heading now directly toward the South Country, where mountains and rocks
and caverns and forests of great trees abounded. This part of the Land
of Oz, while it belonged to Ozma and owed her allegiance, was so wild
and secluded that many queer peoples hid in its jungles and lived in
their own way, without even a knowledge that they had a Ruler in the
Emerald City. If they were left alone, these creatures never troubled
the inhabitants of the rest of Oz, but those who invaded their domains
encountered many dangers from them.
It was a two days' journey from Jack Pumpkinhead's house to the edge of
the Quadling Country, for neither Dorothy nor Ojo could walk very fast
and they often stopped by the wayside to rest. The first night they
slept on the broad fields, among the buttercups and daisies, and the
Scarecrow covered the children with a gauze blanket taken from his
knapsack, so they would not be chilled by the night air. Toward evening
of the second day they reached a sandy plain where walking was
difficult; but some distance before them they saw a group of palm trees,
with many curious black dots under them; so they trudged bravely on to
reach that place by dark and spend the night under the shelter of the
trees.
[Illustration]
The black dots grew larger as they advanced and although the light was
dim Dorothy thought they looked like big kettles turned upside down.
Just beyond this place a jumble of huge, jagged rocks lay scattered,
rising to the mountains behind them.
Our travelers preferred to attempt to climb these rocks by daylight, and
they realized that for a time this would be their last night on the
plains.
[Illustration]
Twilight had fallen by the time they came to the trees, beneath
which were the black, circular objects they had marked from a
distance. Dozens of them were scattered around and Dorothy bent near
to one, which was about as tall as she was, to examine it more
closely. As she did so the top flew open and out popped a small
creature, rising its length into the air and then plumping down upon
the ground just beside the little girl. Another and another popped
out of the circular, pot-like dwelling, while from all the other
black objects came popping more creatures--very like jumping-jacks
when their boxes are unhooked--until fully a hundred stood gathered
around our little group of travelers.
By this time Dorothy had discovered they were people, tiny and curiously
formed, but still people. Their hair stood straight up, like wires, and
was brilliant scarlet in color. Their bodies were bare except for skins
fastened around their waists and they wore bracelets on their ankles and
wrists, and necklaces, and great pendant earrings.
Toto crouched beside his mistress and wailed as if he did not like these
strange creatures a bit. Scraps began to mutter something about
"hoppity, poppity, jumpity, dump!" but no one paid any attention to her.
Ojo kept close to the Scarecrow and the Scarecrow kept close to Dorothy;
but the little girl turned to the queer creatures and asked:
"Who are you?"
They answered this question all together, in a sort of chanting chorus,
the words being as follows:
"We're the jolly Tottenhots;
We do not like the day,
But in the night 'tis our delight
To gambol, skip and play.
"We hate the sun and from it run,
The moon is cool and clear,
So on this spot each Tottenhot
Waits for it to appear.
"We're ev'ry one chock full of fun,
And full of mischief, too;
But if you're gay and with us play
We'll do no harm to you."
"Glad to meet you, Tottenhots," said the Scarecrow solemnly. "But you
mustn't expect us to play with you all night, for we've traveled all
day and some of us are tired."
"And we never gamble," added the Patchwork Girl. "It's against the Law."
These remarks were greeted with shouts of laughter by the impish
creatures and one seized the Scarecrow's arm and was astonished to find
the straw man whirl around so easily. So the Tottenhot raised the
Scarecrow high in the air and tossed him over the heads of the crowd.
Some one caught him and tossed him back, and so with shouts of glee they
continued throwing the Scarecrow here and there, as if he had been a
basket-ball.
Presently another imp seized Scraps and began to throw her about, in the
same way. They found her a little heavier than the Scarecrow but still
light enough to be tossed like a sofa-cushion, and they were enjoying
the sport immensely when Dorothy, angry and indignant at the treatment
her friends were receiving, rushed among the Tottenhots and began
slapping and pushing them, until she had rescued the Scarecrow and the
Patchwork Girl and held them close on either side of her. Perhaps she
would not have accomplished this victory so easily had not Toto helped
her, barking and snapping at the bare legs of the imps until they were
glad to flee from his attack. As for Ojo, some of the creatures had
attempted to toss him, also, but finding his body too heavy they threw
him to the ground and a row of the imps sat on him and held him from
assisting Dorothy in her battle.
The little folks were much surprised at being attacked by the girl and
the dog, and one or two who had been slapped hardest began to cry. Then
suddenly they gave a shout, all together, and disappeared in a flash
into their various houses, the tops of which closed with a series of
pops that sounded like a bunch of firecrackers being exploded.
The adventurers now found themselves alone, and Dorothy asked anxiously:
"Is anybody hurt?"
"Not me," answered the Scarecrow. "They have given my straw a good
shaking up and taken all the lumps out of it. I am now in splendid
condition and am really obliged to the Tottenhots for their kind
treatment."
"I feel much the same way," said Scraps. "My cotton stuffing had sagged
a good deal with the day's walking and they've loosened it up until I
feel as plump as a sausage. But the play was a little rough and I'd had
quite enough of it when you interfered."
[Illustration]
"Six of them sat on me," said Ojo, "but as they are so little they
didn't hurt me much."
Just then the roof of the house in front of them opened and a Tottenhot
stuck his head out, very cautiously, and looked at the strangers.
"Can't you take a joke?" he asked, reproachfully; "haven't you any fun
in you at all?"
"If I had such a quality," replied the Scarecrow, "your people would
have knocked it out of me. But I don't bear grudges. I forgive you."
"So do I," added Scraps. "That is, if you behave yourselves after this."
"It was just a little rough-house, that's all," said the Tottenhot. "But
the question is not if _we_ will behave, but if _you_ will behave? We
can't be shut up here all night, because this is our time to play; nor
do we care to come out and be chewed up by a savage beast or slapped by
an angry girl. That slapping hurts like sixty; some of my folks are
crying about it. So here's the proposition: you let us alone and we'll
let you alone."
"You began it," declared Dorothy.
"Well, you ended it, so we won't argue the matter. May we come out
again? Or are you still cruel and slappy?"
"Tell you what we'll do," said Dorothy. "We're all tired and want to
sleep until morning. If you'll let us get into your house, and stay
there until daylight, you can play outside all you want to."
"That's a bargain!" cried the Tottenhot eagerly, and he gave a queer
whistle that brought his people popping out of their houses on all
sides. When the house before them was vacant, Dorothy and Ojo leaned
over the hole and looked in, but could see nothing because it was so
dark. But if the Tottenhots slept there all day the children thought
they could sleep there at night, so Ojo lowered himself down and found
it was not very deep.
"There's a soft cushion all over," said he. "Come on in."
Dorothy handed Toto to the boy and then climbed in herself. After her
came Scraps and the Scarecrow, who did not wish to sleep but preferred
to keep out of the way of the mischievous Tottenhots.
There seemed no furniture in the round den, but soft cushions were
strewn about the floor and these they found made very comfortable beds.
They did not close the hole in the roof but left it open to admit air.
It also admitted the shouts and ceaseless laughter of the impish
Tottenhots as they played outside, but Dorothy and Ojo, being weary from
their journey, were soon fast asleep.
[Illustration]
Toto kept an eye open, however, and uttered low, threatening growls
whenever the racket made by the creatures outside became too boisterous;
and the Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl sat leaning against the wall
and talked in whispers all night long. No one disturbed the travelers
until daylight, when in popped the Tottenhot who owned the place and
invited them to vacate his premises.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: LOOK OUT FOR YOOP]
THE CAPTIVE YOOP
CHAP. 20
[Illustration]
As they were preparing to leave, Dorothy asked: "Can you tell us where
there is a dark well?"
"Never heard of such a thing," said the Tottenhot. "We live our lives in
the dark, mostly, and sleep in the daytime; but we've never seen a dark
well, or anything like one."
"Does anyone live on those mountains beyond here?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Lots of people. But you'd better not visit them. We never go there."
was the reply.
"What are the people like?" Dorothy inquired.
"Can't say. We've been told to keep away from the mountain paths, and so
we obey. This sandy desert is good enough for us, and we're not
disturbed here," declared the Tottenhot.
So they left the man snuggling down to sleep in his dusky dwelling, and
went out into the sunshine, taking the path that led toward the rocky
places. They soon found it hard climbing, for the rocks were uneven and
full of sharp points and edges, and now there was no path at all.
Clambering here and there among the boulders they kept steadily on,
gradually rising higher and higher until finally they came to a great
rift in a part of the mountain, where the rock seemed to have split in
two and left high walls on either side.
"S'pose we go this way," suggested Dorothy; "it's much easier walking
than to climb over the hills."
"How about that sign?" asked Ojo.
"What sign?" she inquired.
The Munchkin boy pointed to some words painted on the wall of rock
beside them, which Dorothy had not noticed. The words read:
"LOOK OUT FOR YOOP."
The girl eyed this sign a moment and then turned to the Scarecrow,
asking:
"Who is Yoop; or what is Yoop?"
The straw man shook his head. Then she looked at Toto and the dog said
"Woof!"
"Only way to find out is to go on," said Scraps.
This being quite true, they went on. As they proceeded, the walls of
rock on either side grew higher and higher. Presently they came upon
another sign which read:
"BEWARE THE CAPTIVE YOOP."
"Why, as for that," remarked Dorothy, "if Yoop is a captive there's no
need to beware of him. Whatever Yoop happens to be, I'd much rather have
him a captive than running around loose."
"So had I," agreed the Scarecrow, with a nod of his painted head.
"Still," said Scraps, reflectively:
"Yoop-te-hoop-te-loop-te-goop!
Who put noodles in the soup?
We may beware but we don't care,
And dare go where we scare the Yoop."
"Dear me! Aren't you feeling a little queer, just now?" Dorothy asked
the Patchwork Girl.
"Not queer, but crazy," said Ojo. "When she says those things I'm sure
her brains get mixed somehow and work the wrong way."
"I don't see why we are told to beware the Yoop unless he is dangerous,"
observed the Scarecrow in a puzzled tone.
"Never mind; we'll find out all about him when we get to where he is,"
replied the little girl.
The narrow canyon turned and twisted this way and that, and the rift was
so small that they were able to touch both walls at the same time by
stretching out their arms. Toto had run on ahead, frisking playfully,
when suddenly he uttered a sharp bark of fear and came running back to
them with his tail between his legs, as dogs do when they are
frightened.
"Ah," said the Scarecrow, who was leading the way, "we must be near
Yoop."
Just then, as he rounded a sharp turn, the straw man stopped so suddenly
that all the others bumped against him.
"What is it?" asked Dorothy, standing on tip-toes to look over his
shoulder. But then she saw what it was and cried "Oh!" in a tone of
astonishment.
In one of the rock walls--that at their left--was hollowed a great
cavern, in front of which was a row of thick iron bars, the tops and
bottoms being firmly fixed in the solid rock. Over this cavern was a big
sign, which Dorothy read with much curiosity, speaking the words aloud
that all might know what they said:
"MISTER YOOP--HIS CAVE
The Largest Untamed Giant in Captivity.
_Height, 21 Feet._--(And yet he has but 2 feet.)
_Weight, 1640 Pounds._--(But he waits all the time.)
_Age, 400 Years 'and Up'_ (as they say in the Department
Store advertisements).
_Temper, Fierce and Ferocious._--(Except when asleep.)
_Appetite, Ravenous._--(Prefers Meat People and Orange
Marmalade.)
STRANGERS APPROACHING THIS CAVE DO SO AT THEIR OWN PERIL!
_P. S.--Don't feed the Giant yourself._"
[Illustration]
"Very well," said Ojo, with a sigh; "let's go back."
"It's a long way back," declared Dorothy.
"So it is," remarked the Scarecrow, "and it means a tedious climb over
those sharp rocks if we can't use this passage. I think it will be best
to run by the Giant's cave as fast as we can go. Mister Yoop seems to be
asleep just now."
But the Giant wasn't asleep. He suddenly appeared at the front of his
cavern, seized the iron bars in his great hairy hands and shook them
until they rattled in their sockets. Yoop was so tall that our friends
had to tip their heads way back to look into his face, and they noticed
he was dressed all in pink velvet, with silver buttons and braid. The
Giant's boots were of pink leather and had tassels on them and his hat
was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich feather, carefully curled.
"Yo-ho!" he said in a deep bass voice; "I smell dinner."
"I think you are mistaken," replied the Scarecrow. "There is no orange
marmalade around here."
"Ah, but I eat other things," asserted Mister Yoop. "That is, I eat them
when I can get them. But this is a lonely place, and no good meat has
passed by my cave for many years; so I'm hungry."
"Haven't you eaten anything in many years?" asked Dorothy.
"Nothing except six ants and a monkey. I thought the monkey would taste
like meat people, but the flavor was different. I hope you will taste
better, for you seem plump and tender."
"Oh, I'm not going to be eaten," said Dorothy.
"Why not?"
"I shall keep out of your way," she answered.
"How heartless!" wailed the Giant, shaking the bars again. "Consider how
many years it is since I've eaten a single plump little girl! They tell
me meat is going up, but if I can manage to catch you I'm sure it will
soon be going down. And I'll catch you if I can."
With this the Giant pushed his big arms, which looked like tree-trunks
(except that tree-trunks don't wear pink velvet) between the iron bars,
and the arms were so long that they touched the opposite wall of the
rock passage. Then he extended them as far as he could reach toward our
travelers and found he could almost touch the Scarecrow--but not quite.
"Come a little nearer, please," begged the Giant.
"I'm a Scarecrow."
"A Scarecrow? Ugh! I don't care a straw for a scarecrow. Who is that
bright-colored delicacy behind you?"
"Me?" asked Scraps. "I'm a Patchwork Girl, and I'm stuffed with cotton."
"Dear me," sighed the Giant in a disappointed tone; "that reduces my
dinner from four to two--and the dog. I'll save the dog for dessert."
Toto growled, keeping a good distance away.
"Back up," said the Scarecrow to those behind him. "Let us go back a
little way and talk this over."
So they turned and went around the bend in the passage, where they were
out of sight of the cave and Mister Yoop could not hear them.
"My idea," began the Scarecrow, when they had halted, "is to make a dash
past the cave, going on a run."
"He'd grab us," said Dorothy.
"Well, he can't grab but one at a time, and I'll go first. As soon as he
grabs me the rest of you can slip past him, out of his reach, and he
will soon let me go because I am not fit to eat."
They decided to try this plan and Dorothy took Toto in her arms, so as
to protect him. She followed just after the Scarecrow. Then came Ojo,
with Scraps the last of the four. Their hearts beat a little faster than
usual as they again approached the Giant's cave, this time moving
swiftly forward.
It turned out about the way the Scarecrow had planned. Mister Yoop was
quite astonished to see them come flying toward him, and thrusting his
arms between the bars he seized the Scarecrow in a firm grip. In the
next instant he realized, from the way the straw crunched between his
fingers, that he had captured the non-eatable man, but during that
instant of delay Dorothy and Ojo had slipped by the Giant and were out
of reach. Uttering a howl of rage the monster threw the Scarecrow after
them with one hand and grabbed Scraps with the other.
The poor Scarecrow went whirling through the air and so cleverly was he
aimed that he struck Ojo's back and sent the boy tumbling head over
heels, and he tripped Dorothy and sent her, also, sprawling upon the
ground. Toto flew out of the little girl's arms and landed some distance
ahead, and all were so dazed that it was a moment before they could
scramble to their feet again. When they did so they turned to look
toward the Giant's cave, and at that moment the ferocious Mister Yoop
threw the Patchwork Girl at them.
Down went all three again, in a heap, with Scraps on top. The Giant
roared so terribly that for a time they were afraid he had broken loose;
but he hadn't. So they sat in the road and looked at one another in a
rather bewildered way, and then began to feel glad.
"We did it!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, with satisfaction. "And now we are
free to go on our way."
"Mister Yoop is very impolite," declared Scraps. "He jarred me
terribly. It's lucky my stitches are so fine and strong, for otherwise
such harsh treatment might rip me up the back."
"Allow me to apologize for the Giant," said the Scarecrow, raising the
Patchwork Girl to her feet and dusting her skirt with his stuffed hands.
"Mister Yoop is a perfect stranger to me, but I fear, from the rude
manner in which he has acted, that he is no gentleman."
Dorothy and Ojo laughed at this statement and Toto barked as if he
understood the joke, after which they all felt better and resumed the
journey in high spirits.
"Of course," said the little girl, when they had walked a way along the
passage, "it was lucky for us the Giant was caged; for, if he had
happened to be loose, he--he--"
"Perhaps, in that case, he wouldn't be hungry any more," said Ojo
gravely.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
HIP HOPPER THE CHAMPION
CHAP. 21
[Illustration]
They must have had good courage to climb all those rocks, for after
getting out of the canyon they encountered more rock hills to be
surmounted. Toto could jump from one rock to another quite easily, but
the others had to creep and climb with care, so that after a whole day
of such work Dorothy and Ojo found themselves very tired.
As they gazed upward at the great mass of tumbled rocks that covered the
steep incline, Dorothy gave a little groan and said:
"That's going to be a ter'ble hard climb, Scarecrow. I wish we could
find the dark well without so much trouble."
"Suppose," said Ojo, "you wait here and let me do the climbing, for
it's on my account we're searching for the dark well. Then, if I don't
find anything, I'll come back and join you."
"No," replied the little girl, shaking her head positively, "we'll all
go together, for that way we can help each other. If you went alone,
something might happen to you, Ojo."
So they began the climb and found it indeed difficult, for a way. But
presently, in creeping over the big crags, they found a path at their
feet which wound in and out among the masses of rock and was quite
smooth and easy to walk upon. As the path gradually ascended the
mountain, although in a roundabout way, they decided to follow it.
"This must be the road to the Country of the Hoppers," said the
Scarecrow.
"Who are the Hoppers?" asked Dorothy.
"Some people Jack Pumpkinhead told me about," he replied.
"I didn't hear him," replied the girl.
"No; you were asleep," explained the Scarecrow. "But he told Scraps and
me that the Hoppers and the Horners live on this mountain."
"He said _in_ the mountain," declared Scraps; "but of course he meant
_on_ it."
"Didn't he say what the Hoppers and Horners were like?" inquired
Dorothy.
"No; he only said they were two separate nations, and that the Horners
were the most important."
"Well, if we go to their country we'll find out all about 'em," said the
girl. "But I've never heard Ozma mention those people, so they can't be
_very_ important."
"Is this mountain in the Land of Oz?" asked Scraps.
"Course it is," answered Dorothy. "It's in the South Country of the
Quadlings. When one comes to the edge of Oz, in any direction, there is
nothing more to be seen at all. Once you could see sandy desert all
around Oz; but now it's diff'rent, and no other people can see us, any
more than we can see them."
"If the mountain is under Ozma's rule, why doesn't she know about the
Hoppers and the Horners?" Ojo asked.
"Why, it's a fairyland," explained Dorothy, "and lots of queer people
live in places so tucked away that those in the Emerald City never even
hear of 'em. In the middle of the country it's diff'rent, but when you
get around the edges you're sure to run into strange little corners that
surprise you. I know, for I've traveled in Oz a good deal, and so has
the Scarecrow."
"Yes," admitted the straw man, "I've been considerable of a traveler, in
my time, and I like to explore strange places. I find I learn much more
by traveling than by staying at home."
During this conversation they had been walking up the steep pathway and
now found themselves well up on the mountain. They could see nothing
around them, for the rocks beside their path were higher than their
heads. Nor could they see far in front of them, because the path was so
crooked. But suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and there was
no place to go. Ahead was a big rock lying against the side of the
mountain, and this blocked the way completely.
"There wouldn't be a path, though, if it didn't go somewhere," said the
Scarecrow, wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.
"This is somewhere, isn't it?" asked the Patchwork Girl, laughing at the
bewildered looks of the others.
"The path is locked, the way is blocked,
Yet here we've innocently flocked;
And now we're here it's rather queer
There's no front door that can be knocked."
"Please don't, Scraps," said Ojo. "You make me nervous."
"Well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little rest, for that's a drea'ful
steep path."
As she spoke she leaned against the edge of the big rock that stood in
their way. To her surprise it slowly swung backward and showed behind it
a dark hole that looked like the mouth of a tunnel.
"Why, here's where the path goes to!" she exclaimed.
"So it is," answered the Scarecrow. "But the question is, do we want to
go where the path does?"
"It's underground; right inside the mountain," said Ojo, peering into
the dark hole. "Perhaps there's a well there; and, if there is, it's
sure to be a dark one."
"Why, that's true enough!" cried Dorothy with eagerness. "Let's go in,
Scarecrow; 'cause, if others have gone, we're pretty safe to go, too."
Toto looked in and barked, but he did not venture to enter until the
Scarecrow had bravely gone first. Scraps followed closely after the
straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped inside the tunnel. As
soon as all of them had passed the big rock, it slowly turned and filled
up the opening again; but now they were no longer in the dark, for a
soft, rosy light enabled them to see around them quite distinctly.
It was only a passage, wide enough for two of them to walk abreast--with
Toto in between them--and it had a high, arched roof. They could not see
where the light which flooded the place so pleasantly came from, for
there were no lamps anywhere visible. The passage ran straight for a
little way and then made a bend to the right and another sharp turn to
the left, after which it went straight again. But there were no side
passages, so they could not lose their way.