reply.</p> + +<p>"Then their clubs are not as good as my sceptre. What else do you +hear?"</p> + +<p>"There's a war."</p> + +<p>"Bah! there's always a war. What else?"</p> + +<p>For a time the Hearer was silent, bending forward and spreading out +his big ears to catch the slightest sound. Then suddenly he said:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"What people?" demanded Ruggedo, sitting up straight in his throne.</p> + +<p>"The ones you threw down the Hollow Tube."</p> + +<p>"Where are they now?"</p> + +<p>"In the same Tube, and coming back this way," said the Hearer.</p> + +<p>Ruggedo got out of his throne and began to pace up and down the +cavern.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what can be done to stop them," he mused.</p> + +<p>"Well," said the Hearer, "if you could turn the Tube upside down, they +would be falling the other way, Your Majesty."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"How far away are those people now?"</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"Aha! Then it will be some time before they arrive," said Ruggedo, +"and when they get here I shall be ready to receive them."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down the Tube are coming back +again!" he exclaimed.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"What, to throw them down the Tube?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. Tititi-Hoochoo has forbidden us to throw even rubbish into the +Tube."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"True; but he might send some one through the Tube to punish you," +suggested Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"I'd like to see him do it! Who could conquer my thousands of nomes?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Well, I was afraid, that time," admitted the Nome King, with a deep +sigh, "for Dorothy had a Yellow Hen that laid eggs!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Ruggedo shrugged impatiently and turned to the Hearer.</p> + +<p>"Listen," said he, "and tell me if you hear any eggs coming through +the Tube."</p> + +<p>The Long-Eared one listened and then shook his head. But Kaliko +laughed at the King.</p> + +<p>"No one can hear an egg, Your Majesty," said he. "The only way to +discover the truth is to look through the Magic Spyglass."</p> + +<p>"That's it!" cried the King. "Why didn't I think of it before? Look at +once, Kaliko!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" he exclaimed. "Here comes a dragon."</p> + +<p>"A big one?" asked Ruggedo.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"How about the eggs?" inquired the King.</p> + +<p>Kaliko looked again.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"All the harm a dragon can do is to scratch with his claws and bite +with his teeth."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>The King had listened attentively to Kaliko. Said he:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"He also breathes flames," Kaliko reminded him.</p> + +<p>"My nomes are not afraid of fire, nor am I," said Ruggedo.</p> + +<p>"Well, how about the Army of Oogaboo?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I hope you won't hurt any of the girls," said Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why not be good to the strangers and release your prisoner, the +Shaggy Man's brother?" suggested Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"Never!"</p> + +<p>"It may save you a lot of annoyance. And you don't want the Ugly One."</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH15" id="CH15">Chapter Fifteen</a></h2> + +<h3>The Dragon Defies Danger</h3> + + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I don't," said Betsy; "I love onions."</p> + +<p>"And I love brimstone," declared the dragon, "so don't let us quarrel +over one another's peculiarities."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"What puzzles me," said Files, "is that we are able to fall both +ways."</p> + +<p>"That," announced Tik-Tok, "is be-cause the world is round."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Then why doesn't everyone go on down to the center of the earth?" +inquired the little girl.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why don't we stop there?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"Because we go so fast that we acquire speed enough to carry us right +up to the other end."</p> + +<p>"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—"</p> + +<p>"Don't ask me why, please," interrupted the Shaggy Man. "If you can't +understand it, let it go at that."</p> + +<p>"Do you understand it?" she inquired.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I never did," she replied.</p> + +<p>"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—"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>General Guph was very angry at the escape, which was no one's fault +but his own.</p> + +<p>"Come down here and be captured!" he shouted, waving his sword at +them.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Don't you think I'd better drop in on Ruggedo and obey the orders of +the Jinjin?" asked Quox.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Ann was provoked at this speech.</p> + +<p>"You may as well go back to Tititi-Hoochoo now," she said, "for the +Nome King is as good as conquered already."</p> + +<p>But Quox shook his head. "No," said he; "I'll wait."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH16" id="CH16">Chapter Sixteen</a></h2> + +<h3>The Naughty Nome</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>Ruggedo laughed at him.</p> + +<p>"Where is this famous Queen?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"She'll be here in a min-ute," said Tik-Tok. "Per-haps she stopped to +tie her shoe-string."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Ruggedo pounded on his gong and Kaliko appeared, followed closely by +General Guph.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"If you try to cap-ture me," said Tik-Tok, "I shall fight."</p> + +<p>"Don't do that!" exclaimed General Guph, earnestly, "for it will be +useless to resist and you might hurt some one."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Nails and nuggets!" roared the King; "how dare you bring that beast +here and enter my presence unannounced?"</p> + +<p>"There wasn't anybody to announce me," replied Betsy. "I guess your +folks were all busy. Are you conquered yet?"</p> + +<p>"No!" shouted the King, almost beside himself with rage.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Her coolness and lack of fear impressed the Nome King, although he +bore an intense hatred toward all mortals.</p> + +<p>"What do you wish to eat?" he asked gruffly.</p> + +<p>"Oh, a ham-sandwich would do, or perhaps a couple of hard-boiled +eggs—"</p> + +<p>"Eggs!" shrieked the three nomes who were present, shuddering till +their teeth chattered.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" asked Betsy wonderingly. "Are eggs as high here +as they are at home?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Come with me—quick!—and I will save you."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Here's the door key," said Kaliko, "and you'd better lock yourself +in."</p> + +<p>"Won't you let Polychrome and the Rose Princess come here, too?" she +asked.</p> + +<p>"I'll see. Where are they?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know. I left them outside," said Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"All right," promised Betsy, and when Kaliko left the cosy cavern she +closed and locked the door.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"A passage! A passage! Follow me, my brave men, and we may yet +escape."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"It will never end—never!" moaned the officers, who were rubbing all +the skin off their knees on the rough rocks.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH17" id="CH17">Chapter Seventeen</a></h2> + +<h3>A Tragic Transformation</h3> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose they are likely to fail?" asked the Rose Princess.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Where is the dragon now?" inquired Ozga.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>This Kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers outside the entrance were +growing more and more uneasy about their friends.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Wake up, Quox!" she cried. "It is time for you to act."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Wake up, Quox—wake up!" But he would not waken.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I am Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter," she said proudly.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"They threatened me," answered Ruggedo. "The fools did not know how +powerful I am."</p> + +<p>"Then, since they are now helpless, why not release them and send them +back to the earth's surface?"</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>Polychrome looked at him wonderingly. Then she turned to Shaggy and +asked:</p> + +<p>"Are you sure he hasn't seen the Love Magnet?"</p> + +<p>"I'm positive," answered Shaggy. "But you seem to be something of a +Love Magnet yourself, Polychrome."</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"You forget," retorted the King, scowling darkly, "that you also are +in my power."</p> + +<p>"Not so, Ruggedo. The Rainbow's Daughter is beyond the reach of your +spite or malice."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Polychrome, "what do you intend to do now?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"They're all gone," said he.</p> + +<p>"Gone!" exclaimed the Nome King. "Gone where?"</p> + +<p>"They left no address, Your Majesty; but they are not in the pit."</p> + +<p>"Picks and puddles!" roared the King; "who took the cover off?"</p> + +<p>"No one," said Pang. "The cover was there, but the prisoners were not +under it."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"There is no one in the Slimy Cave, Your Majesty," reported Pang.</p> + +<p>"Jumping jellycakes!" screamed the King. "Another escape? Are you sure +you found the right cave?"</p> + +<p>"There is but one Slimy Cave, and there is no one in it," returned +Pang positively.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo! Idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Very good! Very good!" cried Ruggedo, rubbing his hands gleefully +together. "One enemy is out of my way, and now for the others."</p> + +<p>(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.)</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH18" id="CH18">Chapter Eighteen</a></h2> + +<h3>A Clever Conquest</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"What's the matter, little Rainbow?"</p> + +<p>"Come quick!" exclaimed Polychrome. "Ruggedo has captured all our +friends and is about to destroy them."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Along the passage he swept, nearly filling it with his immense body, +and now he poked his head into the jeweled cavern of Ruggedo.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Pardon me for contradicting Your Majesty," returned Quox in a quiet +voice, "but I don't believe you'll perform any more magic."</p> + +<p>"Eh? Why not?" asked the King in surprise.</p> + +<p>"There's a reason," said Quox. "Do you see this ribbon around my +neck?"</p> + +<p>"Yes; and I'm astonished that a dignified dragon should wear such a +silly thing."</p> + +<p>"Do you see it plainly?" persisted the dragon, with a little chuckle +of amusement.</p> + +<p>"I do," declared Ruggedo.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>By this time the Nome King was so alarmed that he was secretly shaking +in his shoes.</p> + +<p>"I told you not to anger Tititi-Hoochoo," grumbled Kaliko, "and now +you see the result of your disobedience."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Ruggedo now stared at the dragon in amazement.</p> + +<p>"Does Tititi-Hoochoo condemn me to such a fate?" he asked in a hoarse +voice.</p> + +<p>"He does," said Quox.</p> + +<p>"And just for throwing a few strangers down the Forbidden Tube?"</p> + +<p>"Just for that," repeated Quox in a stern, gruff voice.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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!</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH19" id="CH19">Chapter Nineteen</a></h2> + +<h3>King Kaliko</h3> + +<p>After the King had made good his escape Files said to the dragon, in a +sad voice:</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Please get off my left toe, Shaggy Man, and be more particular where +you step."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"Ma-ny thanks!" said Tik-Tok. "Where is the wicked King who want-ed to +melt me in a cru-ci-ble?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"What is your will?" he inquired.</p> + +<p>"Where is Betsy?" demanded the dragon.</p> + +<p>"Safe in my own private room," said Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"Go and get her!" commanded Quox.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"You may come out now," said Kaliko. "The King has fled in disgrace +and your friends are asking for you."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose you could rule your nomes better than Ruggedo has +done?"</p> + +<p>"Me?" stammered the Chamberlain, greatly surprised by the question. +"Well, I couldn't be a worse King, I'm sure."</p> + +<p>"Would the nomes obey you?" inquired the dragon.</p> + +<p>"Of course," said Kaliko. "They like me better than ever they did +Ruggedo."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"Hooray!" cried Betsy; "I'm glad of that. King Kaliko, I salute Your +Majesty and wish you joy in your gloomy old Kingdom!"</p> + +<p>"We all wish him joy," said Polychrome; and then the others made haste +to congratulate the new King.</p> + +<p>"Will you release my dear brother?" asked Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"He's so conscientious!" said Shaggy, highly pleased. "All of our +family have noble natures. But is my dear brother well?" he added +anxiously.</p> + +<p>"He eats and sleeps very steadily," replied the new King.</p> + +<p>"I hope he doesn't work too hard," said Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why, it's more like visiting, than being a prisoner," asserted Betsy.</p> + +<p>"Not exactly," returned Kaliko. "A prisoner cannot go where or when he +pleases, and is not his own master."</p> + +<p>"Where is my brother now?" inquired Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"In the Metal Forest."</p> + +<p>"Where is that?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Let us go there at once and rescue my dear brother," pleaded Shaggy +earnestly.</p> + +<p>Kaliko hesitated.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"That reminds me to ask what has become of Queen Ann and the Officers +of Oogaboo," said Files.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I can't say," replied Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose Ruggedo destroyed them?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>They agreed that it did, but no one could explain the mystery.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Why do they call him the Ugly One?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"Our first task," said Shaggy, a little comforted by this remark, "is +to find one of those secret passages to the Metal Forest."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"That's a good idea," said the dragon, who seemed to be getting sleepy +again.</p> + +<p>Kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as Ruggedo used to +do; but no one answered the summons.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>When Guph entered he was amazed.</p> + +<p>"Better get out of that throne before old Ruggedo comes back," he said +warningly.</p> + +<p>"He isn't coming back, and I am now the King of the Nomes, in his +stead," announced Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"All of which is quite true," asserted the dragon, and all of those +who stood around the throne bowed respectfully to the new King.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH20" id="CH20">Chapter Twenty</a></h2> + +<h3>Quox Quietly Quits</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"Will you go through the Tube again?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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!</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>That was how he came to recollect the Metal Forest.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>They agreed to this and King Kaliko called together a band of nomes to +assist them by carrying torches to light their way.</p> + +<p>"The Metal Forest has a brilliant light of its own," said he, "but the +passage across the valley is likely to be dark."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Our friends were so amazed at the sight that for a while they stood +gazing in silent wonder. Then Shaggy exclaimed.</p> + +<p>"My brother! My dear lost brother! Is he indeed a prisoner in this +place?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied Kaliko. "The Ugly One has been here for two or three +years, to my positive knowledge."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH21" id="CH21">Chapter Twenty-One</a></h2> + +<h3>A Bashful Brother</h3> + +<p>With fast beating hearts they all rushed forward and, beyond a group +of stately metal trees, came full upon a most astonishing scene.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Goodness gracious!" cried Betsy. "What has happened to you all?"</p> + +<p>Ann came forward to greet them, sorrowful and indignant.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Glad to meet Your Majesty, I'm sure," said Kaliko, bowing as +courteously as if the Queen still wore splendid raiment.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"What are you doing here?" asked Kaliko sternly.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"You were commanded to leave the country of the nomes forever!" +declared Kaliko.</p> + +<p>"I know; and I'll go as soon as I have filled my pockets," said +Ruggedo, meekly.</p> + +<p>"Then fill them, and be gone," returned the new King.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"But my brother—my dear brother! Where is he?" inquired Shaggy +anxiously. "Have you seen him, Queen Ann?"</p> + +<p>"What does your brother look like?" asked the Queen.</p> + +<p>Shaggy hesitated to reply, but Betsy said: "He's called the Ugly One. +Perhaps you'll know him by that."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"That must be my dear brother!" exclaimed Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"Yes, it must be," assented Kaliko. "No one else inhabits this +splendid dome, so there can be no mistake."</p> + +<p>"But why does he hide among those green trees, instead of enjoying all +these glittery golden ones?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Shaggy Man ran to the door and cried aloud:</p> + +<p>"Brother! Brother!"</p> + +<p>"Who calls," demanded a sad, hollow voice from within.</p> + +<p>"It is Shaggy—your own loving brother—who has been searching for you +a long time and has now come to rescue you."</p> + +<p>"Too late!" replied the gloomy voice. "No one can rescue me now."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Free! I dare not go free!" said the Ugly One, in a voice of despair.</p> + +<p>"Why not, Brother?" asked Shaggy, anxiously.</p> + +<p>"Do you know what they have done to me?" came the answer through the +closed door.</p> + +<p>"No. Tell me, Brother, what have they done?"</p> + +<p>"When Ruggedo first captured me I was very handsome. Don't you +remember, Shaggy?"</p> + +<p>"Not very well, Brother; you were so young when I left home. But I +remember that mother thought you were beautiful."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Poor Brother!" said Shaggy softly, and all the others were silent +from sympathy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"No, indeed," they all added pleadingly.</p> + +<p>But the Ugly One refused the invitation.</p> + +<p>"I cannot," said he; "indeed, I cannot face strangers, ugly as I am."</p> + +<p>Shaggy Man turned to the group surrounding him.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you," replied Betsy. "Let him put on a mask."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I have no mask," answered the Ugly One.</p> + +<p>"Look here," said Betsy; "he can use my handkerchief."</p> + +<p>Shaggy looked at the little square of cloth and shook his head.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Saying this he took from his pocket his own handkerchief and went to +the door of the hut.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Don't forget a hole for your nose," cried Betsy. "You must breathe, +you know."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>By and by a noise sounded from within the hut.</p> + +<p>"Are you ready?" asked Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Brother," came the reply and the door was thrown open to allow +the Ugly One to step forth.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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?"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"This is the new Nome King," he said when he came to Kaliko. "He is +our friend, and has granted you your freedom."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Can't the enchantment be broken in some way?" inquired Betsy.</p> + +<p>Shaggy looked anxiously at Kaliko, who shook his head.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps Ruggedo himself might break his own enchantment," suggested +Ann; "but unfortunately we have allowed the old King to escape."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH22" id="CH22">Chapter Twenty-Two</a></h2> + +<h3>Kindly Kisses</h3> + +<p>"Won't you be dreadful sorry to leave this lovely place?" Betsy asked +the Ugly One.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Betsy looked around at the quaint trees.</p> + +<p>"I don't just understand that," she admitted. "What could you find to +eat here."</p> + +<p>"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.'"</p> + +<p>"That's funny!" said Betsy. "What are the 'Three-Course Nuts' like?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"But how about breakfasts?" inquired Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"For my part," said Queen Ann, "I think the world would be a dreary +place without the gold and jewels."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Why, there are jewels here, too!"</p> + +<p>All eyes were turned upon the ground and they found a regular trail of +jewels strewn along the rock floor.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Have you any jewels left?" inquired Betsy.</p> + +<p>He glanced into some of the remaining pockets.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Wh—wh—who is this?" he faltered.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"Really, Ruggedo," said Betsy, "you ought to be ashamed of that mean +trick."</p> + +<p>"I am, my dear," admitted Ruggedo, who was now as meek and humble as +formerly he had been cruel and vindictive.</p> + +<p>"Then," returned the girl, "you'd better do some more magic and give +the poor man his own face again."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>He shook his head.</p> + +<p>"If I did, I—I've forgotten," he stammered regretfully.</p> + +<p>"Try to think!" pleaded Shaggy, anxiously. "Please try to think!"</p> + +<p>Ruggedo ruffled his hair with both hands, sighed, slapped his chest, +rubbed his ear, and stared stupidly around the group.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"Why?" he demanded, turning to look wonderingly at the little girl.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Ruggedo blinked at her, and sighed again, and then tried very hard to +think.</p> + +<p>"I seem to remember, dimly," said he, "that a certain kind of a kiss +will break the charm of ugliness."</p> + +<p>"What kind of a kiss?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"This is awfully kind of you, Betsy!" said Shaggy, gratefully.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Now, then," called Betsy in a cheerful voice, "have you got that +handkerchief off your face, Ugly?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," he replied.</p> + +<p>"Well, where are you, then?" she asked, reaching out her arms.</p> + +<p>"Here," said he.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to stoop down, you know."</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"There! I've done it, and it didn't hurt a bit!"</p> + +<p>"Tell me, dear brother; is the charm broken?" asked Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"I do not know," was the reply. "It may be, or it may not be. I cannot +tell."</p> + +<p>"Has anyone a match?" inquired Betsy.</p> + +<p>"I have several," said Shaggy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Agreeing to this, Ruggedo took the match and lighted it. He gave one +look and then blew out the match.</p> + +<p>"Ugly as ever!" he said with a shudder. "So it wasn't the kiss of a +Mortal Maid, after all."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Ruggedo struck another match, while they all turned away.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Polly," said Betsy, pleadingly, "won't you try?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Even as Polychrome was speaking she tripped lightly to the side of the +Ugly One and quickly touched his cheek with her lips.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I think he's rather good looking," remarked Betsy, gazing at the man +critically.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH23" id="CH23">Chapter Twenty-Three</a></h2> + +<h3>Ruggedo Reforms</h3> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Are you?" asked Kaliko, looking down at his former master.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>They were all pleased to hear this and to know that Ruggedo had really +reformed.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Good-bye!" she called, and they all shouted "Good-bye!" in return and +waved their hands to their pretty friend.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Once," said Betsy, "I, too, had a home. Now, I've only—only—dear +old Hank!"</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"Nor I!" exclaimed Shaggy's brother, in earnest tones.</p> + +<p>The little girl looked up at them gratefully, and her eyes smiled +through their tears.</p> + +<p>"All right," she said. "It's raining again, so let's go back into the +cavern."</p> + +<p>Rather soberly, for all loved Polychrome and would miss her, they +reentered the dominions of the Nome King.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH24" id="CH24">Chapter Twenty-Four</a></h2> + + +<h3>Dorothy is Delighted</h3> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Don't you want to conquer the world?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"So do I!" yelled every officer in a fervent tone.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Can not your magic take these unhappy people to their old home, +Wizard?"</p> + +<p>"It can, Your Highness," replied the little Wizard.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"How about the Rose Princess?" asked the Wizard.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"Do you hear me, Shaggy Man?" asked Ozma.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Your Highness," he replied.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"I will do that," replied Ozma. "But how about yourself, Shaggy?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Well, little comrade, what shall we do next?"</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Isn't it your home, too?" asked Betsy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"Did you want to see me, Ozma?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, dear. I am puzzled how to act, and I want your advice."</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Shaggy Man was always kind-hearted," remarked Dorothy. "But who are +these new friends he has found?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Who else?" asked Dorothy.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"Look and see," replied Ozma with a smile at her friend's enthusiasm.</p> + +<p>Dorothy turned to the Picture, which showed Betsy and Hank, with +Shaggy and his brother, trudging along the rocky paths of a barren +country.</p> + +<p>"Seems to me," she said, musingly, "that they're a good way from any +place to sleep, or any nice things to eat."</p> + +<p>"You are right," said Tik-Tok. "I have been in that coun-try, and it +is a wil-der-ness."</p> + +<p>"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—"</p> + +<p>He turned to Ozma and smiled.</p> + +<p>"Unless I ask you to transport them all here?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, your Highness."</p> + +<p>"Could your magic do that?" inquired Dorothy.</p> + +<p>"I think so," said the Wizard.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>Ozma laughed at the wistful expression in the girl's eyes, and then +she drew Dorothy to her and kissed her.</p> + +<p>"Am I not your friend and playmate?" she asked.</p> + +<p>Dorothy flushed.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"And, unless you admit Shaggy's brother, you will keep out poor +Shaggy, whom we are all very fond of," said the Wizard.</p> + +<p>"Well, why not ad-mit him?" demanded Tik-Tok.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"The Land of Oz isn't crowded," suggested Dorothy.</p> + +<p>"Then you advise me to admit Shaggy's brother?" inquired Ozma.</p> + +<p>"Well, we can't afford to lose our Shaggy Man, can we?"</p> + +<p>"No, indeed!" returned Ozma. "What do you say, Wizard?"</p> + +<p>"I'm getting my magic ready to transport them all."</p> + +<p>"And you, Tik-Tok?"</p> + +<p>"Shag-gy's broth-er is a good fel-low, and we can't spare Shag-gy."</p> + +<p>"So, then; the question is settled," decided Ozma. "Perform your +magic, Wizard!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"You must pardon these disagreeable fumes," said the Wizard. "I assure +you the smoke is a very necessary part of my wizardry."</p> + +<p>"Look!" cried Dorothy, pointing to the Magic Picture; "they're gone! +All of them are gone."</p> + +<p>Indeed, the picture now showed the same rocky landscape as before, but +the three people and the mule had disappeared from it.</p> + +<p>"They are gone," said the Wizard, polishing the silver plate and +wrapping it in a fine cloth, "because they are here."</p> + +<p>At that moment Jellia Jamb entered the room.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Send them here at once, Jellia!" commanded Ozma.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>And she ran down the stairs two at a time to greet her new friend, +Betsy Bobbin.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2><a name="CH25" id="CH25">Chapter Twenty-Five</a></h2> + +<h3>The Land of Love</h3> + + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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:</p> + +<p>"Is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?"</p> + +<p>Hank moved his ears in an embarrassed manner.</p> + +<p>"I have never said anything else, until now," he replied; and then he +began to tremble with fright to hear himself talk.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Mules understand it very well," declared Hank.</p> + +<p>"Oh, indeed! Then there must be other mules in your outside world," +said the Tiger, yawning sleepily.</p> + +<p>"There are a great many in America," said Hank. "Are you the only +Tiger in Oz?"</p> + +<p>"No," acknowledged the Tiger, "I have many relatives living in the +Jungle Country; but I am the only Tiger living in the Emerald City."</p> + +<p>"There are other Lions, too," said the Sawhorse; "but I am the only +horse, of any description, in this favored Land."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Betsy rides upon my back," declared Hank proudly.</p> + +<p>"Who is Betsy?"</p> + +<p>"The dearest, sweetest girl in all the world!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>"So will I!" snarled the Tiger, showing two rows of enormous white +teeth.</p> + +<p>"You are all wrong!" asserted the Sawhorse in a voice of scorn. "No +girl living can compare with my mistress, Ozma of Oz!"</p> + +<p>Hank slowly turned around until his heels were toward the others. Then +he said stubbornly:</p> + +<p>"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!"</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"I have the right to express my opinion, your Highness," pleaded the +Lion.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>They accepted this rebuke very meekly.</p> + +<p>"All right," said the Sawhorse, quite cheerfully; "shake hoofs, friend +Mule."</p> + +<p>Hank touched his hoof to that of the wooden horse.</p> + +<p>"Let us be friends and rub noses," said the Tiger. So Hank modestly +rubbed noses with the big beast.</p> + +<p>The Lion merely nodded and said, as he crouched before the mule:</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>As they turned away Betsy said wonderingly:</p> + +<p>"Do all the animals in Oz talk as we do?"</p> + +<p>"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!'"</p> + +<p>"Do you know why?" asked Ozma.</p> + +<p>"Why, he's a Kansas dog; so I s'pose he's different from these fairy +animals," replied Dorothy.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>Dorothy knelt down before him and shaking her finger just above his +nose she said:</p> + +<p>"Toto, haven't I always been good to you?"</p> + +<p>Toto looked up at her with his bright black eyes and wagged his tail.</p> + +<p>"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.</p> + +<p>"That's a dog answer," said Dorothy. "How would you like it, Toto, if +I said nothing to you but 'bow-wow'?"</p> + +<p>Toto's tail was wagging furiously now, but otherwise he was silent.</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"Woof!" said Toto, and that meant "no."</p> + +<p>"Not just one word, Toto, to prove you're as any other animal in Oz?"</p> + +<p>"Woof!"</p> + +<p>"Just one word, Toto—and then you may run away."</p> + +<p>He looked at her steadily a moment.</p> + +<p>"All right. Here I go!" he said, and darted away as swift as an arrow.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>The two arose to bow respectfully as the Ruler of Oz approached them.</p> + +<p>"How are you enjoying our Land of Oz?" Ozma asked the stranger.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"You must thank Shaggy for that," said Ozma. "Being his brother, I +have made you welcome here."</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>Leaving the brothers, Ozma and the girls continued their walk. +Presently Betsy exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"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?"</p> + +<p>"I know," answered Dorothy. "I've felt that way myself, lots of +times."</p> + +<p>"I wish," continued Betsy, dreamily, "that every little girl in the +world could live in the Land of Oz; and every little boy, too!"</p> + +<p>Ozma laughed at this.</p> + +<p>"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."</p> + +<p>"Yes," agreed Betsy, after a little thought, "I guess that's true."</p> + +<h3>THE END</h3> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h3>The Wonderful Oz Books by L. Frank Baum</h3> + + +<p> <br /> +<b>THE WIZARD OF OZ <br /> +THE LAND OF OZ <br /> +OZMA OF OZ <br /> +DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ <br /> +THE ROAD TO OZ <br /> +THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ <br /> +THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ <br /> +TIK-TOK OF OZ <br /> +THE SCARECROW OF OZ <br /> +RINKITINK IN OZ <br /> +THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ <br /> +THE TIN WOODMAN OF OZ <br /> +THE MAGIC OF OZ <br /> +GLINDA OF OZ</b></p> + + +<pre> + + + +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. + +We are now trying to release all our etexts one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +http://gutenberg.net or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +etexts, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any Etext before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +The most recent list of states, along with all methods for donations +(including credit card donations and international donations), may be +found online at http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information at: + +http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart [hart@pobox.com] + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etexts, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this etext, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + +End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum + + +</pre> + + +</body> +</html> + |