The Grand Banquet
The next day was given over entirely to welcoming Ozana to Oz. Early
in the morning, the Sawhorse was hitched to the Red Wagon, and a merry
company of travelers rode out of the Emerald City to be the first
visitors to Story Blossom Mountain. In the front seat of the Red Wagon
rode Ozma, Ozana, Dorothy and Trot. In the rear seat were Betsy Bobbin,
Cap'n Bill, the Wizard and the Scarecrow.
The Sawhorse needed no reins to guide him, as this intelligent horse
responded to spoken commands. Being tireless and having no need for
oats or water, he was in many ways superior to ordinary horses.
As the Red Wagon pulled up near the entrance to Hi-Lo's elevator, the
party was met by flaxen-haired Miss Cuttenclip. Not far distant was
a pretty little paper village of paper people, ruled over by Miss
Cuttenclip, who had skillfully cut out the entire village and all its
inhabitants from "live" paper furnished her by Glinda the Good. Ozma
had communicated with Miss Cuttenclip before the journey, inviting
her to meet them and visit Story Blossom Mountain and afterwards to
accompany them to the Emerald City for the Grand Banquet to be given
that evening in Ozana's honor. Ozana and Miss Cuttenclip became friends
at once.
Hi-Lo greeted Ozana and the rest joyfully, but it was necessary for him
to make two trips to carry this large party to the mountain top. Ozana
showed the visitors around the Village of Pineville and Story Blossom
Garden. On the surface of the blue pond floated the three swans.
Knowing that Ozana would no longer need them to carry her back to Mount
Illuso, Ozma had thoughtfully transported the swans from the court-yard
of her palace to their pond when she had worked the fairy spell that
had brought the Story Blossom Garden to Oz.
After passing several happy hours in the Story Blossom Garden, Ozana
and her guests returned to the bottom of the mountain, where the
Sawhorse and the Red Wagon waited to carry them back to the Emerald
City.
The rest of the day was devoted to preparing for the Grand Banquet to
be given in Ozana's honor that evening in the Grand Dining Room of the
Royal Palace. All of Ozma's old friends and companions were invited.
Late in the afternoon the guests began arriving. The Tin Woodman
journeyed from his glittering Tin Castle in the Winkie Country. Jack
Pumpkinhead left his house, a huge, hollowed-out pumpkin in the middle
of a pumpkin field. The Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated Woggle
Bug traveled from the Royal Athletic College of Oz, of which he was
Principal.
Among other guests who came from great distances were Glinda the
Good, the Giant Frogman, Cayke the Cookie Cook, Dr. Pipt--the Crooked
Magician who was no longer crooked nor a magician, his wife Margolotte,
the Good Witch of the North and Lady Aurex Queen of the Skeezers.
Dorothy transported all of these visitors to the Emerald City by means
of her Magic Belt, except Glinda, who arrived by her own magic.
The Grand Banquet proved to be one of the most brilliant and delightful
occasions ever to be enjoyed in the Emerald City, and was long
remembered by all who were present. In addition to the delicious food,
there was music and special entertainment for the guests. The Scarecrow
made a gallant speech of welcome to which Ozana charmingly replied.
The Woggle Bug could not be restrained from reading an "Ode to Ozana,"
which he claimed he had composed on the spur of the moment, writing
it on the cuff of his shirt sleeve. A number of the guests thought
the composition sounded suspiciously like an "Ode to Ozma," which
the Woggle Bug had written some years before, but they were all too
kind-hearted to mention this. The Tin Woodman sang a love song, which
he had written especially for the occasion, and which he had titled
"You're My Tin Type." While the song was only moderately good, the Tin
Woodman sang in a metallic tenor with great feeling and the company
applauded politely.
Then the Little Wizard made them all gasp with a truly wonderful
display of magic. The Wizard opened his show by causing a fountain of
many colored flames of fire to appear in the center of the banquet
table. At his command, streamers of fire of different colors--red,
green, blue, rose, orange, violet--leaped out from the burning fountain
to touch the unlighted candles that stood at the place of each guest.
After this the fountain of fire vanished while the now-lighted candles
continued to burn throughout the banquet, each shedding the light
imparted to it by the colored fire.
The Wizard concluded his entertainment by tossing a napkin into the air
above the banquet table. Instantly the napkin disappeared and a storm
of confetti showered down on the guests, while band after band of what
appeared to be brightly colored paper ribbon fell over the party.
But it didn't take Button Bright long to discover and announce with
shouts of glee to the rest of the guests, that the confetti and the
many colored paper ribbons were really the most delicious of spearmint,
peppermint, clove, licorice, lime, lemon, orange and chocolate candies
and mints. This, of course, provided the perfect ending for the dinner.
At the table occupied by the animals, there was a great deal of talking
and merry-making. Toto received many compliments on his handsome new
red leather collar, embellished with clusters of emeralds and his own
name in solid gold letters. Princess Ozma, herself, had fitted the
collar about the proud little dog's neck that very afternoon as a
tribute to Toto's loyalty and bravery.
Just as the happy banquet was about to end, Toto, who had been so
absorbed in all the excitement and the Wizard's marvelous tricks, that
he had scarcely tasted his food, turned to his bowl of milk. He found
the tiny White Kitten Felina daintily lapping the last of the milk from
the bowl with her little, pink tongue.
Toto sniffed. "I never could understand," he growled, "what it is that
witches and fairies and little girls see in cats!"
The End