Finding a Mortal Maiden
So well did Benny carry out the Scarecrow's instruction, the flimsy
straw man was jerked from the ground and fairly flew through the air
at the stone man's side. And so intent were they both upon their
running, they never saw the little girl in the pink dress until they
had bumped right into her. Now to be run into is upsetting under
any circumstances, but to be run into by a live statue is the most
upsetting thing yet. Trot, for it was Trot, not only was upset but
rolled over and over and bumped her head on an emerald milestone at the
side of the road.
"Stop!" cried the Scarecrow, recognizing her at once. "Now see what
you've done!"
"But the bird!" quavered Benny coming to a reluctant halt and glancing
fearfully over his shoulder.
With an impatient exclamation the Scarecrow dropped his hand and
hurried over to Trot. "Fancy, running into you like this," he puffed
ruefully.
"Fancy it!" gasped Trot rubbing her head with one hand and her knee
with the other, "I don't fancy it at all. Why don't you look where
you're going!" She frowned crossly at the Scarecrow and then catching
a glimpse of Benny jumped to her feet in real alarm. "Who's he?" she
asked in a frightened whisper.
"Just now he's a Public Benefactor, but he's trying to be a real
person," explained the Scarecrow hastily. "Benny, old fellow, this is
Trot, a little girl from California who was shipwrecked and came to the
Land of Oz. She lives in the royal palace with Ozma. Benny comes from
America too," he added proudly.
[Illustration: THIS IS TROT]
"But the bird!" panted Benny, nodding absently to Trot.
"You see my dear, we were escaping from a horriblus bird when we ran
across you," apologized the Scarecrow with an anxious glance upward.
"I don't see any bird." Still rubbing her knee, Trot looked up too and
after they had all gazed intently at the sky for several minutes they
had to admit that Trot was right. There was not even a speck in the
bright blue expanse overhead.
"But there was a bird, a most fearful, queerful bird," the Scarecrow
assured her positively. Trot gave a little sniff and while she did not
exactly say so, both Benny and the Scarecrow felt that she did not
believe there had been any bird at all.
"I was coming to see you," continued the Scarecrow in a slightly
embarrassed voice. "How fortunate that we met this way, now we can all
go to the Emerald City together." Trot, looking down at her skinned
knee and feeling the lump on her forehead, could not help thinking it
had not been so fortunate for her, but being a really sweet-tempered
little girl she said nothing further and walked along quietly between
these two singular looking gentlemen. The Scarecrow she had known for
years, but she kept stealing inquisitive glances at his solemn stone
companion. Seeing her evident interest, the straw man told her all
about Benny's strange coming to life and his fall into Oz.
"Do you think I can ever be a real person?" asked Benny wistfully as
the Scarecrow finished his story. "Now, as you see, I am a hard person
of stone. But I wish to be like other people, to laugh, to sing, to
dance and be happy."
It was hard to imagine this pompous looking image singing and dancing,
but Trot had seen stranger things than this happen in the marvelous
Land of Oz, so, stifling her misgivings, smiled at him kindly.
"You'll have to be a little careful about dancing," she cautioned
gently, "not to step on anyone's foot, or hold them too tightly or--"
"Ho Ho!" roared the Scarecrow. "I should say you had better be careful.
One step from your stone toes, and one squeeze from those stone arms
would finish any partner brave enough to waltz round with you." At this
the stone man looked so downcast that Trot felt really sorry for him.
"I guess stone arms and legs are not much use," he sighed, rolling his
eyes sadly at the little girl.
"But they're terribly strong," Trot reminded him cheerfully, "and would
be fine in a battle. And after awhile, when you're quite used to being
alive, _I_ wouldn't mind dancing with you," finished Trot in a little
burst of generosity.
"Wouldn't you?" Stopping stock still, Benny began to bow. "My dear,"
exclaimed the stone man gratefully, and bending so low he almost lost
his balance, "those are the kindest words I've heard since I came to
life and to Oz." Trot, pleased and delighted at such appreciation,
curtsied back.
"Hurrah!" shouted the Scarecrow, tossing his hat into the air. "You're
acting realer every minute. Do you know, this reminds me of my first
journey to the Emerald City. I was not always the accomplished person
you see before you," he confided mysteriously.
For a long time Benny had been trying to puzzle out just what kind of
a person the Scarecrow was. Never in his whole park experience had he
seen anyone so curiously constructed, so unsteady and flimsy, yet so
gaily alive. He listened attentively therefore as the straw man began
to tell his story to his new friend.
"I am a Scarecrow," he began impressively, and I must admit he was
as fond of talking about himself as most of the gentlemen of my own
acquaintance. Trot who had heard the story many times began to hum a
little tune and to think of something else.
"Originally," continued the Scarecrow brightly, "I was intended to
scare away the crows from a farmer's corn field. My head is a small
stuffed sack on which the features are neatly painted. This blue suit
and these red boots and cotton gloves belonged to the farmer; also this
hat. Having assembled me in this more or less careless fashion and
stuffed me with hay, he hung me upon a tall pole in the corn field and
went about his planting. For a long time I hung around, not knowing how
interesting life could be. Then, one day," the Scarecrow paused and
waved his arms dramatically, "along came Dorothy, a little girl about
the size of Trot. She had been blown from Kansas by a cyclone and was
on her way to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz to send her back
home. Well, to make a long story short, Dorothy lifted me from my pole
and I found I could walk and talk almost as fast as she could. But
while I was alive, I realized that I could never be a really important
person with a head full of hay. So I decided to go to the Emerald City
with Dorothy and ask the Wizard of Oz to give me some brains."
[Illustration: PRINCESS DOROTHY]
"Well, did he?" Benny looked curiously at the Scarecrow's bulging
forehead.
"Haven't you noticed them?" demanded the Scarecrow in a vexed voice.
Removing his hat he tapped the top of his head proudly. "In here are
the finest and most magic brains in Oz," he announced seriously. "Not
only did they help me to become an Emperor, but they have since solved
many questions of state for our present ruler, Ozma of Oz. I can think
of anything, can't I, Trot?"
The little girl nodded politely and Benny, much impressed, watched the
Scarecrow put on his hat. "I have a castle of my own in the Winkie
Country but spend most of my time in the Emerald City," he concluded
proudly.
"Did the Wizard send Dorothy back to America?" asked Benny, as the
Scarecrow stopped to pick a green rose for Trot.
"Certainly!" answered the Scarecrow, pulling two thorns from his cotton
thumb, "but she is in Oz again. No one who has lived in Oz can stay
away long. Dorothy lives in the castle with Ozma, Betsy and Trot. Betsy
Bobbin is another little girl from America, so you see you'll have lots
of company, old fellow."
"Does the Wizard live there, too?" questioned Benny eagerly, as the
Scarecrow clumsily presented the rose to Trot, "and do you think he
could change me to a real person?"
"Of course, but if I were you, I should stay as you are. There are lots
of real people but precious few stone ones. Think of the advantages!"
Tapping Benny lightly on the chest the Scarecrow began to enumerate
them. "First of all," he explained merrily, "you will never tire, need
food or suffer pain. You will never wear out nor require clothes. Why,
you have all the advantages of life without any of its inconveniences.
Isn't that true, Trot?"
Trot smiled and made a gesture that might have been "yes" or "no". It
would have taken a wiser person than Trot to settle a question like the
Scarecrow's.
They were drawing nearer to the Emerald City every moment now. Over the
tree tops ahead, Benny could see the tall towers and flashing spires
of the castle. The air was fresh, fragrant and somehow exciting. On
each side of the yellow brick road, cozy green cottages with domed
emerald roofs began to appear. Friendly faced folk, in stiff green
silk costumes, waved to them from the doorways. Trot and the Scarecrow
waved back, and Benny, taking off his hat and bowing stiffly from time
to time, decided that he was going to find life in the Land of Oz
extremely pleasant and interesting. At Trot's suggestion they turned
off the yellow brick highway to take a short cut to the castle.
"Well," laughed Trot, dancing along through the pleasant little wood,
"We'll soon be in the Emerald City now, and then--and then!"
"Then what?" wheezed the Scarecrow, stopping to swing on a low branch.
"Why, then we'll have a party!" exclaimed Trot. "Don't we always have a
party when you come to the castle, but this party will be for Benny,
in honor of his coming to life." The stone man was not sure just what
a party was, but so long as Trot was in it he knew everything would be
all right. "We'll have games," continued the little girl happily, "and
music and riddles and refreshments--and--"
"Stop!" roared an imperious voice in Trot's ear. "Now then, will
you come along peaceably or must I use force?" At this sudden
horrid interruption, Benny and the Scarecrow swung round in perfect
astonishment.
"A--a Goblin!" faltered Trot, catching wildly at Benny.
"Run! Run! That awful bird!" panted the Scarecrow, taking a great leap
forward.
"Run if you want to," rumbled the Public Benefactor stopping short.
"But as I am not a real person, _I_ shall stay here and fight. Get away
from here, you wild Whankus! Leave Trot alone, you old Wallybuster!"
Words that he had never known were in his head came tumbling from
Benny's stone lips and brandishing his umbrella threateningly he
stepped between the little girl and the great ugly bird-man. But
Akbad, for of course it _was_ Akbad, paid no attention to Benny's
expostulations. He was looking earnestly at the picture he had torn
from his history of Oz. All night the magic wings had carried him
steadily toward the capital and it was Akbad who had scared the two
travelers. After frightening them to his heart's content, he had
alighted in a small orchard to refresh himself with a few peaches. When
he flew on again the wings had carried him straight after Trot and her
companions. Looking down and seeing a little girl with them this time,
he had immediately dropped to earth.
"You'll do, you're one of them!" shrilled the Soothsayer, waving the
picture triumphantly. "Come on, there's no time to lose!" Before either
Benny or the Scarecrow realized what was happening, Akbad seized the
little girl and spread his great golden wings.
"Stop!" yelled the Scarecrow, running back and catching Trot by the
hand.
"Stop!" gritted Benny, making a wild snatch for the Soothsayer's heels.
As Benny's stone fingers closed around his ankles Akbad soared into the
air. You would have thought the great weight of the stone man would
have held him down. But what are a thousand pounds to a pair of magic
wings! Up and away, over the sparkling spires of the capital circled
Akbad, paying no more attention to Benny than to a feather and scarcely
noticing the Scarecrow at all.
"Take us to the Ozure Isles," he commanded, tightening his grasp on
Trot's arm.