The Patchwork Girl of Oz
by
L. Frank Baum
Part 4 out of 5
"Only in my Magic Picture, which shows me all
scenes of interest in the Land of Oz."
"I fear the picture didn't do her justice," said
the Scarecrow.
"It seemed to me that nothing could be more
gorgeous," declared Ozma. "Whoever made that
patchwork quilt, from which Scraps was formed,
must have selected the gayest and brightest bits
of cloth that ever were woven."
"I am glad you like her," said the Scarecrow
in a satisfied tone. Although the straw man did
not eat, not being made so he could, he often
dined with Ozma and her companions, merely
for the pleasure of talking with them. He sat at
the table and had a napkin and plate, but the
servants knew better than to offer him food.
After a little while he asked: "Where is the
Patchwork Girl now?"
"In my room," replied Dorothy. "I've taken a
fancy to her; she's so queer and--and--uncommon."
"She's half crazy, I think," added the Shaggy
Man.
"But she is so beautiful!" exclaimed the
Scarecrow, as if that fact disarmed all criticism.
They all laughed at his enthusiasm, but the
Scarecrow was quite serious. Seeing that he was
interested in Scraps they forbore to say anything
against her. The little band of friends Ozma had
gathered around her was so quaintly assorted that
much care must be exercised to avoid hurting their
feelings or making any one of them unhappy. It was
this considerate kindness that held them close
friends and enabled them to enjoy one another's
society.
Another thing they avoided was conversing
on unpleasant subjects, and for that reason Ojo
and his troubles were not mentioned during the
dinner. The Shaggy Man, however, related his
adventures with the monstrous plants which
had seized and enfolded the travelers, and told
how he had robbed Chiss, the giant porcupine,
of the quills which it was accustomed to throw
at people. Both Dorothy and Ozma were pleased
with this exploit and thought it served Chiss
right.
Then they talked of the Woozy, which was the
most remarkable animal any of them had ever before
seen--except, perhaps, the live Sawhorse. Ozma had
never known that her dominions contained such a
thing as a Woozy, there being but one in existence
and this being confined in his forest for many
years. Dorothy said she believed the Woozy was a
good beast, honest and faithful; but she added
that she did not care much for the Glass Cat.
"Still," said the Shaggy Man, "the Glass Cat
is very pretty and if she were not so conceited
over her pink brains no one would object to her
as a companion."
The Wizard had been eating silently until
now, when he looked up and remarked:
"That Powder of Life which is made by the
Crooked Magician is really a wonderful thing.
But Dr. Pipt does not know its true value and
he uses it in the most foolish ways."
"I must see about that," said Ozma, gravely.
Then she smiled again and continued in a
lighter tone: "It was Dr. Pipt's famous Powder
of Life that enabled me to become the Ruler
of Oz."
"I've never heard that story," said the Shaggy
Man, looking at Ozma questioningly.
"Well, when I was a baby girl I was stolen by an
old Witch named Mombi and transformed into a boy,"
began the girl Ruler. "I did not know who I was
and when I grew big enough to work, the Witch made
me wait upon her and carry wood for the fire and
hoe in the garden. One day she came back from a
journey bringing some of the Powder of Life, which
Dr. Pipt had given her. I had made a pumpkin-
headed man and set it up in her path to frighten
her, for I was fond of fun and hated the Witch.
But she knew what the figure was and to test her
Powder of Life she sprinkled some of it on the man
I had made. It came to life and is now our dear
friend Jack Pumpkinhead. That night I ran away
with Jack to escape punishment, and I took old
Mombi's Powder of Life with me. During our journey
we came upon a wooden Sawhorse standing by the
road and I used the magic powder to bring it to
life. The Sawhorse has been with me ever since.
When I got to the Emerald City the good Sorceress,
Glinda, knew who I was and restored me to my
proper person, when I became the rightful Ruler of
this land. So you see had not old Mombi brought
home the Powder of Life I might never have run
away from her and become Ozma of Oz, nor would we
have had Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse to
comfort and amuse us."
That story interested the Shaggy Man very much,
as well as the others, who had often heard it
before. The dinner being now concluded, they all
went to Ozma's drawing-room, where they passed a
pleasant evening before it came time to retire.
Chapter Eighteen
Ojo is Forgiven
The next morning the Soldier with the Green
Whiskers went to the prison and took Ojo away to
the royal palace, where he was summoned to appear
before the girl Ruler for judgment. Again the
soldier put upon the boy the jeweled handcuffs and
white prisoner's robe with the peaked top and
holes for the eyes. Ojo was so ashamed, both of
his disgrace and the fault he had committed, that
he was glad to be covered up in this way, so that
people could not see him or know who he was. He
followed the Soldier with the Green Whiskers very
willingly, anxious that his fate might be decided
as soon as possible.
The inhabitants of the Emerald City were polite
people and never jeered at the unfortunate; but it
was so long since they had seen a prisoner that
they cast many curious looks toward the boy and
many of them hurried away to the royal palace to
be present during the trial.
When Ojo was escorted into the great Throne
Room of the palace he found hundreds of people
assembled there. In the magnificent emerald
throne, which sparkled with countless jewels, sat
Ozma of Oz in her Robe of State, which was
embroidered with emeralds and pearls. On her
right, but a little lower, was Dorothy, and on her
left the Scarecrow. Still lower, but nearly in
front of Ozma, sat the wonderful Wizard of Oz and
on a small table beside him was the golden vase
from Dorothy's room, into which Scraps had dropped
the stolen clover.
At Ozma's feet crouched two enormous beasts,
each the largest and most powerful of its kind.
Although these beasts were quite free, no one
present was alarmed by them; for the Cowardly Lion
and the Hungry Tiger were well known and respected
in the Emerald City and they always guarded the
Ruler when she held high court in the Throne Room.
There was still another beast present, but this
one Dorothy held in her arms, for it was her
constant companion, the little dog Toto. Toto knew
the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger and often
played and romped with them, for they were good
friends.
Seated on ivory chairs before Ozma, with a clear
space between them and the throne, were many of
the nobility of the Emerald City, lords and ladies
in beautiful costumes, and officials of the
kingdom in the royal uniforms of Oz. Behind these
courtiers were others of less importance, filling
the great hall to the very doors.
At the same moment that the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers arrived with Ojo, the Shaggy Man
entered from a side door, escorting the Patchwork
Girl, the Woozy and the Glass Cat. All these came
to the vacant space before the throne and stood
facing the Ruler.
"Hullo, Ojo," said Scraps; "how are you?"
"All right," he replied; but the scene awed the
boy and his voice trembled a little with fear.
Nothing could awe the Patchwork Girl, and although
the Woozy was somewhat uneasy in these splendid
surroundings the Glass Cat was delighted with the
sumptuousness of the court and the impressiveness
of the occasion--pretty big words but quite
expressive.
At a sign from Ozma the soldier removed Ojo's
white robe and the boy stood face to face with the
girl who was to decide his punishment. He saw at a
glance how lovely and sweet she was, and his heart
gave a bound of joy, for he hoped she would be
merciful.
Ozma sat looking at the prisoner a long time.
Then she said gently:
"One of the Laws of Oz forbids anyone to
pick a six-leaved clover. You are accused of
having broken this Law, even after you had
been warned not to do so."
Ojo hung his head and while he hesitated how to
reply the Patchwork Girl stepped forward and spoke
for him.
"All this fuss is about nothing at all," she
said, facing Ozma unabashed. "You can't prove he
picked the six-leaved clover, so you've no right
to accuse him of it. Search him, if you like, but
you won't find the clover; look in his basket and
you'll find it's not there. He hasn't got it, so I
demand that you set this poor Munchkin boy free."
The people of Oz listened to this defiance in
amazement and wondered at the queer Patchwork Girl
who dared talk so boldly to their Ruler. But Ozma
sat silent and motionless and it was the little
Wizard who answered Scraps.
"So the clover hasn't been picked, eh?" he said.
"I think it has. I think the boy hid it in his
basket, and then gave the basket to you. I also
think you dropped the clover into this vase, which
stood in Princess Dorothy's room, hoping to get
rid of it so it would not prove the boy guilty.
You're a stranger here, Miss Patches, and so you
don't know that nothing can be hidden from our
powerful Ruler's Magic Picture--nor from the
watchful eyes of the humble Wizard of Oz. Look,
all of you!" With these words he waved his hands
toward the vase on the table, which Scraps now
noticed for the first time.
From the mouth of the vase a plant sprouted,
slowly growing before their eyes until it became a
beautiful bush, and on the topmost branch appeared
the six-leaved clover which Ojo had unfortunately
picked.
The Patchwork Girl looked at the clover and
said: "Oh, so you've found it. Very well; prove
he picked it, if you can."
Ozma turned to Ojo.
"Did you pick the six-leaved clover?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied. "I knew it was against the
Law, but I wanted to save Unc Nunkie and I was
afraid if I asked your consent to pick it you
would refuse me."
"What caused you to think that?" asked the
Ruler.
"Why, it seemed to me a foolish law, unjust and
unreasonable. Even now I can see no harm in
picking a six-leaved clover. And I--I had not seen
the Emerald City, then, nor you, and I thought a
girl who would make such a silly Law would not be
likely to help anyone in trouble."
Ozma regarded him musingly, her chin resting
upon her hand; but she was not angry. On the
contrary she smiled a little at her thoughts and
then grew sober again.
"I suppose a good many laws seem foolish to
those people who do not understand them," she
said; "but no law is ever made without some
purpose, and that purpose is usually to protect
all the people and guard their welfare. As you are
a stranger, I will explain this Law which to you
seems so foolish. Years ago there were many
Witches and Magicians in the Land of Oz, and one
of the things they often used in making their
magic charms and transformations was a six-leaved
clover. These Witches and Magicians caused so much
trouble among my people, often using their powers
for evil rather than good, that I decided to
forbid anyone to practice magic or sorcery except
Glinda the Good and her assistant, the Wizard of
Oz, both of whom I can trust to use their arts
only to benefit my people and to make them
happier. Since I issued that Law the Land of Oz
has been far more peaceful and quiet; but I
learned that some of the Witches and Magicians
were still practicing magic on the sly and using
the six-leaved clovers to make their potions and
charms. Therefore I made another Law forbidding
anyone from plucking a six-leaved clover or from
gathering other plants and herbs which the Witches
boil in their kettles to work magic with. That has
almost put an end to wicked sorcery in our land,
so you see the Law was not a foolish one, but wise
and just; and, in any event, it is wrong to
disobey a Law."
Ojo knew she was right and felt greatly
mortified to realize he had acted and spoken so
ridiculously. But he raised his head and looked
Ozma in the face, saying:
"I am sorry I have acted wrongly and broken
your Law. I did it to save Unc Nunkie, and
thought I would not be found out. But I am
guilty of this act and whatever punishment you
think I deserve I will suffer willingly."
Ozma smiled more brightly, then, and nodded
graciously.
"You are forgiven," she said. "For, although
you have committed a serious fault, you are now
penitent and I think you have been punished
enough. Soldier, release Ojo the Lucky and--"
"I beg your pardon; I'm Ojo the Unlucky,"
said the boy.
"At this moment you are lucky," said she.
"Release him, Soldier, and let him go free."
The people were glad to hear Ozma's decree and
murmured their approval. As the royal audience was
now over, they began to leave the Throne Room and
soon there were none remaining except Ojo and his
friends and Ozma and her favorites.
The girl Ruler now asked Ojo to sit down and
tell her all his story, which he did, beginning
at the time he had left his home in the forest
and ending with his arrival at the Emerald City
and his arrest. Ozma listened attentively and
was thoughtful for some moments after the boy
had finished speaking. Then she said:
"The Crooked Magician was wrong to make the
Glass Cat and the Patchwork Girl, for it was
against the Law. And if he had not unlawfully kept
the bottle of Liquid of Petrifaction standing on
his shelf, the accident to his wife Margolotte and
to Unc Nunkie could not have occurred. I can
understand, however, that Ojo, who loves his
uncle, will be unhappy unless he can save him.
Also I feel it is wrong to leave those two victims
standing as marble statues, when they ought to be
alive. So I propose we allow Dr. Pipt to make the
magic charm which will save them, and that we
assist Ojo to find the things he is seeking. What
do you think, Wizard?"
"That is perhaps the best thing to do," replied
the Wizard. "But after the Crooked Magician
has restored those poor people to life you must
take away his magic powers."
"I will," promised Ozma.
"Now tell me, please, what magic things must you
find?" continued the Wizard, addressing Ojo.
"The three hairs from the Woozy's tail I
have," said the boy. "That is, I have the Woozy,
and the hairs are in his tail. The six-leaved
clover I--I--"
"You may take it and keep it," said Ozma. "That
will not be breaking the Law, for it is already
picked, and the crime of picking it is forgiven."
"Thank you!" cried Ojo gratefully. Then he
continued: "The next thing I must find is a gill
of water from a dark well."
The Wizard shook his head. "That," said he,
"will be a hard task, but if you travel far enough
you may discover it."
"I am willing to travel for years, if it will
save Unc Nunkie," declared Ojo, earnestly.
"Then you'd better begin your journey at
once," advised the Wizard.
Dorothy had been listening with interest to
this conversation. Now she turned to Ozma and
asked: "May I go with Ojo, to help him?"
"Would you like to?" returned Ozma.
"Yes. I know Oz pretty well, but Ojo doesn't
know it at all. I'm sorry for his uncle and poor
Margolotte and I'd like to help save them. May
I go?"
"If you wish to," replied Ozma.
"If Dorothy goes, then I must go to take care of
her," said the Scarecrow, decidedly. "A dark well
can only be discovered in some out-of-the-way
place, and there may be dangers there."
"You have my permission to accompany Dorothy,"
said Ozma. "And while you are gone I will take
care of the Patchwork Girl."
"I'll take care of myself," announced Scraps,
"for I'm going with the Scarecrow and Dorothy.
I promised Ojo to help him find the things he
wants and I'll stick to my promise."
"Very well," replied Ozma. "But I see no need
for Ojo to take the Glass Cat and the Woozy."
"I prefer to remain here," said the cat. "I've
nearly been nicked half a dozen times, already,
and if they're going into dangers it's best for me
to keep away from them."
"Let Jellia Jamb keep her till Ojo returns,"
suggested Dorothy. "We won't need to take the
Woozy, either, but he ought to be saved because
of the three hairs in his tail."
"Better take me along," said the Woozy. "My eyes
can flash fire, you know, and I can growl--a
little."
"I'm sure you'll be safer here," Ozma decided,
and the Woozy made no further objection to the
plan.
After consulting together they decided that Ojo
and his party should leave the very next day to
search for the gill of water from a dark well, so
they now separated to make preparations for the
journey.
Ozma gave the Munchkin boy a room in the palace
for that night and the afternoon he passed with
Dorothy--getting acquainted, as she said--and
receiving advice from the Shaggy Man as to where
they must go. The Shaggy Man had wandered in many
parts of Oz, and so had Dorothy, for that matter,
yet neither of them knew where a dark well was to
be found.
"If such a thing is anywhere in the settled
parts of Oz," said Dorothy, "we'd prob'ly have
heard of it long ago. If it's in the wild parts of
the country, no one there would need a dark
well. P'raps there isn't such a thing."
"Oh, there must be!" returned Ojo, positively;
"or else the recipe of Dr. Pipt wouldn't call
for it."
"That's true," agreed Dorothy; "and, if it's
anywhere in the Land of Oz, we're bound to find
it."
"Well, we're bound to search for it, anyhow,"
said the Scarecrow. "As for finding it, we must
trust to luck."
"Don't do that," begged Ojo, earnestly. "I'm
called Ojo the Unlucky, you know."
Chapter Nineteen
Trouble with the Tottenhots
A day's journey from the Emerald City brought the
little band of adventurers to the home of Jack
Pumpkinhead, which was a house formed from the
shell of an immense pumpkin. Jack had made it
himself and was very proud of it. There was a
door, and several windows, and through the top was
stuck a stovepipe that led from a small stove
inside. The door was reached by a flight of three
steps and there was a good floor on which was
arranged some furniture that was quite
comfortable.
It is certain that Jack Pumpkinhead might
have had a much finer house to live in had he
wanted it, for Ozma loved the stupid fellow,
who had been her earliest companion; but Jack
preferred his pumpkin house, as it matched
himself very well, and in this he was not so
stupid, after all.
The body of this remarkable person was made of
wood, branches of trees of various sizes having
been used for the purpose. This wooden framework
was covered by a red shirt--with white spots in
it--blue trousers, a yellow vest, a jacket of
green-and-gold and stout leather shoes. The neck
was a sharpened stick on which the pumpkin head
was set, and the eyes, ears, nose and mouth were
carved on the skin of the pumpkin, very like a
child's jack-o'-lantern.
The house of this interesting creation stood
in the center of a vast pumpkin-field, where the
vines grew in profusion and bore pumpkins of
extraordinary size as well as those which were
smaller. Some of the pumpkins now ripening
on the vines were almost as large as Jack's house,
and he told Dorothy he intended to add another
pumpkin to his mansion.
The travelers were cordially welcomed to this
quaint domicile and invited to pass the night
there, which they had planned to do. The
Patchwork Girl was greatly interested in Jack
and examined him admiringly.
"You are quite handsome," she said; "but not
as really beautiful as the Scarecrow."
Jack turned, at this, to examine the Scarecrow
critically, and his old friend slyly winked one
painted eye at him.
"There is no accounting for tastes," remarked
the Pumpkinhead, with a sigh. "An old crow
once told me I was very fascinating, but of
course the bird might have been mistaken. Yet
I have noticed that the crows usually avoid the
Scarecrow, who is a very honest fellow, in his
way, but stuffed. I am not stuffed, you will
observe; my body is good solid hickory."
"I adore stuffing," said the Patchwork Girl.
"Well, as for that, my head is stuffed with
pumpkin-seeds," declared Jack. "I use them for
brains, and when they are fresh I am intellectual.
Just now, I regret to say, my seeds are rattling a
bit, so I must soon get another head."
"Oh; do you change your head?" asked Ojo.
"To be sure. Pumpkins are not permanent, more's
the pity, and in time they spoil. That is why I
grow such a great field of pumpkins--that I may
select a new head whenever necessary."
"Who carves the faces on them?" inquired the
boy.
"I do that myself. I lift off my old head, place
it on a table before me, and use the face for a
pattern to go by. Sometimes the faces I carve are
better than others--more expressive and cheerful,
you know--but I think they average very well."
Before she had started on the journey Dorothy
had packed a knapsack with the things she might
need, and this knapsack the Scarecrow carried
strapped to his back. The little girl wore a plain
gingham dress and a checked sunbonnet, as she knew
they were best fitted for travel. Ojo also had
brought along his basket, to which Ozma had added
a bottle of "Square Meal Tablets" and some fruit.
But Jack Pumpkinhead grew a lot of things in his
garden besides pumpkins, so he cooked for them a
fine vegetable soup and gave Dorothy, Ojo and
Toto, the only ones who found it necessary to eat,
a pumpkin pie and some green cheese. For beds they
must use the sweet dried grasses which Jack had
strewn along one side of the room, but that
satisfied Dorothy and Ojo very well. Toto, of
course, slept beside his little mistress.
The Scarecrow, Scraps and the Pumpkinhead
were tireless and had no need to sleep, so they
sat up and talked together all night; but they
stayed outside the house, under the bright stars,
and talked in low tones so as not to disturb the
sleepers. During the conversation the Scarecrow
explained their quest for a dark well, and asked
Jack's advice where to find it.
The Pumpkinhead considered the matter gravely.
"That is going to be a difficult task," said he,
"and if I were you I'd take any ordinary well
and enclose it, so as to make it dark."
"I fear that wouldn't do," replied the
Scarecrow. "The well must be naturally dark, and
the water must never have seen the light of day,
for otherwise the magic charm might not work at
all."
"How much of the water do you need?" asked Jack.
"A gill."
"How much is a gill?"
"Why--a gill is a gill, of course," answered
the Scarecrow, who did not wish to display his
ignorance.
"I know!" cried Scraps. "Jack and Jill went up
the hill to fetch--"
"No, no; that's wrong," interrupted the
Scarecrow. "There are two kinds of gills, I think;
one is a girl, and the other is--"
"A gillyflower," said Jack.
"No; a measure."
"How big a measure?"
"Well, I'll ask Dorothy."
So next morning they asked Dorothy, and she
said:
"I don't just know how much a gill is, but I've
brought along a gold flask that holds a pint.
That's more than a gill, I'm sure, and the Crooked
Magician may measure it to suit himself. But the
thing that's bothering us most, Jack, is to find
the well."
Jack gazed around the landscape, for he was
standing in the doorway of his house.
"This is a flat country, so you won't find any
dark wells here," said he. "You must go into the
mountains, where rocks and caverns are."
"And where is that?" asked Ojo.
"In the Quadling Country, which lies south
of here," replied the Scarecrow. "I've known all
along that we must go to the mountains."
"So have I," said Dorothy.
"But--goodness me!--the Quadling Country is full
of dangers," declared Jack. "I've never been there
myself, but--"
"I have," said the Scarecrow. "I've faced the
dreadful Hammerheads, which have no arms and butt
you like a goat; and I've faced the Fighting
Trees, which bend down their branches to pound and
whip you, and had many other adventures there."
"It's a wild country," remarked Dorothy,
soberly, "and if we go there we're sure to have
troubles of our own. But I guess we'll have to go,
if we want that gill of water from the dark well."
So they said good-bye to the Pumpkinhead and
resumed their travels, heading now directly toward
the South Country, where mountains and rocks and
caverns and forests of great trees abounded. This
part of the Land of Oz, while it belonged to Ozma
and owed her allegiance, was so wild and secluded
that many queer peoples hid in its jungles and
lived in their own way, without even a knowledge
that they had a Ruler in the Emerald City. If they
were left alone, these creatures never troubled
the inhabitants of the rest of Oz, but those who
invaded their domains encountered many dangers
from them.
It was a two days journey from Jack Pumkinhead's
house to the edge of the Quadling Country, for
neither Dorothy nor Ojo could walk very fast and
they often stopped by the wayside to rest. The
first night they slept on the broad fields, among
the buttercups and daisies, and the Scarecrow
covered the children with a gauze blanket taken
from his knapsack, so they would not be chilled by
the night air. Toward evening of the second day
they reached a sandy plain where walking was
difficult; but some distance before them they saw
a group of palm trees, with many curious black
dots under them; so they trudged bravely on to
reach that place by dark and spend the night under
the shelter of the trees.
The black dots grew larger as they advanced and
although the light was dim Dorothy thought they
looked like big kettles turned upside down. Just
beyond this place a jumble of huge, jagged rocks
lay scattered, rising to the mountains behind
them.
Our travelers preferred to attempt to climb
these rocks by daylight, and they realized that
for a time this would be their last night on the
plains.
Twilight had fallen by the time they came to the
trees, beneath which were the black, circular
objects they had marked from a distance. Dozens of
them were scattered around and Dorothy bent near
to one, which was about as tall as she was, to
examine it more closely. As she did so the top
flew open and out popped a dusky creature, rising
its length into the air and then plumping down
upon the ground just beside the little girl.
Another and another popped out of the circular,
pot-like dwelling, while from all the other black
objects came popping more creatures--very like
jumping-jacks when their boxes are unhooked--until
fully a hundred stood gathered around our little
group of travelers.
By this time Dorothy had discovered they
were people, tiny and curiously formed, but still
people. Their skins were dusky and their hair
stood straight up, like wires, and was brilliant
scarlet in color. Their bodies were bare except
for skins fastened around their waists and they
wore bracelets on their ankles and wrists, and
necklaces, and great pendant earrings.
Toto crouched beside his mistress and wailed
as if he did not like these strange creatures a bit.
Scraps began to mutter something about "hoppity,
poppity, jumpity, dump!" but no one paid any
attention to her. Ojo kept close to the Scarecrow
and the Scarecrow kept close to Dorothy; but the
little girl turned to the queer creatures and
asked:
"Who are you?"
They answered this question all together, in
a sort of chanting chorus, the words being as follows:
"We're the jolly Tottenhots;
We do not like the day,
But in the night 'tis our delight
To gambol, skip and play.
"We hate the sun and from it run,
The moon is cool and clear,
So on this spot each Tottenhot
Waits for it to appear.
"We're ev'ry one chock full of fun,
And full of mischief, too;
But if you're gay and with us play
We'll do no harm to you.
"Glad to meet you, Tottenhots," said the
Scarecrow solemnly. "But you mustn't expect us
to play with you all night, for we've traveled
all day and some of us are tired."
"And we never gamble," added the Patchwork Girl.
"It's against the Law."
These remarks were greeted with shouts of
laughter by the impish creatures and one seized
the Scarecrow's arm and was astonished to find the
straw man whirl around so easily. So the Tottenhot
raised the Scarecrow high in the air and tossed
him over the heads of the crowd. Some one caught
him and tossed him back, and so with shouts of
glee they continued throwing the Scarecrow here
and there, as if he had been a basket-ball.
Presently another imp seized Scraps and began to
throw her about, in the same way. They found her a
little heavier than the Scarecrow but still light
enough to be tossed like a sofa-cushion, and they
were enjoying the sport immensely when Dorothy,
angry and indignant at the treatment her friends
were receiving, rushed among the Tottenhots and
began slapping and pushing them until she had
rescued the Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl and
held them close on either side of her. Perhaps she
would not have accomplished this victory so easily
had not Toto helped her, barking and snapping at
the bare legs of the imps until they were glad to
flee from his attack. As for Ojo, some of the
creatures had attempted to toss him, also, but
finding his body too heavy they threw him to the
ground and a row of the imps sat on him and held
him from assisting Dorothy in her battle.
The little brown folks were much surprised
at being attacked by the girl and the dog, and
one or two who had been slapped hardest began
to cry. Then suddenly they gave a shout, all
together, and disappeared in a flash into their
various houses, the tops of which closed with a
series of pops that sounded like a bunch of
firecrackers being exploded.
The adventurers now found themselves alone,
and Dorothy asked anxiously:
"Is anybody hurt?"
"Not me," answered the Scarecrow. "They have
given my straw a good shaking up and taken all the
lumps out of it. I am now in splendid condition
and am really obliged to the Tottenhots for their
kind treatment."
"I feel much the same way," said Scraps.
"My cotton stuffing had sagged a good deal with
the day's walking and they've loosened it up
until I feel as plump as a sausage. But the play
was a little rough and I'd had quite enough of
it when you interfered."
"Six of them sat on me," said Ojo, "but as
they are so little they didn't hurt me much."
Just then the roof of the house in front of
them opened and a Tottenhot stuck his head
out, very cautiously, and looked at the strangers.
"Can't you take a joke?" he asked,
reproachfully; "haven't you any fun in you at
all?"
"If I had such a quality," replied the
Scarecrow, "your people would have knocked it out
of me. But I don't bear grudges. I forgive you."
"So do I," added Scraps. "That is, if you behave
yourselves after this."
"It was just a little rough-house, that's all,"
said the Tottenhot. "But the question is not if
we will behave, but if you will behave? We
can't be shut up here all night, because this
is our time to play; nor do we care to come out
and be chewed up by a savage beast or slapped
by an angry girl. That slapping hurts like sixty;
some of my folks are crying about it. So here's
the proposition: you let us alone and we'll let
you alone."
"You began it," declared Dorothy.
"Well, you ended it, so we won't argue the
matter. May we come out again? Or are you still
cruel and slappy?"
"Tell you what we'll do," said Dorothy. "We're
all tired and want to sleep until morning. If
you'll let us get into your house, and stay there
until daylight, you can play outside all you want
to."
"That's a bargain!" cried the Tottenhot
eagerly, and he gave a queer whistle that
brought his people popping out of their houses
on all sides. When the house before them was
vacant, Dorothy and Ojo leaned over the hole
and looked in, but could see nothing because
it was so dark. But if the Tottenhots slept there
all day the children thought they could sleep
there at night, so Ojo lowered himself down
and found it was not very deep.
"There's a soft cushion all over," said he.
"Come on in."
Dorothy handed Toto to the boy and then climbed
in herself. After her came Scraps and the
Scarecrow, who did not wish to sleep but preferred
to keep out of the way of the mischievous
Tottenhots.
There seemed no furniture in the round den, but
soft cushions were strewn about the floor and
these they found made very comfortable beds. They
did not close the hole in the roof but left it
open to admit air. It also admitted the shouts and
ceaseless laughter of the impish Tottenhots as
they played outside, but Dorothy and Ojo, being
weary from their journey, were soon fast asleep.
Toto kept an eye open, however, and uttered low,
threatening growls whenever the racket made by the
creatures outside became too boisterous; and the
Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl sat leaning
against the wall and talked in whispers all night
long. No one disturbed the travelers until
daylight, when in popped the Tottenhot who owned
the place and invited them to vacate his premises.
Chapter Twenty
The Captive Yoop
As they were preparing to leave, Dorothy asked:
"Can you tell us where there is a dark well?"
"Never heard of such a thing," said the
Tottenhot. "We live our lives in the dark, mostly,
and sleep in the daytime; but we've never seen a
dark well, or anything like one."
"Does anyone live on those mountains beyond
here?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Lots of people. But you'd better not visit
them. We never go there," was the reply.
"What are the people like?" Dorothy inquired.
"Can't say. We've been told to keep away
from the mountain paths, and so we obey. This
sandy desert is good enough for us, and we're
not disturbed here," declared the Tottenhot.
So they left the man snuggling down to sleep in
his dusky dwelling, and went out into the
sunshine, taking the path that led toward the
rocky places. They soon found it hard climbing,
for the rocks were uneven and full of sharp points
and edges, and now there was no path at all.
Clambering here and there among the boulders they
kept steadily on, gradually rising higher and
higher until finally they came to a great rift in
a part of the mountain, where the rock seemed to
have split in two and left high walls on either
side.
"S'pose we go this way," suggested Dorothy;
"it's much easier walking than to climb over
the hills."
"How about that sign?" asked Ojo.
"What sign?" she inquired.
The Munchkin boy pointed to some words
painted on the wall of rock beside them, which
Dorothy had not noticed. The words read:
"LOOK OUT FOR YOOP."
The girl eyed this sign a moment and turned to
the Scarecrow, asking:
"Who is Yoop; or what is Yoop?"
The straw man shook his head. Then looked at
Toto and the dog said "Woof!"
"Only way to find out is to go on," said Scraps.
This being quite true, they went on. As they
proceeded, the walls of rock on either side grew
higher and higher. Presently they came upon
another sign which read:
"BEWARE THE CAPTIVE YOOP."
"Why, as for that," remarked Dorothy, "if Yoop
is a captive there's no need to beware of him.
Whatever Yoop happens to be, I'd much rather have
him a captive than running around loose."
"So had I," agreed the Scarecrow, with a nod of
his painted head.
"Still," said Scraps, reflectively:
"Yoop-te-hoop-te-loop-te-goop!
Who put noodles in the soup?
We may beware but we don't care,
And dare go where we scare the Yoop."
"Dear me! Aren't you feeling a little queer,
just now?" Dorothy asked the Patchwork Girl.
"Not queer, but crazy," said Ojo. "When she
says those things I'm sure her brains get mixed
somehow and work the wrong way.
"I don't see why we are told to beware the Yoop
unless he is dangerous," observed the Scarecrow in
a puzzled tone.
"Never mind; we'll find out all about him when
we get to where he is," replied the little girl.
The narrow canyon turned and twisted this way
and that, and the rift was so small that they were
able to touch both walls at the same time by
stretching out their arms. Toto had run on ahead,
frisking playfully, when suddenly he uttered a
sharp bark of fear and came running back to them
with his tail between his legs, as dogs do when
they are frightened.
"Ah," said the Scarecrow, who was leading
the way, "we must be near Yoop."
Just then, as he rounded a sharp turn, the
Straw man stopped so suddenly that all the
others bumped against him.
"What is it?" asked Dorothy, standing on
tip-toes to look over his shoulder. But then she
saw what it was and cried "Oh!" in a tone of
astonishment.
In one of the rock walls--that at their left--
was hollowed a great cavern, in front of which was
a row of thick iron bars, the tops and bottoms
being firmly fixed in the solid rock. Over this
cavern was a big sign, which Dorothy read with
much curiosity, speaking the words aloud that all
might know what they said:
"MISTER YOOP--HIS CAVE
The Largest Untamed Giant in Captivity.
Height, 21 Feet.--(And yet he has but 2 feet.)
Weight, 1640 Pounds.--(But he waits all the time.)
Age, 400 Years 'and Up' (as they say in the
Department Store advertisements).
Temper, Fierce and Ferocious.--(Except when asleep.)
Appetite, Ravenous.--(Prefers Meat People and
Orange Marmalade.)
STRANGERS APPROACHING THIS CAVE DO SO AT THEIR
OWN PERIL!
P.S.--Don't feed the Giant yourself."
"Very well," said Ojo, with a sigh; "let's go back."
"It's a long way back," declared Dorothy.
"So it is," remarked the Scarecrow, "and it
means a tedious climb over those sharp rocks if
we can't use this passage. I think it will be best
to run by the Giant's cave as fast as we can go.
Mister Yoop seems to be asleep just now."
But the Giant wasn't asleep. He suddenly
appeared at the front of his cavern, seized the
iron bars in his great hairy hands and shook
them until they rattled in their sockets. Yoop
was so tall that our friends had to tip their heads
way back to look into his face, and they noticed
he was dressed all in pink velvet, with silver
buttons and braid. The Giant's boots were of
pink leather and had tassels on them and his
hat was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich
feather, carefully curled.
"Yo-ho!" he said in a deep bass voice; "I smell
dinner."
"I think you are mistaken," replied the
Scarecrow. "There is no orange marmalade around
here."
"Ah, but I eat other things," asserted Mister
Yoop. "That is, I eat them when I can get them.
But this is a lonely place, and no good meat has
passed by my cave for many years; so I'm hungry."
"Haven't you eaten anything in many years?"
asked Dorothy.
"Nothing except six ants and a monkey. I thought
the monkey would taste like meat people, but the
flavor was different. I hope you will taste
better, for you seem plump and tender."
"Oh, I'm not going to be eaten," said Dorothy.
"Why not?"
"I shall keep out of your way," she answered.
"How heartless!" wailed the Giant, shaking the
bars again. "Consider how many years it is since
I've eaten a single plump little girl! They tell
me meat is going up, but if I can manage to catch
you I'm sure it will soon be going down. And I'll
catch you if I can."
With this the Giant pushed his big arms,
which looked like tree-trunks (except that tree-
trunks don't wear pink velvet) between the iron
bars, and the arms were so long that they
touched the opposite wall of the rock passage.
Then he extended them as far as he could reach
toward our travelers and found he could almost
touch the Scarecrow--but not quite.
"Come a little nearer, please," begged the
Giant.
"I'm a Scarecrow."
"A Scarecrow? Ugh! I don't care a straw for
a scarecrow. Who is that bright-colored delicacy
behind you?"
"Me?" asked Scraps. "I'm a Patchwork Girl,
and I'm stuffed with cotton."
"Dear me," sighed the Giant in a disapointed
tone; "that reduces my dinner from four to two--
and the dog. I'll save the dog for dessert."
Toto growled, keeping a good distance away.
"Back up," said the Scarecrow to those behind
him. "Let us go back a little way and talk this
over."
So they turned and went around the bend in
the passage, where they were out of sight of the
cave and Mister Yoop could not hear them.
"My idea," began the Scarecrow, when they
had halted, "is to make a dash past the cave,
going on a run."
"He'd grab us," said Dorothy.
"Well, he can't grab but one at a time, and
I'll go first. As soon as he grabs me the rest of
you can slip past him, out of his reach, and he
will soon let me go because I am not fit to eat."
They decided to try this plan and Dorothy
took Toto in her arms, so as to protect him. She
followed just after the Scarecrow. Then came
Ojo, with Scraps the last of the four. Their
hearts beat a little faster than usual as they again
approached the Giant's cave, this time moving
swiftly forward.
It turned out about the way the Scarecrow had
planned. Mister Yoop was quite astonished to see
them come flying toward him, and thrusting his
arms between the bars he seized the Scarecrow in a
firm grip. In the next instant he realized, from
the way the straw crunched between his fingers,
that he had captured the non-eatable man, but
during that instant of delay Dorothy and Ojo had
slipped by the Giant and were out of reach.
Uttering a howl of rage the monster threw the
Scarecrow after them with one hand and grabbed
Scraps with the other.
The poor Scarecrow went whirling through the air
and so cleverly was he aimed that he struck Ojo's
back and sent the boy tumbling head over heels,
and he tripped Dorothy and sent her, also,
sprawling upon the ground. Toto flew out of the
little girl's arms and landed some distance ahead,
and all were so dazed that it was a moment before
they could scramble to their feet again. When they
did so they turned to look toward the Giant's
cave, and at that moment the ferocious Mister Yoop
threw the Patchwork Girl at them.
Down went all three again, in a heap, with
Scraps on top. The Giant roared so terribly that
for a time they were afraid he had broken loose;
but he hadn't. So they sat in the road and looked
at one another in a rather bewildered way, and
then began to feel glad.
"We did it!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, with
satisfaction. "And now we are free to go on
our way."
"Mister Yoop is very impolite," declared
Scraps. "He jarred me terribly. It's lucky my
stitches are so fine and strong, for otherwise such
harsh treatment might rip me up the back."
"Allow me to apologize for the Giant," said
the Scarecrow, raising the Patchwork Girl to
her feet and dusting her skirt with his stuffed
hands. "Mister Yoop is a perfect stranger to me,
but I fear, from the rude manner in which he
has acted, that he is no gentleman."
Dorothy and Ojo laughed at this statement
and Toto barked as if he understood the joke,
after which they all felt better and resumed the
journey in high spirits.
"Of course," said the little girl, when they had
walked a way along the passage, "it was lucky for
us the Giant was caged; for, if he had happened to
be loose, he--he--"
"Perhaps, in that case, he wouldn't be hungry
any more," said Ojo gravely.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hip Hopper the Champion
They must have had good courage to climb all those
rocks, for after getting out of the canyon they
encountered more rock hills to be surmounted. Toto
could jump from one rock to another quite easily,
but the others had to creep and climb with care,
so that after a whole day of such work Dorothy and
Ojo found themselves very tired.
As they gazed upward at the great mass of
tumbled rocks that covered the steep incline,
Dorothy gave a little groan and said:
"That's going to be a ter'ble hard climb,
Scarecrow. I wish we could find the dark well
without so much trouble."
"Suppose," said Ojo, "you wait here and let
me do the climbing, for it's on my account
we're searching for the dark well. Then, if I
don't find anything, I'll come back and join
you."
"No," replied the little girl, shaking her head
positively, "we'll all go together, for that way
we can help each other. If you went alone,
something might happen to you, Ojo."
So they began the climb and found it indeed
difficult, for a way. But presently, in creeping
over the big crags, they found a path at their
feet which wound in and out among the masses of
rock and was quite smooth and easy to walk upon.
As the path gradually ascended the mountain,
although in a roundabout way, they decided to
follow it.
"This must be the road to the Country of
the Hoppers," said the Scarecrow.
"Who are the Hoppers?" asked Dorothy.
"Some people Jack Pumpkinhead told me about," he
replied.
"I didn't hear him," replied the girl.
"No; you were asleep," explained the Scarecrow.
"But he told Scraps and me that the Hoppers
and the Horners live on this mountain."
"He said in the mountain," declared Scraps;
"but of course he meant on it."
"Didn't he say what the Hoppers and Horners were
like?" inquired Dorothy.
"No; he only said they were two separate
nations, and that the Horners were the most
important."
"Well, if we go to their country we'll find out
all about 'em," said the girl. "But I've never
heard Ozma mention those people, so they can't
be very important."
"Is this mountain in the Land of Oz?" asked
Scraps.
"Course it is," answered Dorothy. "It's in the
South Country of the Quadlings. When one comes to
the edge of Oz, in any direction, there is nothing
more to be seen at all. Once you could see sandy
desert all around Oz; but now it's diff'rent, and
no other people can see us, any more than we can
see them."
"If the mountain is under Ozma's rule, why
doesn't she know about the Hoppers and the
Horners?" Ojo asked.
"Why, it's a fairyland," explained Dorothy, "and
lots of queer people live in places so tucked away
that those in the Emerald City never even hear of
'em. In the middle of the country it's diff'rent,
but when you get around the edges you're sure to
run into strange little corners that surprise you.
I know, for I've traveled in Oz a good deal, and
so has the Scarecrow."
"Yes," admitted the straw man, "I've been
considerable of a traveler, in my time, and I like
to explore strange places. I find I learn much
more by traveling than by staying at home."
During this conversation they had been walking
up the steep pathway and now found themselves well
up on the mountain. They could see nothing around
them, for the rocks beside their path were higher
than their heads. Nor could they see far in front
of them, because the path was so crooked. But
suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and
there was no place to go. Ahead was a big rock
lying against the side of the mountain, and this
blocked the way completely.
"There wouldn't be a path, though, if it
didn't go somewhere," said the Scarecrow,
wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.
"This is somewhere, isn't it?" asked the
Patchwork Girl, laughing at the bewildered
looks of the others.
"The path is locked, the way is blocked,
Yet here we've innocently flocked;
And now we're here it's rather queer
There's no front door that can be knocked."
"Please don't, Scraps," said Ojo. "You make me nervous."
"Well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little
rest, for that's a drea'ful steep path."
As she spoke she leaned against the edge of
the big rock that stood in their way. To her
surprise it slowly swung backward and showed
behind it a dark hole that looked like the mouth
of a tunnel.
"Why, here's where the path goes to!" she
exclaimed.
"So it is," answered the Scarecrow. "But the
question is, do we want to go where the path
does?"
"It's underground; right inside the mountain,"
said Ojo, peering into the dark hole. "Perhaps
there's a well there; and, if there is, it's sure
to be a dark one."
"Why, that's true enough!" cried Dorothy
with eagerness. "Let's go in, Scarecrow; 'cause,
if others have gone, we're pretty safe to go, too."
Toto looked in and barked, but he did not
venture to enter until the Scarecrow had bravely
gone first. Scraps followed closely after the
straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped
inside the tunnel. As soon as all of them had
passed the big rock, it slowly turned and filled
up the opening again; but now they were no longer
in the dark, for a soft, rosy light enabled them
to see around them quite distinctly.
It was only a passage, wide enough for two
of them to walk abreast--with Toto in between
them--and it had a high, arched roof. They
could not see where the light which flooded the
place so pleasantly came from, for there were
no lamps anywhere visible. The passage ran
straight for a little way and then made a bend
to the right and another sharp turn to the left,
after which it went straight again. But there
were no side passages, so they could not lose
their way.
After proceeding some distance, Toto, who
had gone on ahead, began to bark loudly. They
ran around a bend to see what was the matter
and found a man sitting on the floor of the
passage and leaning his back against the wall.
He had probably been asleep before Toto's barks
aroused him, for he was now rubbing his eyes
and staring at the little dog with all his might.
There was something about this man that Toto
objected to, and when he slowly rose to his foot
they saw what it was. He had but one leg, set just
below the middle of his round, fat body; but it
was a stout leg and had a broad, flat foot at the
bottom of it, on which the man seemed to stand
very well. He had never had but this one leg,
which looked something like a pedestal, and when
Toto ran up and made a grab at the man's ankle he
hopped first one way and then another in a very
active manner, looking so frightened that Scraps
laughed aloud.
Toto was usually a well behaved dog, but this
time he was angry and snapped at the man's leg
again and again. This filled the poor fellow with
fear, and in hopping out of Toto's reach he
suddenly lost his balance and tumbled heel over
head upon the floor. When he sat up he kicked Toto
on the nose and made the dog howl angrily, but
Dorothy now ran forward and caught Toto's collar,
holding him back.
"Do you surrender?" she asked the man.
"Who? Me?" asked the Hopper.
"Yes; you," said the little girl.
"Am I captured?" he inquired.
"Of course. My dog has captured you," she said.
"Well," replied the man, "if I'm captured I must
surrender, for it's the proper thing to do. I like
to do everything proper, for it saves one a lot of
trouble."
"It does, indeed," said Dorothy. "Please tell us
who you are."
"I'm Hip Hopper--Hip Hopper, the Champion."
"Champion what?" she asked in surprise.
"Champion wrestler. I'm a very strong man,
and that ferocious animal which you are so
kindly holding is the first living thing that has
ever conquered me."
"And you are a Hopper?" she continued.
"Yes. My people live in a great city not far
from here. Would you like to visit it?"
"I'm not sure," she said with hesitation. "Have
you any dark wells in your city?"
"I think not. We have wells, you know, but
they're all well lighted, and a well lighted well
cannot well be a dark well. But there may be
such a thing as a very dark well in the Horner
Country, which is a black spot on the face of
the earth."
"Where is the Horner Country?" Ojo inquired.
"The other side of the mountain. There's a
fence between the Hopper Country and the
Horner Country, and a gate in the fence; but
you can't pass through just now, because we
are at war with the Horners."
"That's too bad," said the Scarecrow. "What
seems to be the trouble?"
"Why, one of them made a very insulting remark
about my people. He said we were lacking in
understanding, because we had only one leg to a
person. I can't see that legs have anything to do
with understanding things. The Horners each have
two legs, just as you have. That's one leg too
many, it seems to me."
"No," declared Dorothy, "it's just the right
number."
"You don't need them," argued the Hopper,
obstinately. "You've only one head, and one
body, and one nose and mouth. Two legs are
quite unnecessary, and they spoil one's shape."
"But how can you walk, with only one leg?" asked
Ojo.
"Walk! Who wants to walk?" exclaimed the man.
"Walking is a terribly awkward way to travel. I
hop, and so do all my people. It's so much more
graceful and agreeable than walking."
"I don't agree with you," said the Scarecrow.
"But tell me, is there any way to get to the
Horner Country without going through the city of
the Hoppers?"
"Yes; there is another path from the rocky
lowlands, outside the mountain, that leads
straight to the entrance of the Horner Country.
But it's a long way around, so you'd better come
with me. Perhaps they will allow you to go
through the gate; but we expect to conquer
them this afternoon, if we get time, and then
you may go and come as you please."
They thought it best to take the Hopper's
advice, and asked him to lead the way. This he
did in a series of hops, and he moved so swiftly
in this strange manner that those with two legs
had to run to keep up with him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Joking Horners
It was not long before they left the passage and
came to a great cave, so high that it must have
reached nearly to the top of the mountain within
which it lay. It was a magnificent cave, illumined
by the soft, invisible light, so that everything
in it could be plainly seen. The walls were of
polished marble, white with veins of delicate
colors running through it, and the roof was arched
and fantastic and beautiful.
Built beneath this vast dome was a pretty
village--not very large, for there seemed not more
than fifty houses altogether--and the dwellings
were of marble and artistically designed. No grass
nor flowers nor trees grew in this cave, so the
yards surrounding the houses carved in designs
both were smooth and bare and had low walls around
them to mark their boundaries.
In the streets and the yards of the houses
were many people all having one leg growing
below their bodies and all hopping here and
there whenever they moved. Even the children
stood firmly upon their single legs and never
lost their balance.
"All hail, Champion!" cried a man in the first
group of Hoppers they met; "whom have you
captured?"
"No one," replied the Champion in a gloomy
voice; "these strangers have captured me."
"Then," said another, "we will rescue you, and
capture them, for we are greater in number."
"No," answered the Champion, "I can't allow it.
I've surrendered, and it isn't polite to capture
those you've surrendered to."
"Never mind that," said Dorothy. "We will give
you your liberty and set you free."
"Really?" asked the Champion in joyous tones.
"Yes," said the little girl; "your people may
need you to help conquer the Horners."
At this all the Hoppers looked downcast and sad.
Several more had joined the group by this time and
quite a crowd of curious men, women and children
surrounded the strangers.
"This war with our neighbors is a terrible
thing," remarked one of the women. "Some one is
almost sure to get hurt."
"Why do you say that, madam?" inquired the
Scarecrow.
"Because the horns of our enemies are sharp,
and in battle they will try to stick those horns
into our warriors," she replied.
"How many horns do the Horners have?" asked
Dorothy.
"Each has one horn in the center of his forehead,"
was the answer.
"Oh, then they're unicorns," declared the
Scarecrow.
"No; they're Horners. We never go to war with
them if we can help it, on account of their
dangerous horns; but this insult was so great and
so unprovoked that our brave men decided to fight,
in order to be revenged," said the woman.
"What weapons do you fight with?" the Scarecrow
asked.
"We have no weapons," explained the Champion.
"Whenever we fight the Horners, our plan is to
push them back, for our arms are longer than
theirs."
"Then you are better armed," said Scraps.
"Yes; but they have those terrible horns, and
unless we are careful they prick us with the
points," returned the Champion with a shudder.
"That makes a war with them dangerous, and a
dangerous war cannot be a pleasant one."
"I see very clearly," remarked the Scarecrow,
"that you are going to have trouble in conquering
those Horners--unless we help you."
"Oh!" cried the Hoppers in a chorus; "can
you help us? Please do! We will be greatly
obliged! It would please us very much!" and by
these exclamations the Scarecrow knew that his
speech had met with favor.
"How far is it to the Horner Country?" he asked.
"Why, it's just the other side of the fence,"
they answered, and the Champion added:
"Come with me, please, and I'll show you the
Horners."
So they followed the Champion and several
others through the streets and just beyond the
village came to a very high picket fence, built
all of marble, which seemed to divide the great
cave into two equal parts.
But the part inhabited by the Horners was in no
way as grand in appearance as that of the Hoppers.
Instead of being marble, the walls and roof were
of dull gray rock and the square houses were
plainly made of the same material. But in extent
the city was much larger than that of the Hoppers
and the streets were thronged with numerous people
who busied themselves in various ways.
Looking through the open pickets of the fence
our friends watched the Horners, who did not know
they were being watched by strangers, and found
them very unusual in appearance. They were little
folks in size and had bodies round as balls and
short legs and arms. Their heads were round, too,
and they had long, pointed ears and a horn set in
the center of the forehead. The horns did not seem
very terrible, for they were not more than six
inches long; but they were ivory white and sharp
pointed, and no wonder the Hoppers feared them.
The skins of the Horners were light brown, but
they wore snow-white robes and were bare-footed.
Dorothy thought the most striking thing about them
was their hair, which grew in three distinct
colors on each and every head--red, yellow and
green. The red was at the bottom and sometimes
hung over their eyes; then came a broad circle of
yellow and the green was at the top and formed a
brush-shaped top-knot.
None of the Horners was yet aware of the
presence of strangers, who watched the little
brown people for a time and then went to the
big gate in the center of the dividing fence. It
was locked on both sides and over the latch was
a sign reading:
"WAR IS DECLARED"
"Can't we go through?" asked Dorothy.
"Not now," answered the Champion.
"I think," said the Scarecrow, "that if I could
talk with those Horners they would apologize to
you, and then there would be no need to fight."
"Can't you talk from this side?" asked the
Champion.
"Not so well," replied the Scarecrow. "Do you
suppose you could throw me over that fence?
It is high, but I am very light."
"We can try it," said the Hopper. "I am perhaps
the strongest man in my country, so I'll undertake
to do the throwing. But I won't promise you will
land on your feet."
"No matter about that," returned the Scarecrow.
"Just toss me over and I'll be satisfied."
So the Champion picked up the Scarecrow
and balanced him a moment, to see how much
he weighed, and then with all his strength
tossed him high into the air.
Perhaps if the Scarecrow had been a trifle
heavier he would have been easier to throw and
would have gone a greater distance; but, as it
was, instead of going over the fence he landed
just on top of it, and one of the sharp pickets
caught him in the middle of his back and held him
fast prisoner. Had he been face downward the
Scarecrow might have managed to free himself, but
lying on his back on the picket his hands waved in
the air of the Horner Country while his feet
kicked the air of the Hopper Country; so there he
was.
"Are you hurt?" called the Patchwork Girl
anxiously.
"Course not," said Dorothy. "But if he wiggles
that way he may tear his clothes. How can we get
him down, Mr. Champion?"
The Champion shook his head.
"I don't know," he confessed. "If he could
scare Horners as well as he does crows, it might
be a good idea to leave him there."
"This is terrible," said Ojo, almost ready to
cry. "I s'pose it's because I am Ojo the Unlucky
that everyone who tries to help me gets into
trouble."
"You are lucky to have anyone to help you,"
declared Dorothy. "But don't worry. We'll rescue
the Scarecrow somehow."
"I know how," announced Scraps. "Here, Mr.
Champion; just throw me up to the Scarecrow. I'm
nearly as light as he is, and when I'm on top the
fence I'll pull our friend off the picket and toss
him down to you."
"All right," said the Champion, and he picked up
the Patchwork Girl and threw her in the same
manner he had the Scarecrow. He must have used
more strength this time, however, for Scraps
sailed far over the top of the fence and, without
being able to grab the Scarecrow at all, tumbled
to the ground in the Horner Country, where her
stuffed body knocked over two men and a woman and
made a crowd that had collected there run like
rabbits to get away from her.
Seeing the next moment that she was harmless,
the people slowly returned and gathered around the
Patchwork Girl, regarding her with astonishment.
One of them wore a jeweled star in his hair, just
above his horn, and this seemed a person of
importance. He spoke for the rest of his people,
who treated him with great respect.
"Who are you, Unknown Being?" he asked.
"Scraps," she said, rising to her feet and
patting her cotton wadding smooth where it had
bunched up.
"And where did you come from?" he continued.
"Over the fence. Don't be silly. There's no
other place I could have come from," she replied.
He looked at her thoughtfully.
"You are not a Hopper," said he, "for you
have two legs. They're not very well shaped,
but they are two in number. And that strange
creature on top the fence--why doesn't he stop
kicking?--must be your brother, or father, or son,
for he also has two legs."
"You must have been to visit the Wise Donkey,"
said Scraps, laughing so merrily that the crowd
smiled with her, in sympathy. "But that reminds
me, Captain--or King--"
"I am Chief of the Horners, and my name is Jak."
"Of course; Little Jack Horner; I might have
known it. But the reason I volplaned over the
fence was so I could have a talk with you about
the Hoppers."
"What about the Hoppers?" asked the Chief,
frowning.
"You've insulted them, and you'd better beg
their pardon," said Scraps. "If you don't, they'll
probably hop over here and conquer you."
"We're not afraid--as long as the gate is
locked," declared the Chief. "And we didn't insult
them at all. One of us made a joke that the stupid
Hoppers couldn't see."
The Chief smiled as he said this and the smile
made his face look quite jolly.
"What was the joke?" asked Scraps.
"A Horner said they have less understanding than
we, because they've only one leg. Ha, ha! You see
the point, don't you? If you stand on your legs,
and your legs are under you, then--ha, ha, ha!--
then your legs are your under-standing. Hee, hee,
hee! Ho, ho! My, but that's a fine joke. And the
stupid Hoppers couldn't see it! They couldn't see
that with only one leg they must have less
under-standing than we who have two legs. Ha, ha,
ha! Hee, hee! Ho, ho!" The Chief wiped the tears
of laughter from his eyes with the bottom hem of
his white robe, and all the other Horners wiped
their eyes on their robes, for they had laughed
just as heartily as their Chief at the absurd
joke.
"Then," said Scraps, "their understanding of the
understanding you meant led to the
misunderstanding."
"Exactly; and so there's no need for us to
apologize," returned the Chief.
"No need for an apology, perhaps, but much need
for an explanation," said Scraps decidedly. "You
don't want war, do you?"
"Not if we can help it," admitted Jak Horner.
"The question is, who's going to explain the joke
to the Horners? You know it spoils any joke to be
obliged to explain it, and this is the best joke I
ever heard."
"Who made the joke?" asked Scraps.
"Diksey Horner. He is working in the mines, just
now, but he'll be home before long. Suppose we
wait and talk with him about it? Maybe he'll be
willing to explain his joke to the Hoppers."
"All right," said Scraps. "I'll wait, if Diksey
isn't too long."
"No, he's short; he's shorter than I am. Ha,
ha, ha! Say! that's a better joke than Diksey's.
He won't be too long, because he's short. Hee,
hee, ho!"
The other Horners who were standing by roared
with laughter and seemed to like their Chief's
joke as much as he did. Scraps thought it was odd
that they could be so easily amused, but decided
there could be little harm in people who laughed
so merrily.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Peace Is Declared
"Come with me to my dwelling and I'll introduce
you to my daughters," said the Chief. "We're
bringing them up according to a book of rules that
was written by one of our leading old bachelors,
and everyone says they're a remarkable lot of girls."
So Scraps accompanied him along the street to a
house that seemed on the outside exceptionally
grimy and dingy. The streets of this city were not
paved nor had any attempt been made to beautify
the houses or their surroundings, and having
noticed this condition Scraps was astonished when
the Chief ushered her into his home.
Here was nothing grimy or faded, indeed. On the
contrary, the room was of dazzling brilliance and
beauty, for it was lined throughout with an
exquisite metal that resembled translucent frosted
silver. The surface of this metal was highly
ornamented in raised designs representing men,
animals, flowers and trees, and from the metal
itself was radiated the soft light which flooded
the room. All the furniture was made of the same
glorious metal, and Scraps asked what it was.
"That's radium," answered the Chief. "We
Horners spend all our time digging radium from
the mines under this mountain, and we use it
to decorate our homes and make them pretty and
cosy. It is a medicine, too, and no one can ever
be sick who lives near radium."
"Have you plenty of it?" asked the Patchwork
Girl.
"More than we can use. All the houses in this
city are decorated with it, just the same as mine
is."
"Why don't you use it on your streets, then,
and the outside of your houses, to make them as
pretty as they are within?" she inquired.
"Outside? Who cares for the outside of
anything?" asked the Chief. "We Horners don't live
on the outside of our homes; we live inside. Many
people are like those stupid Hoppers, who love to
make an outside show. I suppose you strangers
thought their city more beautiful than ours,
because you judged from appearances and they have
handsome marble houses and marble streets; but if
you entered one of their stiff dwellings you would
find it bare and uncomfortable, as all their show
is on the outside. They have an idea that what is
not seen by others is not important, but with us
the rooms we live in are our chief delight and
care, and we pay no attention to outside show."
"Seems to me," said Scraps, musingly, "it
would be better to make it all pretty--inside
and out."
"Seems? Why, you're all seams, my girl!" said
the Chief; and then he laughed heartily at his
latest joke and a chorus of small voices echoed
the chorus with "tee-hee-hee! ha, ha!"
Scraps turned around and found a row of
girls seated in radium chairs ranged along one
wall of the room. There were nineteen of them,
by actual count, and they were of all sizes from
a tiny child to one almost a grown woman. All
were neatly dressed in spotless white robes and
had brown skins, horns on their foreheads and
three-colored hair.
"These," said the Chief, "are my sweet
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