Ozma of Oz, that the wife and ten children--five boys and five girls--of
the former King of Ev, by name Evoldo, have been enslaved by the Nome
King and are held prisoners in his underground palace. Also that there
was no one in Ev powerful enough to release them. Naturally our Ozma
wished to undertake the adventure of liberating the poor prisoners; but
for a long time she could find no way to cross the great desert between
the two countries. Finally she went to a friendly sorceress of our land
named Glinda the Good, who heard the story and at once presented Ozma a
magic carpet, which would continually unroll beneath our feet and so
make a comfortable path for us to cross the desert. As soon as she had
received the carpet our gracious Ruler ordered me to assemble our army,
which I did. You behold in these bold warriors the pick of all the
finest soldiers of Oz; and, if we are obliged to fight the Nome King,
every officer as well as the private, will battle fiercely unto death."
Then Tiktok spoke.
"Why should you fight the Nome King?" he asked. "He has done no wrong."
"No wrong!" cried Dorothy. "Isn't it wrong to imprison a queen mother
and her ten children?"
"They were sold to the Nome King by King Ev-ol-do," replied Tiktok. "It
was the King of Ev who did wrong, and when he re-al-ized what he had
done he jumped in-to the sea and drowned him-self."
"This is news to me," said Ozma, thoughtfully. "I had supposed the Nome
King was all to blame in the matter. But, in any case, he must be made
to liberate the prisoners."
"My uncle Evoldo was a very wicked man," declared the Princess
Langwidere. "If he had drowned himself before he sold his family, no one
would have cared. But he sold them to the powerful Nome King in exchange
for a long life, and afterward destroyed the life by jumping into the
sea."
"Then," said Ozma, "he did not get the long life, and the Nome King must
give up the prisoners. Where are they confined?"
"No one knows, exactly," replied the Princess. "For the king, whose name
is Roquat of the Rocks, owns a splendid palace underneath the great
mountain which is at the north end of this kingdom, and he has
transformed the queen and her children into ornaments and bric-a-brac
with which to decorate his rooms."
"I'd like to know," said Dorothy, "who this Nome King is?"
"I will tell you," replied Ozma. "He is said to be the Ruler of the
Underground World, and commands the rocks and all that the rocks
contain. Under his rule are many thousands of the Nomes, who are queerly
shaped but powerful sprites that labor at the furnaces and forges of
their king, making gold and silver and other metals which they conceal
in the crevices of the rocks, so that those living upon the earth's
surface can only find them with great difficulty. Also they make
diamonds and rubies and emeralds, which they hide in the ground; so that
the kingdom of the Nomes is wonderfully rich, and all we have of
precious stones and silver and gold is what we take from the earth and
rocks where the Nome King has hidden them."
"I understand," said Dorothy, nodding her little head wisely.
"For the reason that we often steal his treasures," continued Ozma, "the
Ruler of the Underground World is not fond of those who live upon the
earth's surface, and never appears among us. If we wish to see King
Roquat of the Rocks, we must visit his own country, where he is all
powerful, and therefore it will be a dangerous undertaking."
"But, for the sake of the poor prisoners," said Dorothy, "we ought to do
it."
"We shall do it," replied the Scarecrow, "although it requires a lot of
courage for me to go near to the furnaces of the Nome King. For I am
only stuffed with straw, and a single spark of fire might destroy me
entirely."
"The furnaces may also melt my tin," said the Tin Woodman; "but I am
going."
"I can't bear heat," remarked the Princess Langwidere, yawning lazily,
"so I shall stay at home. But I wish you may have success in your
undertaking, for I am heartily tired of ruling this stupid kingdom, and
I need more leisure in which to admire my beautiful heads."
"We do not need you," said Ozma. "For, if with the aid of my brave
followers I cannot accomplish my purpose, then it would be useless for
you to undertake the journey."
"Quite true," sighed the Princess. "So, if you'll excuse me, I will now
retire to my cabinet. I've worn this head quite awhile, and I want to
change it for another."
When she had left them (and you may be sure no one was sorry to see her
go) Ozma said to Tiktok:
"Will you join our party?"
"I am the slave of the girl Dor-oth-y, who res-cued me from pris-on,"
replied the machine. "Where she goes I will go."
"Oh, I am going with my friends, of course," said Dorothy, quickly. "I
wouldn't miss the fun for anything. Will you go, too, Billina?"
"To be sure," said Billina in a careless tone. She was smoothing down
the feathers of her back and not paying much attention.
[Illustration: "I CAN'T BEAR HEAT," REMARKED LANGWIDERE]
"Heat is just in her line," remarked the Scarecrow. "If she is nicely
roasted, she will be better than ever."
"Then," said Ozma, "we will arrange to start for the Kingdom of the Nomes
at daybreak tomorrow. And, in the meantime, we will rest and prepare
ourselves for the journey."
Although Princess Langwidere did not again appear to her guests, the
palace servants waited upon the strangers from Oz and did everything in
their power to make the party comfortable. There were many vacant rooms
at their disposal, and the brave Army of twenty-seven was easily
provided for and liberally feasted.
The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger were unharnessed from the chariot
and allowed to roam at will throughout the palace, where they nearly
frightened the servants into fits, although they did no harm at all. At
one time Dorothy found the little maid Nanda crouching in terror in a
corner, with the Hungry Tiger standing before her.
"You certainly look delicious," the beast was saying. "Will you kindly
give me permission to eat you?"
"No, no, no!" cried the maid in reply.
"Then," said the Tiger, yawning frightfully, "please to get me about
thirty pounds of tenderloin steak, cooked rare, with a peck of boiled
potatoes on the side, and five gallons of ice-cream for dessert."
"I--I'll do the best I can!" said Nanda, and she ran away as fast as she
could go.
"Are you so very hungry?" asked Dorothy, in wonder.
"You can hardly imagine the size of my appetite," replied the Tiger,
sadly. "It seems to fill my whole body, from the end of my throat to the
tip of my tail. I am very sure the appetite doesn't fit me, and is too
large for the size of my body. Some day, when I meet a dentist with a
pair of forceps, I'm going to have it pulled."
"What, your tooth?" asked Dorothy.
"No, my appetite," said the Hungry Tiger.
[Illustration: DOROTHY RELATED TO THEM HER OWN ADVENTURES]
The little girl spent most of the afternoon talking with the Scarecrow
and the Tin Woodman, who related to her all that had taken place in the
Land of Oz since Dorothy had left it. She was much interested in the
story of Ozma, who had been, when a baby, stolen by a wicked old witch
and transformed into a boy. She did not know that she had ever been a
girl until she was restored to her natural form by a kind sorceress.
Then it was found that she was the only child of the former Ruler of
Oz, and was entitled to rule in his place. Ozma had many adventures,
however, before she regained her father's throne, and in these she was
accompanied by a pumpkin-headed man, a highly magnified and thoroughly
educated Woggle-Bug, and a wonderful sawhorse that had been brought to
life by means of a magic powder. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman had
also assisted her; but the Cowardly Lion, who ruled the great forest as
the King of Beasts, knew nothing of Ozma until after she became the
reigning princess of Oz. Then he journeyed to the Emerald City to see
her, and on hearing she was about to visit the Land of Ev to set free
the royal family of that country, the Cowardly Lion begged to go with
her, and brought along his friend, the Hungry Tiger, as well.
Having heard this story, Dorothy related to them her own adventures, and
then went out with her friends to find the Sawhorse, which Ozma had
caused to be shod with plates of gold, so that its legs would not wear
out.
They came upon the Sawhorse standing motionless beside the garden gate,
but when Dorothy was introduced to him he bowed politely and blinked his
eyes, which were knots of wood, and wagged his tail, which was only the
branch of a tree.
"What a remarkable thing, to be alive!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"I quite agree with you," replied the Sawhorse, in a rough but not
unpleasant voice. "A creature like me has no business to live, as we all
know. But it was the magic powder that did it, so I cannot justly be
blamed."
[Illustration]
"Of course not," said Dorothy. "And you seem to be of some use, 'cause I
noticed the Scarecrow riding upon your back."
"Oh, yes; I'm of use," returned the Sawhorse; "and I never tire, never
have to be fed, or cared for in any way."
"Are you intel'gent?" asked the girl.
"Not very," said the creature. "It would be foolish to waste intelligence
on a common Sawhorse, when so many professors need it. But I know enough
to obey my masters, and to gid-dup, or whoa, when I'm told to. So I'm
pretty well satisfied."
That night Dorothy slept in a pleasant little bedchamber next to that
occupied by Ozma of Oz, and Billina perched upon the foot of the bed and
tucked her head under her wing and slept as soundly in that position as
did Dorothy upon her soft cushions.
But before daybreak every one was awake and stirring, and soon the
adventurers were eating a hasty breakfast in the great dining-room of
the palace. Ozma sat at the head of a long table, on a raised platform,
with Dorothy on her right hand and the Scarecrow on her left. The
Scarecrow did not eat, of course; but Ozma placed him near her so that
she might ask his advice about the journey while she ate.
Lower down the table were the twenty-seven warriors of Oz, and at the
end of the room the Lion and the Tiger were eating out of a kettle that
had been placed upon the floor, while Billina fluttered around to pick
up any scraps that might be scattered.
It did not take long to finish the meal, and then the Lion and the Tiger
were harnessed to the chariot and the party was ready to start for the
Nome King's Palace.
First rode Ozma, with Dorothy beside her in the golden chariot and
holding Billina fast in her arms. Then came the Scarecrow on the
Sawhorse, with the Tin Woodman and Tiktok marching side by side just
behind him. After these tramped the Army, looking brave and handsome in
their splendid uniforms. The generals commanded the colonels and the
colonels commanded the majors and the majors commanded the captains and
the captains commanded the private, who marched with an air of proud
importance because it required so many officers to give him his orders.
And so the magnificent procession left the palace and started along the
road just as day was breaking, and by the time the sun came out they had
made good progress toward the valley that led to the Nome King's
domain.
The Giant with the Hammer
[Illustration]
The road led for a time through a pretty farm country, and then past a
picnic grove that was very inviting. But the procession continued to
steadily advance until Billina cried in an abrupt and commanding manner:
"Wait--wait!"
Ozma stopped her chariot so suddenly that the Scarecrow's Sawhorse
nearly ran into it, and the ranks of the army tumbled over one another
before they could come to a halt. Immediately the yellow hen struggled
from Dorothy's arms and flew into a clump of bushes by the roadside.
"What's the matter?" called the Tin Woodman, anxiously.
"Why, Billina wants to lay her egg, that's all," said Dorothy.
"Lay her egg!" repeated the Tin Woodman, in astonishment.
"Yes; she lays one every morning, about this time; and it's quite
fresh," said the girl.
"But does your foolish old hen suppose that this entire cavalcade, which
is bound on an important adventure, is going to stand still while she
lays her egg?" enquired the Tin Woodman, earnestly.
"What else can we do?" asked the girl. "It's a habit of Billina's and
she can't break herself of it."
"Then she must hurry up," said the Tin Woodman, impatiently.
"No, no!" exclaimed the Scarecrow. "If she hurries she may lay scrambled
eggs."
"That's nonsense," said Dorothy. "But Billina won't be long, I'm sure."
So they stood and waited, although all were restless and anxious to
proceed. And by and by the yellow hen came from the bushes saying:
"Kut-kut, kut, ka-daw-kutt! Kut, kut, kut--ka-daw-kut!" "What is she
doing--singing her lay?" asked the Scarecrow.
"For-ward--march!" shouted the Tin Woodman, waving his axe, and the
procession started just as Dorothy had once more grabbed Billina in her
arms.
[Illustration]
"Isn't anyone going to get my egg?" cried the hen, in great excitement.
"I'll get it," said the Scarecrow; and at his command the Sawhorse
pranced into the bushes. The straw man soon found the egg, which he
placed in his jacket pocket. The cavalcade, having moved rapidly on, was
even then far in advance; but it did not take the Sawhorse long to
catch up with it, and presently the Scarecrow was riding in his
accustomed place behind Ozma's chariot.
"What shall I do with the egg?" he asked Dorothy.
"I do not know," the girl answered. "Perhaps the Hungry Tiger would like
it."
[Illustration]
"It would not be enough to fill one of my back teeth," remarked the
Tiger. "A bushel of them, hard boiled, might take a little of the edge
off my appetite; but one egg isn't good for anything at all, that I know
of."
"No; it wouldn't even make a sponge cake," said the Scarecrow,
thoughtfully. "The Tin Woodman might carry it with his axe and hatch it;
but after all I may as well keep it myself for a souvenir." So he left
it in his pocket.
[Illustration]
They had now reached that part of the valley that lay between the two
high mountains which Dorothy had seen from her tower window. At the far
end was the third great mountain, which blocked the valley and was the
northern edge of the Land of Ev. It was underneath this mountain that
the Nome King's palace was said to be; but it would be some time before
they reached that place.
The path was becoming rocky and difficult for the wheels of the chariot
to pass over, and presently a deep gulf appeared at their feet which was
too wide for them to leap. So Ozma took a small square of green cloth
from her pocket and threw it upon the ground. At once it became the
magic carpet, and unrolled itself far enough for all the cavalcade to
walk upon. The chariot now advanced, and the green carpet unrolled
before it, crossing the gulf on a level with its banks, so that all
passed over in safety.
"That's easy enough," said the Scarecrow. "I wonder what will happen
next."
He was not long in making the discovery, for the sides of the mountain
came closer together until finally there was but a narrow path between
them, along which Ozma and her party were forced to pass in single file.
They now heard a low and deep "thump!----thump!----thump!" which echoed
throughout the valley and seemed to grow louder as they advanced. Then,
turning a corner of rock, they saw before them a huge form, which
towered above the path for more than a hundred feet. The form was that
of a gigantic man built out of plates of cast iron, and it stood with
one foot on either side of the narrow road and swung over its right
shoulder an immense iron mallet, with which it constantly pounded the
earth. These resounding blows explained the thumping sounds they had
heard, for the mallet was much bigger than a barrel, and where it struck
the path between the rocky sides of the mountain it filled all the space
through which our travelers would be obliged to pass.
Of course they at once halted, a safe distance away from the terrible
iron mallet. The magic carpet would do them no good in this case, for it
was only meant to protect them from any dangers upon the ground beneath
their feet, and not from dangers that appeared in the air above them.
"Wow!" said the Cowardly Lion, with a shudder. "It makes me dreadfully
nervous to see that big hammer pounding so near my head. One blow would
crush me into a door-mat."
"The ir-on gi-ant is a fine fel-low," said Tiktok, "and works as
stead-i-ly as a clock. He was made for the Nome King by Smith & Tin-ker,
who made me, and his du-ty is to keep folks from find-ing the
un-der-ground pal-ace. Is he not a great work of art?"
"Can he think, and speak, as you do?" asked Ozma, regarding the giant
with wondering eyes.
"No," replied the machine; "he is on-ly made to pound the road, and has
no think-ing or speak-ing at-tach-ment. But he pounds ve-ry well, I
think."
"Too well," observed the Scarecrow. "He is keeping us from going
farther. Is there no way to stop his machinery?"
"On-ly the Nome King, who has the key, can do that," answered Tiktok.
"Then," said Dorothy, anxiously, "what shall we do?"
"Excuse me for a few minutes," said the Scarecrow, "and I will think it
over."
He retired, then, to a position in the rear, where he turned his painted
face to the rocks and began to think.
Meantime the giant continued to raise his iron mallet high in the air
and to strike the path terrific blows that echoed through the mountains
like the roar of a cannon. Each time the mallet lifted, however, there
was a moment when the path beneath the monster was free, and perhaps the
Scarecrow had noticed this, for when he came back to the others he said:
"The matter is a very simple one, after all. We have but to run under
the hammer, one at a time, when it is lifted, and pass to the other
side before it falls again."
[Illustration: THE TIGER WENT NEXT]
"It will require quick work, if we escape the blow," said the Tin
Woodman, with a shake of his head. "But it really seems the only thing
to be done. Who will make the first attempt?"
They looked at one another hesitatingly for a moment. Then the Cowardly
Lion, who was trembling like a leaf in the wind, said to them:
"I suppose the head of the procession must go first--and that's me. But
I'm terribly afraid of the big hammer!"
"What will become of me?" asked Ozma. "You might rush under the hammer
yourself, but the chariot would surely be crushed."
"We must leave the chariot," said the Scarecrow. "But you two girls can
ride upon the backs of the Lion and the Tiger."
So this was decided upon, and Ozma, as soon as the Lion was unfastened
from the chariot, at once mounted the beast's back and said she was
ready.
"Cling fast to his mane," advised Dorothy. "I used to ride him myself,
and that's the way I held on."
So Ozma clung fast to the mane, and the Lion crouched in the path and
eyed the swinging mallet carefully until he knew just the instant it
would begin to rise in the air.
Then, before anyone thought he was ready, he made a sudden leap
straight between the iron giant's legs, and before the mallet struck the
ground again the Lion and Ozma were safe on the other side.
The Tiger went next. Dorothy sat upon his back and locked her arms
around his striped neck, for he had no mane to cling to. He made the
leap straight and true as an arrow from a bow, and ere Dorothy realized
it she was out of danger and standing by Ozma's side.
Now came the Scarecrow on the Sawhorse, and while they made the dash in
safety they were within a hair's breadth of being caught by the
descending hammer.
Tiktok walked up to the very edge of the spot the hammer struck, and as
it was raised for the next blow he calmly stepped forward and escaped
its descent. That was an idea for the Tin Woodman to follow, and he also
crossed in safety while the great hammer was in the air. But when it
came to the twenty-six officers and the private, their knees were so
weak that they could not walk a step.
"In battle we are wonderfully courageous," said one of the generals,
"and our foes find us very terrible to face. But war is one thing and
this is another. When it comes to being pounded upon the head by an iron
hammer, and smashed into pancakes, we naturally object."
"Make a run for it," urged the Scarecrow.
"Our knees shake so that we cannot run," answered a captain. "If we
should try it we would all certainly be pounded to a jelly."
"Well, well" sighed the Cowardly Lion, "I see, friend Tiger, that we
must place ourselves in great danger to rescue this bold army. Come with
me, and we will do the best we can."
So, Ozma and Dorothy having already dismounted from their backs, the
Lion and the Tiger leaped back again under the awful hammer and returned
with two generals clinging to their necks. They repeated this daring
passage twelve times, when all the officers had been carried beneath the
giant's legs and landed safely on the further side. By that time the
beasts were very tired, and panted so hard that their tongues hung out
of their great mouths.
"But what is to become of the private?" asked Ozma.
"Oh, leave him there to guard the chariot," said the Lion. "I'm tired
out, and won't pass under that mallet again."
[Illustration: THE WOODEN HORSE WAS CARELESS]
The officers at once protested that they must have the private with
them, else there would be no one for them to command. But neither the
Lion or the Tiger would go after him, and so the Scarecrow sent the
Sawhorse.
Either the wooden horse was careless, or it failed to properly time the
descent of the hammer, for the mighty weapon caught it squarely upon its
head, and thumped it against the ground so powerfully that the private
flew off its back high into the air, and landed upon one of the giant's
cast-iron arms. Here he clung desperately while the arm rose and fell
with each one of the rapid strokes.
The Scarecrow dashed in to rescue his Sawhorse, and had his left foot
smashed by the hammer before he could pull the creature out of danger.
They then found that the Sawhorse had been badly dazed by the blow; for
while the hard wooden knot of which his head was formed could not be
crushed by the hammer, both his ears were broken off and he would be
unable to hear a sound until some new ones were made for him. Also his
left knee was cracked, and had to be bound up with a string.
Billina having fluttered under the hammer, it now remained only to
rescue the private who was riding upon the iron giant's arm, high in the
air. The Scarecrow lay flat upon the ground and called to the man to
jump down upon his body, which was soft because it was stuffed with
straw. This the private managed to do, waiting until a time when he was
nearest the ground and then letting himself drop upon the Scarecrow. He
accomplished the feat without breaking any bones, and the Scarecrow
declared he was not injured in the least.
Therefore, the Tin Woodman having by this time fitted new ears to the
Sawhorse, the entire party proceeded upon its way, leaving the giant to
pound the path behind them.
[Illustration]
The Nome King
[Illustration]
By and by, when they drew near to the mountain that blocked their path
and which was the furthermost edge of the Kingdom of Ev, the way grew
dark and gloomy for the reason that the high peaks on either side shut
out the sunshine. And it was very silent, too, as there were no birds to
sing or squirrels to chatter, the trees being left far behind them and
only the bare rocks remaining.
Ozma and Dorothy were a little awed by the silence, and all the others
were quiet and grave except the Sawhorse, which, as it trotted along
with the Scarecrow upon his back, hummed a queer song, of which this was
the chorus:
"Would a wooden horse in a woodland go?
Aye, aye! I sigh, he would, although
Had he not had a wooden head
He'd mount the mountain top instead."
But no one paid any attention to this because they were now close to the
Nome King's dominions, and his splendid underground palace could not be
very far away.
Suddenly they heard a shout of jeering laughter, and stopped short. They
would have to stop in a minute, anyway, for the huge mountain barred
their further progress and the path ran close up to a wall of rock and
ended.
"Who was that laughing?" asked Ozma.