More About the Emeralds
Skamperoo had not slept a wink. He tossed from side to side of the
royal bed, his head simply buzzing with enchanting plans for the
future. With the magic emeralds he could have everything he desired,
and his desires and wishes were multiplying so rapidly he scarcely
knew where to begin or what to wish first. The necklaces pressed
uncomfortably against his throat, but he would not take them off. He
was so weary he ached in every bone, but still he could not stop
thinking, and just as the castle clock tolled seven the very thing he
should wish for first came suddenly to him.
Ah, that was it--too bad he had to wait a whole week, but a week would
pass and perhaps during that time he would discover for himself the
magic secret of his sparkling new treasures. Then he could be his own
magician and put that meddlesome merchant in his place. As he was
running over in his mind possible places to send Matiah, the door of
his room opened cautiously and Pinny Penny stuck in his head.
"Well! Well? And did I ring?" grunted Skamperoo fretfully. "This is a
fine time to awaken an Emperor."
"Emperor?" exclaimed Pinny Penny, coming all the way into the room and
closing the door. "Since when has Skampavia's King become an Emperor?"
"Oh, go away and don't bother me." Turning his back on Pinny Penny, the
King thumped his pillow and closed his eyes as tightly as he could.
"It's all about the horse," whispered Pinny Penny, coming around to the
other side of the bed. "A strange and magnificent animal for a mere
merchant, if I may be permitted to say so. Not only that--it TALKS.
It's ordering the stable boys around in a shocking manner and it even
told ME to mind my own business."
"Well, why don't you?" suggested Skamperoo, rolling over on his back.
"Of course he talks, Pinny; he's an Oz horse, and all animals from Oz
talk. I thought you knew that."
"Well, if this merchant has a talking horse, he is not so poor as he
pretends," persisted Pinny Penny, shaking his finger under the King's
nose. "My advice is to set the fellow on his horse and send him about
his business as quickly as possible. I don't like his looks, Skamper.
He's mean and mischievous, and mark my words, no good will come of him
or his necklaces."
"I don't like his looks any better than you," agreed the King, clasping
his fat hands on his stomach. "But if I keep the emeralds I must keep
the merchant, and besides I've a notion I could ride that talking horse
myself."
"Oh, good goats and gravy! Then I'd best go and lay in a supply of
splints and liniment." Pushing his specs up on his forehead, Pinny
Penny cast a disgusted glance at his huge reclining master and rushed
hurriedly from the royal presence.
Now Matiah, as you can well imagine, had slept no better than the
King. In the small room to which Pinny Penny had taken him, he paced
restlessly up and down. After all, he knew only two facts about the
magic emeralds, the first that they really could, under certain
conditions, grant wishes; the second, that they must not be worn by the
person making the wish. This much the merchant had reasoned out for
himself. As the King had got his wish while he, Matiah, was wearing
the necklaces, and he himself had not got the wish he made with the
emeralds around his own throat, that much seemed certain. Snapping his
fingers joyfully and feeling sure the King was now wearing the jeweled
chains, Matiah made a second wish, counting slowly to a hundred.
But the hearty supper he had ordered as a test failed to appear and
flinging himself down on the bed he began to rack his brains for some
other solution of the mystery. Perhaps the magic power rested in a
single stone which he had luckily touched as the King made his wish.
Holding his head with both hands, he tried to remember exactly what he
had done as Skamperoo began to count. But it was no use. He could not
recall a single thing after he had started to run across the garden.
And how, concluded the infuriated fellow, was he ever to discover
the way to use the emeralds without arousing the King's suspicions
or revealing the fact that he knew no more about them than Skamperoo
himself? Muttering with vexation, he kicked a foot stool all the way
across the room and sat staring morosely at the worn carpet. The short,
uneasy nap he finally got before morning did him no good, and cross
and jumpy as a cougar, he made his way to the dingy dining hall of the
palace.
The King had already breakfasted, and looking out of the window,
Matiah saw a terrified servant leading the Talking Horse around the
courtyard, Skamperoo following at a safe distance. The sight of the
stamping white charger made Matiah shudder anew. What a waste! he
reflected bitterly, and if the King grew fond of the saucy monster it
would make his own task even more difficult, for until he succeeded in
stealing the necklaces, Matiah did not intend to let Skamperoo out of
his sight. Gulping down the weak coffee and cold eggs a shabby servant
grudgingly placed before him, he hastened outside.
"Good morning, your Majesty!" he called out heartily. "And may I have a
word with your Royal Highness?"
"What kind of a word?" snickered Chalk, rolling his yellow eyes
roguishly round at the merchant. "Give him a word, old Rub-atub, if
that's all he wants. The right word for him, I should say, would be
'GO!' or 'NO!' and then we all could be happy."
"It is about the necklaces," confided Matiah, ignoring the horse
utterly, and falling easily into step with the King. "They must be
cleaned every day to keep them in good wishing condition."
"But I was just going for a ride," objected Skamperoo with a little
frown, "won't this afternoon do?"
"No, NOW is the proper time," answered Matiah impressively, thinking
how clever he was to have invented this ruse to get hold of the
emeralds. "If your Majesty will just give them to me, I'll polish them
up while you are--er--exercising."
"No--no--er--that is, I'd better come and help you," Skamperoo spoke
quickly. "I can ride this afternoon."
"You think so?" With an exuberant prance, Chalk rose on his hind legs
and spun around like a pinwheel. "Well, see you later, old Sos!" And
with the terrified stable boy hanging to his bridle he went galloping
off to the stable.
"If you take my advice, you'll have that creature knocked on the head,"
said Matiah savagely. "Surely you won't endanger our lives by riding on
his back?"
"OUR lives!" exclaimed Skamperoo, looking at Matiah in surprise. "You
do not have to ride him; in fact, he's really my horse," he stated
jealously.
"So long as your Majesty wears the magic necklaces I must go wherever
you go and do whatever you do!" explained the merchant loftily.
"How--how very awkward!" In spite of himself, Skamperoo groaned as he
thought how tiresome it would be with Matiah trailing after him from
morning till night. "I should think a magician like yourself could
arrange things more sensibly."
"But consider what is at stake," Matiah reminded him earnestly.
"Together we can have and do anything we wish. Is that not worth a
little inconvenience?"
"Yes, yes, I suppose so. But if we are to do everything together,
I think I should know the magic wishing formula as well as you."
Skamperoo looked defiantly up at his newest advisor.
"That is impossible." Striding along stiffly, Matiah shook his head.
"The incantation once revealed becomes powerless. Only one versed in
magic is permitted to use the emeralds. Have you thought at all about
your next wish?" he asked, anxious to direct the King's mind into more
cheerful channels. "We should plan and consult about it together, you
know. But wait until we are in your Majesty's throne room," He added
quickly, as Skamperoo began to open and shut his mouth like a fish
without saying anything. "While I am cleaning the necklaces we can
talk it over, yes?" Matiah's fingers fairly itched for the sparkling
jewels, but restraining a mad impulse to snatch them from the King's
throat, he walked along quietly beside Skamperoo talking so calmly and
convincingly that he soon had the Skampavian monarch not only willing
but anxious to reveal the wish that had kept him awake most of the
night.
First assuring himself that they were alone and locking the door
so they would not be disturbed, the King seated himself at a small
table. Matiah drew up a chair opposite and held out his hand for the
necklaces. Reluctantly Skamperoo handed them over, keeping a jealous
eye on the jewels as the merchant began polishing them with a small
square of silk he had taken from his pocket.
As he rubbed the silk over the emeralds, Matiah carefully examined
each one for some mark or sign that would give him a clue to their
magic power. Intent as he was upon this task, a few low spoken words
of Skamperoo made him sit suddenly erect and regard the King with new
respect and attention. How in thunderation, thought Matiah wonderingly,
had this fat silly monarch ever managed to hit upon such a magnificent
and breath-taking wish, and as Skamperoo explained and elaborated
upon his plans and schemes for the future, the merchant's interest
grew apace. Quicker and cleverer than the King, he saw not only the
possibilities of this splendid wish, but all the difficulties and
problems that must be met and disposed of before it could be reasonably
granted.
Leaning forward, the emeralds for the moment forgotten, he put his
mouth close to Skamperoo's ear. "There are three things that must be
done before your wish can be realized." Matiah spoke tensely. "First,
... second, ... third, ...." After each short whispered direction
Skamperoo nodded to show that he understood.
"Then it will take four wishes to do it," he sighed, resting his elbows
heavily on the table. "That will be four weeks, won't it?"
"No, perhaps if we are careful we can work it all into one," answered
Matiah thoughtfully, and taking up his bit of silk he began polishing
the emeralds with renewed vigor. The King, watching him, forgot his
former dislike and distrust. Matiah's enthusiastic approval of his
plans made him feel that perhaps he had misjudged this long-faced,
whiskered stranger. Perhaps he would not wish him away, after all. He
might prove very useful in the strange and magnificent future that
stretched ahead.
Matiah, on his part, had no such kindly intentions toward the King. He
merely meant to make Skamperoo's wish his own, and so grand and daring
was the prospect that he grew more impatient than ever to discover the
way to accomplish it. Holding all three necklaces up to the light,
he squinted at them anxiously. The chains seemed identical in every
respect, but no--what was this? One had a diamond clasp, while the
clasps on the other two were of flattened emeralds. This, then, was the
solution. The magic wishing power undoubtedly rested in the diamond
clasp. Revealing in no way his satisfaction and elation over this
important discovery, Matiah handed the necklaces back to the King.
Somehow, decided the merchant, he must make Skamperoo touch the diamond
clasp while he silently repeated the King's wish, but before that he
needed a little time to prepare himself for the grand and glorious
years that were to be his. As Skamperoo, exhausted by so much thinking
early in the morning, waddled wearily over to his throne, Matiah strode
to the book shelves located in an adjoining alcove.
"While your Majesty rests I will have a look at this interesting
library," he murmured ingratiatingly, "and at the same time store up
some useful information for the future." Skamperoo sleepily returned
the merchant's broad wink, then, sinking back among his cushions,
closed his eyes.
From his chair in the alcove, Matiah could keep the King in view, and
satisfied that Skamperoo was really asleep, he began hurriedly turning
over the pages of the large volume Pinny Penny had but that morning
returned to the shelves. Soon he became so absorbed he forgot all about
the King. And that was a pity, for had he taken the trouble to look, he
would have discovered that the King was no longer _there_.