The Patchwork Girl of Oz
by
L. Frank Baum
Part 5 out of 5
daughters. My dears, I introduce to you Miss
Scraps Patchwork, a lady who is traveling in
foreign parts to increase her store of wisdom."
The nineteen Horner girls all arose and made
a polite curtsey, after which they resumed their
seats and rearranged their robes properly.
"Why do they sit so still, and all in a row?"
asked Scraps.
"Because it is ladylike and proper," replied the
Chief.
"But some are just children, poor things!
Don't they ever run around and play and laugh,
and have a good time?"
"No, indeed," said the Chief. "That would he
improper in young ladies, as well as in those who
will sometime become young ladies. My daughters
are being brought up according to the rules and
regulations laid down by a leading bachelor who
has given the subject much study and is himself a
man of taste and culture. Politeness is his great
hobby, and he claims that if a child is allowed to
do an impolite thing one cannot expect the grown
person to do anything better."
"Is it impolite to romp and shout and be jolly?"
asked Scraps.
"Well, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't,"
replied the Horner, after considering the
question. "By curbing such inclinations in my
daughters we keep on the safe side. Once in a
while I make a good joke, as you have heard, and
then I permit my daughters to laugh decorously;
but they are never allowed to make a joke
themselves."
"That old bachelor who made the rules ought
to be skinned alive!" declared Scraps, and would
have said more on the subject had not the door
opened to admit a little Horner man whom the
Chief introduced as Diksey.
"What's up, Chief?" asked Diksey, winking
nineteen times at the nineteen girls, who demurely
cast down their eyes because their father was
looking.
The Chief told the man that his joke had not
been understood by the dull Hoppers, who had
become so angry that they had declared war. So the
only way to avoid a terrible battle was to explain
the joke so they could understand it.
"All right," replied Diksey, who seemed a good-
natured man; "I'll go at once to the fence and
explain. I don't want any war with the Hoppers,
for wars between nations always cause hard
feelings."
So the Chief and Diksey and Scraps left the
house and went back to the marble picket fence.
The Scarecrow was still stuck on the top of his
picket but had now ceased to struggle. On the
other side of the fence were Dorothy and Ojo,
looking between the pickets; and there, also,
were the Champion and many other Hoppers.
Diksey went close to the fence and said:
"My good Hoppers, I wish to explain that
what I said about you was a joke. You have but
one leg each, and we have two legs each. Our
legs are under us, whether one or two, and we
stand on them. So, when I said you had less
understanding than we, I did not mean that you
had less understanding, you understand, but
that you had less standundering, so to speak.
Do you understand that?"
The Hoppers thought it over carefully. Then one
said:
"That is clear enough; but where does the joke
come in?'"
Dorothy laughed, for she couldn't help it,
although all the others were solemn enough.
"I'll tell you where the joke comes in," she
said, and took the Hoppers away to a distance,
where the Horners could not hear them. "You know,"
she then explained, "those neighbors of yours are
not very bright, poor things, and what they think
is a joke isn't a joke at all--it's true, don't
you see?"
"True that we have less understanding?" asked
the Champion.
"Yes; it's true because you don't understand
such a poor joke; if you did, you'd be no wiser
than they are."
"Ah, yes; of course," they answered, looking
very wise.
"So I'll tell you what to do," continued
Dorothy. "Laugh at their poor joke and tell 'em
it's pretty good for a Horner. Then they won't
dare say you have less understanding, because you
understand as much as they do."
The Hoppers looked at one another questioningly
and blinked their eyes and tried to think what it
all meant; but they couldn't figure it out.
"What do you think, Champion?" asked one of
them.
"I think it is dangerous to think of this thing
any more than we can help," he replied. "Let us do
as this girl says and laugh with the Horners, so
as to make them believe we see the joke. Then
there will be peace again and no need to fight."
They readily agreed to this and returned to
the fence laughing as loud and as hard as they
could, although they didn't feel like laughing
a bit. The Horners were much surprised.
"That's a fine joke--for a Horner--and we are
much pleased with it," said the Champion, speaking
between the pickets. "But please don't do it
again."
"I won't," promised Diksey. "If I think of
another such joke I'll try to forget it."
"Good!" cried the Chief Horner. "The war is over
and peace is declared."
There was much joyful shouting on both sides of
the fence and the gate was unlocked and thrown
wide open, so that Scraps was able to rejoin her
friends.
"What about the Scarecrow?" she asked Dorothy.
"We must get him down, somehow or other," was
the reply.
"Perhaps the Horners can find a way," suggested
Ojo. So they all went through the gate and Dorothy
asked the Chief Horner how they could get the
Scarecrow off the fence. The Chief didn't know
how, but Diksey said:
"A ladder's the thing."
"Have you one?" asked Dorothy.
"To be sure. We use ladders in our mines,"
said he. Then he ran away to get the ladder,
and while he was gone the Horners gathered
around and welcomed the strangers to their
country, for through them a great war had been
avoided.
In a little while Diksey came back with a
tall ladder which he placed against the fence. Ojo
at once climbed to the top of the ladder and
Dorothy went about halfway up and Scraps stood at
the foot of it. Toto ran around it and barked.
Then Ojo pulled the Scarecrow away from the picket
and passed him down to Dorothy, who in turn
lowered him to the Patchwork Girl.
As soon as he was on his feet and standing
on solid ground the Scarecrow said:
"Much obliged. I feel much better. I'm not
stuck on that picket any more."
The Horners began to laugh, thinking this
was a joke, but the Scarecrow shook himself and
patted his straw a little and said to Dorothy:
"Is there much of a hole in my back?"
The little girl examined him carefully.
"There's quite a hole," she said. "But I've got
a needle and thread in the knapsack and I'll sew
you up again."
"Do so," he begged earnestly, and again the
Hoppers laughed, to the Scarecrow's great
annoyance.
While Dorothy was sewing up the hole in
the straw man's back Scraps examined the other
parts of him.
"One of his legs is ripped, too!" she exclaimed.
"Oho!" cried little Diksey; "that's bad. Give
him the needle and thread and let him mend
his ways."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Chief, and the
other Horners at once roared with laughter.
"What's funny?" inquired the Scarecrow sternly.
"Don't you see?" asked Diksey, who had
laughed even harder than the others. "That's a
joke. It's by odds the best joke I ever made.
You walk with your legs, and so that's the way
you walk, and your legs are the ways. See? So,
when you mend your legs, you mend your ways.
Ho, ho, ho! hee, hee! I'd no idea I could make
such a fine joke!"
"Just wonderful!" echoed the Chief. "How do you
manage to do it, Diksey?"
"I don't know," said Diksey modestly. "Perhaps
it's the radium, but I rather think it's my
splendid intellect."
"If you don't quit it," the Scarecrow told him,
"there'll be a worse war than the one you've
escaped from."
Ojo had been deep in thought, and now he
asked the Chief: "Is there a dark well in any
part of your country?"
"A dark well? None that ever I heard of," was
the answer.
"Oh, yes," said Diksey, who overheard the
boy's question. "There's a very dark well down
in my radium mine."
"Is there any water in it?" Ojo eagerly asked.
"Can't say; I've never looked to see. But we
can find out."
So, as soon as the Scarecrow was mended,
they decided to go with Diksey to the mine.
When Dorothy had patted the straw man into
shape again he declared he felt as good as new
and equal to further adventures.
"Still," said he, "I prefer not to do picket
duty again. High life doesn't seem to agree with
my constitution." And then they hurried away
to escape the laughter of the Horners, who
thought this was another joke.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ojo Finds the Dark Well
They now followed Diksey to the farther end of
the great cave, beyond the Horner city, where
there were several round, dark holes leading into
the ground in a slanting direction. Diksey went to
one of these holes and said:
"Here is the mine in which lies the dark well
you are seeking. Follow me and step carefully and
I'll lead you to the place."
He went in first and after him came Ojo, and
then Dorothy, with the Scarecrow behind her.
The Patchwork Girl entered last of all, for Toto
kept close beside his little mistress.
A few steps beyond the mouth of the opening it
was pitch dark. "You won't lose your way, though,"
said the Horner, "for there's only one way to go.
The mine's mine and I know every step of the way.
How's that for a joke, eh? The mine's mine." Then
he chuckled gleefully as they followed him
silently down the steep slant. The hole was just
big enough to permit them to walk upright,
although the Scarecrow, being much the taller of
the party, often had to bend his head to keep from
hitting the top.
The floor of the tunnel was difficult to walk
upon because it had been worn smooth as glass, and
pretty soon Scraps, who was some distance behind
the others, slipped and fell head foremost. At
once she began to slide downward, so swiftly that
when she came to the Scarecrow she knocked him off
his feet and sent him tumbling against Dorothy,
who tripped up Ojo. The boy fell against the
Horner, so that all went tumbling down the slide
in a regular mix-up, unable to see where they were
going because of the darkness.
Fortunately, when they reached the bottom the
Scarecrow and Scraps were in front, and the others
bumped against them, so that no one was hurt. They
found themselves in a vast cave which was dimly
lighted by the tiny grains of radium that lay
scattered among the loose rocks.
"Now," said Diksey, when they had all regained
their feet, "I will show you where the dark well
is. This is a big place, but if we hold fast to
each other we won't get lost."
They took hold of hands and the Horner led
them into a dark corner, where he halted.
"Be careful," said he warningly. "The well is
at your feet."
"All right," replied Ojo, and kneeling down
he felt in the well with his hand and found
that it contained a quantity of water. "Where's
the gold flask, Dorothy?" he asked, and the
little girl handed him the flask, which she had
brought with her.
Ojo knelt again and by feeling carefully in
the dark managed to fill the flask with the
unseen water that was in the well. Then he
screwed the top of the flask firmly in place and
put the precious water in his pocket.
"All right!" he said again, in a glad voice;
"now we can go back."
They returned to the mouth of the tunnel and
began to creep cautiously up the incline. This
time they made Scraps stay behind, for fear she
would slip again; but they all managed to get up
in safety and the Munchkin boy was very happy when
he stood in the Horner city and realized that the
water from the dark well, which he and his friends
had traveled so far to secure, was safe in his
jacket pocket.
Chapter Twenty-Five
They Bribe the Lazy Quadling
"Now," said Dorothy, as they stood on the mountain
path, having left behind them the cave in which
dwelt the Hoppers and the Horners, "I think we
must find a road into the Country of the Winkies,
for there is where Ojo wants to go next."
"Is there such a road?" asked the Scarecrow.
"I don't know," she replied. "I s'pose we can go
back the way we came, to Jack Pumpkinhead's house,
and then turn into the Winkie Country; but that
seems like running 'round a haystack, doesn't it?"
"Yes," said the Scarecrow. "What is the next
thing Ojo must get?"
"A yellow butterfly," answered the boy.
"That means the Winkie Country, all right,
for it's the yellow country of Oz," remarked
Dorothy. "I think, Scarecrow, we ought to take
him to the Tin Woodman, for he's the Emp'ror
of the Winkies and will help us to find what
Ojo wants."
"Of course," replied the Scarecrow, brightening
at the suggestion. "The Tin Woodman will do
anything we ask him, for he's one of my dearest
friends. I believe we can take a crosscut into his
country and so get to his castle a day sooner
than if we travel back the way we came."
"I think so, too," said the girl; "and that means
we must keep to the left."
They were obliged to go down the mountain before
they found any path that led in the direction they
wanted to go, but among the tumbled rocks at the
foot of the mountain was a faint trail which they
decided to follow. Two or three hours walk along
this trail brought them to a clear, level country,
where there were a few farms and some scattered
houses. But they knew they were still in the
Country of the Quadlings, because everything had a
bright red color. Not that the trees and grasses
were red, but the fences and houses were painted
that color and all the wild-flowers that bloomed
by the wayside had red blossoms. This part of the
Quadling Country seemed peaceful and prosperous,
if rather lonely, and the road was more distinct
and easier to follow.
But just as they were congratulating themselves
upon the progress they had made they came upon a
broad river which swept along between high banks,
and here the road ended and there was no bridge of
any sort to allow them to cross.
"This is queer," mused Dorothy, looking at
the water reflectively. "Why should there be
any road, if the river stops everyone walking
along it?"
"Wow!" said Toto, gazing earnestly into her
face.
"That's the best answer you'll get," declared
the Scarecrow, with his comical smile, "for no
one knows any more than Toto about this road."
Said Scraps:
"Ev'ry time I see a river,
I have chills that make me shiver,
For I never can forget
All the water's very wet.
If my patches get a soak
It will be a sorry joke;
So to swim I'll never try
Till I find the water dry."
"Try to control yourself, Scraps," said Ojo;
"you're getting crazy again. No one intends to swim
that river."
"No," decided Dorothy, "we couldn't swim it
if we tried. It's too big a river, and the water
moves awful fast."
"There ought to be a ferryman with a boat,"
said the Scarecrow; "but I don't see any."
"Couldn't we make a raft?" suggested Ojo.
"There's nothing to make one of," answered
Dorothy.
"Wow!" said Toto again, and Dorothy saw he
was looking along the bank of the river.
"Why, he sees a house over there!" cried the
little girl. "I wonder we didn't notice it
ourselves. Let's go and ask the people how to
get 'cross the river."
A quarter of a mile along the bank stood a
small, round house, painted bright red, and as
it was on their side of the river they hurried
toward it. A chubby little man, dressed all in
red, came out to greet them, and with him were
two children, also in red costumes. The man's
eyes were big and staring as he examined the
Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl, and the
children shyly hid behind him and peeked
timidly at Toto.
"Do you live here, my good man?" asked the
Scarecrow.
"I think I do, Most Mighty Magician," replied
the Quadling, bowing low; "but whether I'm awake
or dreaming I can't be positive, so I'm not sure
where I live. If you'll kindly pinch me I'll find
out all about it!"
"You're awake," said Dorothy, "and this is no
magician, but just the Scarecrow."
"But he's alive," protested the man, "and he
oughtn't to be, you know. And that other dreadful
person--the girl who is all patches--seems to be
alive, too."
"Very much so," declared Scraps, making a
face at him. "But that isn't your affair, you
know."
"I've a right to be surprised, haven't I?" asked
the man meekly.
"I'm not sure; but anyhow you've no right to say
I'm dreadful. The Scarecrow, who is a gentleman of
great wisdom, thinks I'm beautiful," retorted
Scraps.
"Never mind all that," said Dorothy. "Tell us,
good Quadling, how we can get across the river."
"I don't know," replied the Quadling.
"Don't you ever cross it?" asked the girl.
"Never."
"Don't travelers cross it?"
"Not to my knowledge," said he.
They were much surprised to hear this, and
the man added: "It's a pretty big river, and the
current is strong. I know a man who lives on
the opposite bank, for I've seen him there a good
many years; but we've never spoken because
neither of us has ever crossed over."
"That's queer," said the Scarecrow. "Don't you
own a boat?"
The man shook his head.
"Nor a raft?"
"Where does this river go to?" asked Dorothy.
"That way," answered the man, pointing with
one hand, "it goes into the Country of the
Winkies, which is ruled by the Tin Emperor,
who must be a mighty magician because he's
all made of tin, and yet he's alive. And that
way," pointing with the other hand, "the river
runs between two mountains where dangerous
people dwell."
The Scarecrow looked at the water before them.
"The current flows toward the Winkie Country,"
said he; "and so, if we had a boat, or a raft, the
river would float us there more quickly and more
easily than we could walk."
"That is true," agreed Dorothy; and then they
all looked thoughtful and wondered what could
be done.
"Why can't the man make us a raft?" asked Ojo.
"Will you?" inquired Dorothy, turning to the
Quadling.
The chubby man shook his head.
"I'm too lazy," he said. "My wife says I'm the
laziest man in all Oz, and she is a truthful
woman. I hate work of any kind, and making a raft
is hard work."
"I'll give you my em'rald ring," promised the
girl.
"No; I don't care for emeralds. If it were a
ruby, which is the color I like best, I might work
a little while."
"I've got some Square Meal Tablets," said the
Scarecrow. "Each one is the same as a dish of
soup, a fried fish, a mutton pot-pie, lobster
salad, charlotte russe and lemon jelly--all made
into one little tablet that you can swallow
without trouble."
"Without trouble!" exclaimed the Quadling,
much interested; "then those tablets would be
fine for a lazy man. It's such hard work to chew
when you eat."
"I'll give you six of those tablets if you'll
help us make a raft," promised the Scarecrow.
"They're a combination of food which people who
eat are very fond of. I never eat, you know, being
straw; but some of my friends eat regularly. What
do you say to my offer, Quadling?"
"I'll do it," decided the man. "I'll help, and
you can do most of the work. But my wife has
gone fishing for red eels to-day, so some of you
will have to mind the children."
Scraps promised to do that, and the children
were not so shy when the Patchwork Girl sat
down to play with them. They grew to like
Toto, too, and the little dog allowed them to
pat him on his head, which gave the little ones
much joy.
There were a number of fallen trees near the
house and the Quadling got his axe and chopped
them into logs of equal length. He took his wife's
clothesline to bind these logs together, so that
they would form a raft, and Ojo found some strips
of wood and nailed them along the tops of the
logs, to render them more firm. The Scarecrow and
Dorothy helped roll the logs together and carry
the strips of wood, but it took so long to make
the raft that evening came just as it was
finished, and with evening the Quadling's wife
returned from her fishing.
The woman proved to be cross and bad-tempered,
perhaps because she had only caught one red eel
during all the day. When she found that her
husband had used her clothesline, and the logs she
had wanted for firewood, and the boards she had
intended to mend the shed with, and a lot of gold
nails, she became very angry. Scraps wanted to
shake the woman, to make her behave, but Dorothy
talked to her in a gentle tone and told the
Quadling's wife she was a Princess of Oz and a
friend of Ozma and that when she got back to the
Emerald City she would send them a lot of things
to repay them for the raft, including a new
clothesline. This promise pleased the woman and
she soon became more pleasant, saying they could
stay the night at her house and begin their voyage
on the river next morning.
This they did, spending a pleasant evening
with the Quadling family and being entertained
with such hospitality as the poor people were
able to offer them. The man groaned a good
deal and said he had overworked himself by
chopping the logs, but the Scarecrow gave him
two more tablets than he had promised, which
seemed to comfort the lazy fellow.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Trick River
Next morning they pushed the raft into the water
and all got aboard. The Quadling man had to hold
the log craft fast while they took their places,
and the flow of the river was so powerful that it
nearly tore the raft from his hands. As soon as
they were all seated upon the logs he let go and
away it floated and the adventurers had begun
their voyage toward the Winkie Country.
The little house of the Quadlings was out of
sight almost before they had cried their good-
byes, and the Scarecrow said in a pleased voice:
"It won't take us long to get to the Winkie
Country, at this rate."
They had floated several miles down the stream
and were enjoying the ride when suddenly the raft
slowed up, stopped short, and then began to float
back the way it had come.
"Why, what's wrong?" asked Dorothy, in
astonishment; but they were all just as bewildered
as she was and at first no one could answer the
question. Soon, however, they realized the truth:
that the current of the river had reversed and the
water was now flowing in the opposite direction--
toward the mountains.
They began to recognize the scenes they had
passed, and by and by they came in sight of the
little house of the Quadlings again. The man
was standing on the river bank and he called
to them:
"How do you do? Glad to see you again. I forgot
to tell you that the river changes its direction
every little while. Sometimes it flows one way,
and sometimes the other."
They had no time to answer him, for the raft
was swept past the house and a long distance on
the other side of it.
"We're going just the way we don't want to
go," said Dorothy, "and I guess the best thing
we can do is to get to land before we're carried
any farther."
But they could not get to land. They had
no oars, nor even a pole to guide the raft with.
The logs which bore them floated in the middle
of the stream and were held fast in that position
by the strong current.
So they sat still and waited and, even while
they were wondering what could be done, the raft
slowed down, stopped, and began drifting the other
way--in the direction it had first followed. After
a time they repassed the Quadling house and the
man was still standing on the bank. He cried out
to them:
"Good day! Glad to see you again. I expect
I shall see you a good many times, as you go
by, unless you happen to swim ashore."
By that time they had left him behind and
were headed once more straight toward the
Winkie Country.
"This is pretty hard luck," said Ojo in a
discouraged voice. "The Trick River keeps
changing, it seems, and here we must float back
and forward forever, unless we manage in some way
to get ashore."
"Can you swim?" asked Dorothy.
"No; I'm Ojo the Unlucky."
"Neither can I. Toto can swim a little, but
that won't help us to get to shore."
"I don't know whether I could swim, or not,"
remarked Scraps; "but if I tried it I'd surely ruin
my lovely patches."
"My straw would get soggy in the water and
I would sink," said the Scarecrow.
So there seemed no way out of their dilemma
and being helpless they simply sat still. Ojo,
who was on the front of the raft, looked over
into the water and thought he saw some large
fishes swimming about. He found a loose end
of the clothesline which fastened the logs
together, and taking a gold nail from his pocket
he bent it nearly double, to form a hook, and
tied it to the end of the line. Having baited the
hook with some bread which he broke from his
loaf, he dropped the line into the water and
almost instantly it was seized by a great fish.
They knew it was a great fish, because it
pulled so hard on the line that it dragged the
raft forward even faster than the current of the
river had carried it. The fish was frightened,
and it was a strong swimmer. As the other end
of the clothesline was bound around the logs
he could not get it away, and as he had greedily
swallowed the gold hook at the first bite he
could not get rid of that, either.
When they reached the place where the current
had before changed, the fish was still swimming
ahead in its wild attempt to escape. The raft
slowed down, yet it did not stop, because the fish
would not let it. It continued to move in the same
direction it had been going. As the current
reversed and rushed backward on its course it
failed to drag the raft with it. Slowly, inch by
inch, they floated on, and the fish tugged and
tugged and kept them going.
"I hope he won't give up," said Ojo anxiously.
"If the fish can hold out until the current
changes again, we'll be all right."
The fish did not give up, but held the raft
bravely on its course, till at last the water in
the river shifted again and floated them the way
they wanted to go. But now the captive fish
found its strength failing. Seeking a refuge, it
began to drag the raft toward the shore. As they
did not wish to land in this place the boy cut
the rope with his pocket-knife and set the fish
free, just in time to prevent the raft from
grounding.
The next time the river backed up the Scarecrow
managed to seize the branch of a tree that
overhung the water and they all assisted him to
hold fast and prevent the raft from being carried
backward. While they waited here, Ojo spied a long
broken branch lying upon the bank, so he leaped
ashore and got it. When he had stripped off the
side shoots he believed he could use the branch as
a pole, to guide the raft in case of emergency.
They clung to the tree until they found the
water flowing the right way, when they let go
and permitted the raft to resume its voyage. In
spite of these pauses they were really making
good progress toward the Winkie Country and
having found a way to conquer the adverse
current their spirits rose considerably. They
could see little of the country through which
they were passing, because of the high banks,
and they met with no boats or other craft upon
the surface of the river.
Once more the trick river reversed its current,
but this time the Scarecrow was on guard and
used the pole to push the raft toward a big
rock which lay in the water. He believed the
rock would prevent their floating backward with
the current, and so it did. They clung to this
anchorage until the water resumed its proper
direction, when they allowed the raft to drift on.
Floating around a bend they saw ahead a high
bank of water, extending across the entire river,
and toward this they were being irresistibly
carried. There being no way to arrest the progress
of the raft they clung fast to the logs and let
the river sweep them on. Swiftly the raft climbed
the bank of water and slid down on the other side,
plunging its edge deep into the water and
drenching them all with spray.
As again the raft righted and drifted on,
Dorothy and Ojo laughed at the ducking they had
received; but Scraps was much dismayed and the
Scarecrow took out his handkerchief and wiped the
water off the Patchwork Girl's patches as well as
he was able to. The sun soon dried her and the
colors of her patches proved good, for they did
not run together nor did they fade.
After passing the wall of water the current did
not change or flow backward any more but continued
to sweep them steadily forward. The banks of the
river grew lower, too, permitting them to see more
of the country, and presently they discovered
yellow buttercups and dandelions growing amongst
the grass, from which evidence they knew they had
reached the Winkie Country.
"Don't you think we ought to land?" Dorothy
asked the Scarecrow.
"Pretty soon," he replied. "The Tin Woodman's
castle is in the southern part of the Winkie
Country, and so it can't be a great way from
here."
Fearing they might drift too far, Dorothy and
Ojo now stood up and raised the Scarecrow in
their arms, as high as they could, thus allowing
him a good view of the country. For a time he
saw nothing he recognized, but finally he cried:
"There it is! There it is!"
"What?" asked Dorothy.
"The Tin Woodman's tin castle. I can see
its turrets glittering in the sun. It's quite a way
off, but we'd better land as quickly as we can."
They let him down and began to urge the raft
toward the shore by means of the pole. It obeyed
very well, for the current was more sluggish
now, and soon they had reached the bank and
landed safely.
The Winkie Country was really beautiful,
and across the fields they could see afar the
silvery sheen of the tin castle. With light hearts
they hurried toward it, being fully rested by
their long ride on the river.
By and by they began to cross an immense
field of splendid yellow lilies, the delicate
fragrance of which was very delightful.
"How beautiful they are!" cried Dorothy,
stopping to admire the perfection of these
exquisite flowers.
"Yes," said the Scarecrow, reflectively, "but
we must be careful not to crush or injure any
of these lilies."
"Why not?" asked Ojo.
"The Tin Woodman is very kind-hearted,"
was the reply, "and he hates to see any living
thing hurt in any way."
"Are flowers alive?" asked Scraps.
"Yes, of course. And these flowers belong to
the Tin Woodman. So, in order not to offend
him, we must not tread on a single blossom."
"Once," said Dorothy, "the Tin Woodman
stepped on a beetle and killed the little creature.
That made him very unhappy and he cried until
his tears rusted his joints, so he couldn't move
'em."
"What did he do then?" asked Ojo.
"Put oil on them, until the joints worked
smooth again."
"Oh!" exclaimed the boy, as if a great discovery
had flashed across his mind. But he did not tell
anybody what the discovery was and kept the idea
to himself.
It was a long walk, but a pleasant one, and
they did not mind it a bit. Late in the afternoon
they drew near to the wonderful tin castle of
the Emperor of the Winkies, and Ojo and
Scraps, who had never seen it before, were
filled with amazement.
Tin abounded in the Winkie Country and
the Winkies were said to be the most skillful
tinsmiths in all the world. So the Tin Woodman
had employed them in building his magnificent
castle, which was all of tin, from the ground to
the tallest turret, and so brightly polished that
it glittered in the sun's rays more gorgeously
than silver. Around the grounds of the castle
ran a tin wall, with tin gates; but the gates stood
wide open because the Emperor had no enemies
to disturb him.
When they entered the spacious grounds our
travelers found more to admire. Tin fountains sent
sprays of clear water far into the air and there
were many beds of tin flowers, all as perfectly
formed as any natural flowers might be. There
were tin trees, too, and here and there shady
bowers of tin, with tin benches and chairs to sit
upon. Also, on the sides of the pathway leading up
to the front door of the castle, were rows of tin
statuary, very cleverly executed. Among these Ojo
recognized statues of Dorothy, Toto, the
Scarecrow, the Wizard, the Shaggy Man, Jack
Pumpkinhead and Ozma, all standing upon neat
pedestals of tin.
Toto was well acquainted with the residence of
the Tin Woodman and, being assured a joyful
welcome, he ran ahead and barked so loudly at the
front door that the Tin Woodman heard him and came
out in person to see if it were really his old
friend Toto. Next moment the tin man had clasped
the Scarecrow in a warm embrace and then turned
to hug Dorothy. But now his eye was arrested by
the strange sight of the Patchwork Girl, and he
gazed upon her in mingled wonder and admiration.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The Tin Woodman Objects
The Tin Woodman was one of the most important
personages in all Oz. Though Emperor of the
Winkies, he owed allegiance to Ozma, who ruled all
the land, and the girl and the tin man were warm
personal friends. He was something of a dandy and
kept his tin body brilliantly polished and his tin
joints well oiled. Also he was very courteous in
manner and so kind and gentle that everyone loved
him. The Emperor greeted Ojo and Scraps with
cordial hospitality and ushered the entire party
into his handsome tin parlor, where all the
furniture and pictures were made of tin. The walls
were paneled with tin and from the tin ceiling
hung tin chandeliers.
The Tin Woodman wanted to know, first of
all, where Dorothy had found the Patchwork
Girl, so between them the visitors told the story
of how Scraps was made, as well as the accident
to Margolotte and Unc Nunkie and how Ojo
had set out upon a journey to procure the things
needed for the Crooked Magician's magic
charm. Then Dorothy told of their adventures
in the Quadling Country and how at last they
succeeded in getting the water from a dark well.
While the little girl was relating these
adventures the Tin Woodman sat in an easy chair
listening with intense interest, while the others
sat grouped around him. Ojo, however, had kept his
eyes fixed upon the body of the tin Emperor, and
now he noticed that under the joint of his left
knee a tiny drop of oil was forming. He watched
this drop of oil with a fast-beating heart, and
feeling in his pocket brought out a tiny vial of
crystal, which he held secreted in his hand.
Presently the Tin Woodman changed his
position, and at once Ojo, to the astonishment
of all, dropped to the floor and held his crystal
vial under the Emperor's knee joint. Just then
the drop of oil fell, and the boy caught it in
his bottle and immediately corked it tight. Then,
with a red face and embarrassed manner, he rose
to confront the others.
"What in the world were you doing?" asked
the Tin Woodman.
"I caught a drop of oil that fell from your
knee-joint," confessed Ojo.
"A drop of oil!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman.
"Dear me, how careless my valet must have
been in oiling me this morning. I'm afraid I
shall have to scold the fellow, for I can't be
dropping oil wherever I go."
"Never mind," said Dorothy. "Ojo seems glad
to have the oil, for some reason."
"Yes," declared the Munchkin boy, "I am
glad. For one of the things the Crooked Magician
sent me to get was a drop of oil from a live man's
body. I had no idea, at first, that there was such
a thing; but it's now safe in the little crystal
vial."
"You are very welcome to it, indeed," said
the Tin Woodman. "Have you now secured all
the things you were in search of?"
"Not quite all," answered Ojo. "There were five
things I had to get, and I have found four of
them. I have the three hairs in the tip of a
Woozy's tail, a six-leaved clover, a gill of water
from a dark well and a drop of oil from a live
man's body. The last thing is the easiest of all
to get, and I'm sure that my dear Unc Nunkie--and
good Margolotte, as well--will soon be restored to
life."
The Munchkin boy said this with much pride and
pleasure.
"Good!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman; "I
congratulate you. But what is the fifth and last
thing you need, in order to complete the magic
charm?"
"The left wing of a yellow butterfly," said
Ojo. "In this yellow country, and with your
kind assistance, that ought to be very easy to
find."
The Tin Woodman stared at him in amazement.
"Surely you are joking!" he said.
"No," replied Ojo, much surprised; "I am in
earnest."
"But do you think for a moment that I would
permit you, or anyone else, to pull the left wing
from a yellow butterfly?" demanded the Tin Woodman
sternly.
"Why not, sir?"
"Why not? You ask me why not? It would be
cruel--one of the most cruel and heartless deeds
I ever heard of," asserted the Tin Woodman.
"The butterflies are among the prettiest of all
created things, and they are very sensitive to
pain. To tear a wing from one would cause it
exquisite torture and it would soon die in great
agony. I would not permit such a wicked deed
under any circumstances!"
Ojo was astounded at hearing this. Dorothy, too,
looked grave and disconcerted, but she knew in her
heart that the Tin Woodman was right. The
Scarecrow nodded his head in approval of his
friend's speech, so it was evident that he agreed
with the Emperor's decision. Scraps looked from
one to another in perplexity.
"Who cares for a butterfly?" she asked.
"Don't you?" inquired the Tin Woodman.
"Not the snap of a finger, for I have no heart,"
said the Patchwork Girl. "But I want to help
Ojo, who is my friend, to rescue the uncle whom
he loves, and I'd kill a dozen useless butterflies
to enable him to do that."
The Tin Woodman sighed regretfully.
"You have kind instincts," he said, "and with a
heart you would indeed be a fine creature. I
cannot blame you for your heartless remark, as you
cannot understand the feelings of those who
possess hearts. I, for instance, have a very neat
and responsive heart which the wonderful Wizard
of Oz once gave me, and so I shall never--never--
never permit a poor yellow butterfly to be
tortured by anyone."
"The yellow country of the Winkies," said Ojo
sadly, "is the only place in Oz where a yellow
butterfly can be found."
"I'm glad of that," said the Tin Woodman.
"As I rule the Winkie Country, I can protect
my butterflies."
"Unless I get the wing--just one left wing--"
said Ojo miserably, "I can't save Unc Nunkie."
"Then he must remain a marble statue forever,"
declared the Tin Emperor, firmly.
Ojo wiped his eyes, for he could not hold back
the tears.
"I'll tell you what to do," said Scraps. "We'll
take a whole yellow butterfly, alive and well, to
the Crooked Magician, and let him pull the left
wing off."
"No, you won't," said the Tin Woodman.
"You can't have one of my dear little butterflies
to treat in that way."
"Then what in the world shall we do?" asked
Dorothy.
They all became silent and thoughtful. No
one spoke for a long time. Then the Tin Woodman
suddenly roused himself and said:
"We must all go back to the Emerald City
and ask Ozma's advice. She's a wise little girl,
our Ruler, and she may find a way to help Ojo
save his Unc Nunkie."
So the following morning the party started
on the journey to the Emerald City, which they
reached in due time without any important
adventure. It was a sad journey for Ojo, for
without the wing of the yellow butterfly he saw
no way to save Unc Nunkie--unless he waited
six years for the Crooked Magician to make a
new lot of the Powder of Life. The boy was
utterly discouraged, and as he walked along he
groaned aloud.
"Is anything hurting you?" inquired the Tin
Woodman in a kindly tone, for the Emperor
was with the party.
"I'm Ojo the Unlucky," replied the boy. "I
might have known I would fail in anything
I tried to do."
"Why are you Ojo the Unlucky?" asked the tin
man.
"Because I was born on a Friday."
"Friday is not unlucky," declared the Emperor.
"It's just one of seven days. Do you suppose all
the world becomes unlucky one-seventh of the
time?"
"It was the thirteenth day of the month," said
Ojo.
"Thirteen! Ah, that is indeed a lucky number,"
replied the Tin Woodman. "All my good luck seems
to happen on the thirteenth. I suppose most
people never notice the good luck that comes to
them with the number 13, and yet if the least bit
of bad luck falls on that day, they blame it to
the number, and not to the proper cause."
"Thirteen's my lucky number, too," remarked the
Scarecrow.
"And mine," said Scraps. "I've just thirteen
patches on my head."
"But," continued Ojo, "I'm left-handed."
"Many of our greatest men are that way,"
asserted the Emperor. "To be left-handed is
usually to be two-handed; the right-handed people
are usually one-handed."
"And I've a wart under my right arm," said Ojo.
"How lucky!" cried the Tin Woodman. "If
it were on the end of your nose it might be
unlucky, but under your arm it is luckily out
of the way."
"For all those reasons," said the Munchkin
boy, "I have been called Ojo the Unlucky."
"Then we must turn over a new leaf and call you
henceforth Ojo the Lucky," declared the tin man.
"Every reason you have given is absurd. But I have
noticed that those who continually dread ill luck
and fear it will overtake them, have no time to
take advantage of any good fortune that comes
their way. Make up your mind to be Ojo the
Lucky."
"How can I?" asked the boy, "when all my
attempts to save my dear uncle have failed?"
"Never give up, Ojo," advised Dorothy. "No
one ever knows what's going to happen next."
Ojo did not reply, but he was so dejected that
even their arrival at the Emerald City failed to
interest him.
The people joyfully cheered the appearance of
the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and Dorothy, who
were all three general favorites, and on entering
the royal palace word came to them from Ozma that
she would at once grant them an audience.
Dorothy told the girl Ruler how successful
they had been in their quest until they came to
the item of the yellow butterfly, which the Tin
Woodman positively refused to sacrifice to the
magic potion.
"He is quite right," said Ozma, who did not seem
a bit surprised. "Had Ojo told me that one of the
things he sought was the wing of a yellow
butterfly I would have informed him, before he
started out, that he could never secure it. Then
you would have been saved the troubles and
annoyances of your long journey."
"I didn't mind the journey at all," said
Dorothy; "it was fun."
"As it has turned out," remarked Ojo, "I can
never get the things the Crooked Magician sent
me for; and so, unless I wait the six years for
him to make the Powder of Life, Unc Nunkie
cannot be saved."
Ozma smiled.
"Dr. Pipt will make no more Powder of Life,
I promise you," said she. "I have sent for him
and had him brought to this palace, where he
now is, and his four kettles have been destroyed
and his book of recipes burned up. I have also
had brought here the marble statues of your
uncle and of Margolotte, which are standing in
the next room."
They were all greatly astonished at this
announcement.
"Oh, let me see Unc Nunkie! Let me see him
at once, please!" cried Ojo eagerly.
"Wait a moment," replied Ozma, "for I have
something more to say. Nothing that happens
in the Land of Oz escapes the notice of our wise
Sorceress, Glinda the Good. She knew all about
the magic-making of Dr. Pipt, and how he had
brought the Glass Cat and the Patchwork Girl
to life, and the accident to Unc Nunkie and
Margolotte, and of Ojo's quest and his journey
with Dorothy. Glinda also knew that Ojo would
fail to find all the things he sought, so she sent
for our Wizard and instructed him what to do.
Something is going to happen in this palace,
presently, and that 'something' will, I am sure,
please you all. And now," continued the girl
Ruler, rising from her chair, "you may follow
me into the next room."
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
When Ojo entered the room he ran quickly to
the statue of Unc Nunkie and kissed the marble
face affectionately.
"I did my best, Unc," he said, with a sob, "but
it was no use!"
Then he drew back and looked around the room,
and the sight of the assembled company quite
amazed him.
Aside from the marble statues of Unc Nunkie and
Margolotte, the Glass Cat was there, curled up on
a rug; and the Woozy was there, sitting on its
square hind legs and looking on the scene with
solemn interest; and there was the Shaggy Man, in
a suit of shaggy pea-green satin, and at a table
sat the little Wizard, looking quite important and
as if he knew much more than he cared to tell.
Last of all, Dr. Pipt was there, and the
Crooked Magician sat humped up in a chair,
seeming very dejected but keeping his eyes fixed
on the lifeless form of his wife Margolotte,
whom he fondly loved but whom he now feared
was lost to him forever.
Ozma took a chair which Jellia Jamb wheeled
forward for the Ruler, and back of her stood the
Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and Dorothy, as
well as the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry
Tiger. The Wizard now arose and made a low
bow to Ozma and another less deferent bow to
the assembled company.
"Ladies and gentlemen and beasts," he said,
"I beg to announce that our Gracious Ruler has
permitted me to obey the commands of the great
Sorceress, Glinda the Good, whose humble Assistant
I am proud to be. We have discovered that the
Crooked Magician has been indulging in his magical
arts contrary to Law, and therefore, by Royal
Edict, I hereby deprive him of all power to work
magic in the future. He is no longer a crooked
magician, but a simple Munchkin; he is no longer
even crooked, but a man like other men."
As he pronounced these words the Wizard
waved his hand toward Dr. Pipt and instantly
every crooked limb straightened out and became
perfect. The former magician, with a cry of joy,
sprang to his feet, looked at himself in wonder,
and then fell back in his chair and watched the
Wizard with fascinated interest.
"The Glass Cat, which Dr. Pipt lawlessly
made," continued the Wizard, "is a pretty cat,
but its pink brains made it so conceited that it
was a disagreeable companion to everyone. So
the other day I took away the pink brains and
replaced them with transparent ones, and now
the Glass Cat is so modest and well behaved
that Ozma has decided to keep her in the palace
as a pet."
"I thank you," said the cat, in a soft voice.
"The Woozy has proved himself a good Woozy and a
faithful friend," the Wizard went on, "so we will
send him to the Royal Menagerie, where he will
have good care and plenty to eat all his life."
"Much obliged," said the Woozy. "That beats
being fenced up in a lonely forest and starved."
"As for the Patchwork Girl," resumed the Wizard,
"she is so remarkable in appearance, and so clever
and good tempered, that our Gracious Ruler intends
to preserve her carefully, as one of the
curiosities of the curious Land of Oz. Scraps may
live in the palace, or wherever she pleases, and
be nobody's servant but her own."
"That's all right," said Scraps.
"We have all been interested in Ojo," the little
Wizard continued, "because his love for his
unfortunate uncle has led him bravely to face all
sorts of dangers, in order that he might rescue
him. The Munchkin boy has a loyal and generous
heart and has done his best to restore Unc Nunkie
to life. He has failed, but there are others more
powerful than the Crooked Magician, and there are
more ways than Dr. Pipt knew of to destroy the
charm of the Liquid of Petrifaction. Glinda the
Good has told me of one way, and you shall now
learn how great is the knowledge and power of our
peerless Sorceress."
As he said this the Wizard advanced to the
statue of Margolote and made a magic pass, at
the same time muttering a magic word that
none could hear distinctly. At once the woman
moved, turned her head wonderingly this way
and that, to note all who stood before her, and
seeing Dr. Pipt, ran forward and threw herself
into her husband's outstretched arms.
Then the Wizard made the magic pass and
spoke the magic word before the statue of Unc
Nunkie. The old Munchkin immediately came
to life and with a low bow to the Wizard said:
"Thanks."
But now Ojo rushed up and threw his arms
joyfully about his uncle, and the old man
hugged his little nephew tenderly and stroked
his hair and wiped away the boy's tears with a
handkerchief, for Ojo was crying from pure
happiness.
Ozma came forward to congratulate them.
"I have given to you, my dear Ojo and Unc
Nunkie, a nice house just outside the walls of
the Emerald City," she said, "and there you
shall make your future home and be under my
protection."
"Didn't I say you were Ojo the Lucky?"
asked the Tin Woodman, as everyone crowded
around to shake Ojo's hand.
"Yes; and it is true!" replied Ojo, gratefully.
Back to Full Books
|