A Royal Welcome
As High Boy, neighing joyously, trotted down the main street of the
Emerald City, windows were thrown up and doors flung open and the
inhabitants rushed out with torches to see who was passing. And when
they saw Trot and the Scarecrow, mounted on so strange a steed, they
promptly fell in, so that by the time High Boy reached the castle a
regular procession had formed behind them. Standing up and balancing
himself by holding on to Benny, the Scarecrow introduced the little
Prince of the Ozure Isles, the medicine man, the live statue and
lastly High Boy himself. Then High Boy, to the great delight of the
multitude, stretched up and then down, switched his umbrella tail and
bowed so often and vigorously that Trot and the others had all they
could do to keep their places. The wild cheers and shouts at High Boy's
performance brought the occupants of the castle running to the windows
and doors to see what was the matter.
"Why, Trot!" cried Dorothy, dashing down the golden steps. "We've been
hunting you all day and were just going to look in the magic picture to
see where you were."
"Well, here we are, my dear," laughed the Scarecrow, "and we bring
strange news and four strangers to the castle. Hello Hokus! Hello,
Jack! Hi there Tik Tok! Howdy, Scraps!"
Waving to the celebrities who crowded the open doorway, the Scarecrow
urged High Boy to enter. Mounting the steps carefully and being careful
not to tread upon any toes, High Boy stepped proudly into Ozma's royal
residence, Dorothy dancing ahead to announce them to the little fairy.
Betsy, Ozma, Nick Chopper and Jellia Jamb, a small maid-in-waiting,
were playing pa'cheesi, but hastily pushed back the board, as High Boy
came cantering in.
[Illustration: THE SCARECROW URGED HIGH BOY TO ENTER]
"Why here's the whole pack," cried the Tin Woodman, jumping up and
waving the tin funnel he used for a hat--"the pack horse, too!"
finished Nick, eyeing the King's steed in some surprise.
"Pack Horse!" snorted High Boy, stopping short and rolling his red eyes
temperishly. "I'm a high horse, you odd looking junkman, and I'll have
you know I stand very high in my own country." To prove his claim, High
Boy clicked his telescope legs up so fast that Trot bumped her head on
the ceiling and the Scarecrow dove at once to the carpet.
"Down! Down!" whispered Philador reprovingly. "And don't forget you are
in the presence of royalty." Lowering himself with one great jerk, High
Boy shortened his front legs and made a deep bow to the little ruler of
Oz, and Trot and the others lost no time tumbling off.
"The Prince of the Ozure Isles, Your Maj'sty!" puffed Trot, as Ozma
gave High Boy a bewildered smile. "The Medicine Man of Oz and my friend
Benny, from Boston."
"Is he alive?" whispered Betsy, putting out her hand to touch the stone
man, who was bending stiffly before the throne.
"Alive, but not a real person," sighed Benny, fixing his stone eyes
mournfully on Betsy Bobbin.
"He's much better than a real person," declared the Scarecrow, rushing
impetuously forward. "Just wait till you hear how he jumped into the
mouth of a monster."
"Tell us! Tell us!" begged Betsy, clasping her hands.
"Hast had an adventure, maiden?" Pushing his way to the throne, Sir
Hokus, the Good Knight of Oz, took Trot eagerly by the arm.
"Dozens and dozens!" panted Trot, sinking down on the carpeted steps
leading to the throne. "So many I hardly know where to begin."
"Why not begin with me?" suggested Herby, throwing out his chest
importantly. High Boy groaned with impatience as the contents of
Herby's chest flew about the room, and the Wizard of Oz, who stood just
behind Ozma, clapped on an extra pair of spectacles and hurried forward
to get a better view of the medicine man.
While Trot and the Scarecrow helped Herby pick up his pill boxes,
Ozma, noticing the worried expression of Prince Philador, bade him
come nearer and tell what was troubling him. Philador, dropping on
one knee before the throne, thought he had never seen a gentler little
fairy than the Queen of all Oz. Feeling a bit shy in the presence of so
great and grand a company he arose and told the whole story of Mombi's
enchantments and Quiberon's cruelty and of his flight on the blue gull
to the hut of Tattypoo.
Ozma and her advisers were not only astonished at the little Prince's
troubles, but alarmed and distressed by the unexplainable disappearance
of the good witch.
"As soon as Philador tells us the rest of his story, we will look for
Tattypoo in the magic picture," murmured Ozma, "and also for the Queen
of the Ozure Isles."
"I'd like a chance at that monster," blustered Sir Hokus, who was
a famous dragon slayer, "and myself and sword are at your service,
Princeling!"
Philador smiled gratefully at the Good Knight of Oz and, helped out by
Trot and the Scarecrow, told how he had released the medicine man from
his bottle--of his visit to the King of the Uplanders--his meeting with
High Boy--and their adventures with Trot and her friends in Shutter
Town. Then Trot told her story, about Benny and his strange coming to
life, his drop to Oz and their frightful experiences in Cave City.
During the telling of both stories, the Wizard of Oz made hurried notes
in his little black book and, as Trot finished, he bounced out of his
seat like a rubber ball.
"Your Highness," began the Wizard, looking over his specs at the little
fairy ruler, "I have jotted down for your convenience the problems to
be solved and the mysteries to be accounted for. First, we must find
the Queen of the Ozure Isles and restore her to her subjects. Secondly,
we must undo as much of Mombi's mischief as we can; destroy Quiberon,
punish the bird-man who carried Trot to the monster's cave and restore
the medicine man to himself."
At this Herby shook his head violently. "I prefer to remain as I am,"
declared Herby stoutly. "I am entirely satisfied with my medicine
chest."
Ozma smiled at Herby's earnestness and the Wizard drew his pencil
through that entry.
"We must then find Tattypoo," continued the little man seriously, "and
change Benny to a real person, as a reward for his services to Philador
and Trot."
"How about a little yummy jummy?" wheezed High Boy, who was sitting on
his haunches with both ears cocked forward.
[Illustration: THE WIZARD OF OZ]
"Why you're a fellow after my own heart," purred the Hungry Tiger,
crawling out from under a huge green sofa. "This good beast is hungry.
Let's all have something to eat," he proposed, licking his chops and
waving his tail gently from side to side.
"You may tell the royal cook to prepare a feast at once." Nodding
laughingly at the Hungry Tiger, the little sovereign rose and, stepping
down from the throne, took Philador's arm. "Come!" said Ozma. "We will
look in the magic picture and see whether Quiberon is still caught in
the cavern and where Mombi has hidden your royal mother."
As you may well imagine, Philador needed no urging. Even Ozma forgot
her dignity in the interest and excitement of the moment. Hand in hand,
they skipped up the golden stairway, followed by Trot and all the other
curious courtiers. Hanging in Ozma's sitting room is one of the most
curious and powerful treasures in all Oz. It is a magic picture. One
has but to stand before this picture and ask to see a certain person.
Immediately he appears and in exactly the place where he happens to be
at the moment the question is asked.
"We had better look at that monster first," said the Wizard of Oz,
settling both pairs of specs and staring nervously over Ozma's
shoulder. "Show us Quiberon!" he commanded, before the little ruler
or Philador had a chance to speak. Instantly the quiet country scene
melted away and out flashed the terrible figure of Mombi's monster,
throwing himself again and again upon the sapphire castle of Oz. High
Boy was so frightened that he shot up ten feet and bumped his head on
the ceiling.
"Have at you!" roared Sir Hokus, plunging forward and almost forgetting
it was but the small picture of Quiberon he was seeing. Philador and
Trot clutched one another in horror and only Ozma remained calm.
Clapping her hands for silence, she turned quickly to the Wizard of Oz.
"Quick, Wizard!" breathed the little fairy, "Fetch your black bag of
magic and transport us all to the Ozure Isles. Take hold of hands!"
commanded Ozma, as the little wizard rushed from the room. Philador
immediately took Trot's hand, Trot took Benny's, Benny took Herby's,
Herby took the Tin Woodman's, Nick Chopper took Scraps', The Patch Work
Girl took the Good Knight's, he took Betsy's, Betsy seized Dorothy,
Dorothy took the Scarecrow, and High Boy, not to be left out, jumped
into the middle of the ring, as Jellia and Ozma completed the circle.
Then back skipped the Wizard, and, wriggling between Dorothy and
the Scarecrow, swallowed two of his famous wishing pills, smiling
confidently.
"Transport us at once to the Sapphire City and Castle of Cheeriobed,"
commanded the Wizard. Now Philador had never been transported in his
whole life. Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes he waited tensely
for something to drag him through the air and wondering fearfully if
they would be in time to save his father and the royal household.
Feeling no motion or sensation of any kind he opened his eyes,
thinking in great disappointment that the magic spell had failed. But
so powerful are the Wizard's wishing pills, they transport one in a
twinkling and without ruffling so much as an eyebrow. So when the
little Prince opened his eyes, he was terrified to find Quiberon in
the center of their magic circle and the circle itself in the gardens
of his father's blue palace. With part of his long body coiled up
in a flower bed, and the other poised to strike another blow at the
King's castle, the awful monster did not even seem aware of the people
from the Emerald City. Trot hid her face on Philador's shoulder, and
Philador, with a shudder, saw the Good Knight draw his sword. But
before Sir Hokus could make a thrust, or Quiberon could strike, the
Wizard of Oz, blowing a black powder into the air, stamped three times
with his left foot.
With a terrible bellow, the great fear-fish began to hurl himself at
the castle, but froze in mid air, petrified by the Wizard's black magic
into a glittering dragon of silver and bronze.
"We'll move him later," observed the Wizard calmly. "A shame to have a
creature like that cluttering up so lovely a garden, but now let us go
in to the King."
Scarcely able to believe his eyes, and with many backward glances, the
little Prince tip-toed to the great jewel-trimmed door and knocked
twice. But no one came. Then Sir Hokus thumped loudly with his mailed
fist and High Boy, turning about, played a lively tatoo upon the panels
with his heels.
"They still think it's Quiberon," snorted High Boy at last. "Wait here,
I'll look in and see whether everything's all right." Stretching up
till he was on a level with one of the sky lights, High Boy butted out
the sapphire pane and stuck his head through the opening.
"Unlock your door," whinnied the high horse impatiently. "Unlock the
door, it's only us." Cheeriobed, who expected to see the terrible
face of Quiberon, stared up in perfect amazement at the talking
horse. It was not, you must admit, a very reassuring sight to see a
horse's head coming through the roof, and for a few seconds he was too
stunned to move or speak. But as High Boy continued to call loudly for
admittance and finally shouted that they were keeping Ozma waiting in
the garden, the good monarch sprang up and, unbolting the door, himself
admitted the royal rescuers. You can well imagine the King's relief and
astonishment when he saw the petrified figure of Quiberon, rearing up
over his castle.
"Father! Father!" cried the little Prince, clasping him around the
waist. "Here's Ozma and Trot and the Wizard of Oz, and Quiberon never
can harm us again."
At the sound of Philador's voice, Queen Orin rushed out to embrace her
son and, after hasty introductions and greetings all 'round, the party
from the Emerald City filed into the castle. Akbad slunk silently out
of sight, as Cheeriobed led Ozma to the throne. Seating Queen Orin
beside the little ruler and calling for footmen to bring chairs for
the other visitors, the excited King ran to and fro until everyone was
seated.
[Illustration: "WE'LL MOVE HIM LATER," SAID THE WIZARD]
"Just think," puffed Cheeriobed, sinking down at last beside Philador,
"we don't even know where your mother's been all these years nor how
she escaped and came back to us. My! My! What a lot to be talked over!"
"Talk! Talk! And still no food," groaned High Boy, flopping down beside
the medicine man. "I'm hollower than an old soldier's wooden leg!"
"Never mind," comforted Herby, opening his medicine chest. "I have
a cure for that too." Taking out two pills and slipping them down
High Boy's throat, he winked knowingly. "They will dull the pangs of
hunger," he assured him gravely. While High Boy, with closed eyes
waited for his pangs to be dulled, Ozma looked happily around the
friendly group of Ozure Islanders.
"If we just knew where Tattypoo was," sighed the little fairy girl
softly, "there would be nothing more to worry us."
"Worry no longer, Your Highness!" Turning to see where the whisper had
come from, Ozma saw Queen Orin arise from the throne.
"I am the Good Witch of the North," announced Orin clearly.
"But I thought you were my mother," wailed the little Prince, seizing
her hand imploringly. At once the whole room was thrown into a state of
utmost confusion, some saying this, some saying that, and all wondering
aloud, so that it sounded like a session of congressmen.
"How can you be both a queen and a witch?" shouted the little Wizard,
standing on a chair so that Orin could hear him.
"You'll have to admit she's a bewitching Queen," neighed High Boy,
opening one eye and then the other and forgetting all about his hunger
pangs. "Why not let the lady speak for herself?" he called shrilly.
"Sound horse sense," declared Toddledy, nodding approvingly at High
Boy, and Ozma, who was even more astonished than Cheeriobed at Orin's
announcement, raised her scepter for silence.
"Let Queen Orin tell her story," commanded Ozma in her gentle voice.
There was an instant silence and almost as one, the whole company
turned to the lovely figure in blue, and waited expectantly for her to
speak.