Beside the Wall
The bright sun awakened Betsy and Reddy next morning. Betsy had been
dreaming of the Emerald City and was but half awake. Rubbing her eyes,
she stared in bewilderment at the high walls of Immense City.
"Oh, dear!" mused the little girl, heaving a sigh of disappointment,
"We're still here, aren't we?"
"I should say we are," answered Carter, "and when you think of all
we've been through it's quite a miracle, Betsy my child, to even be
here." Carter had brushed back his celery tops, perked up his ears,
washed his red cheeks in the brook and looked fresh as only a Vegetable
Man may.
"I wonder if the Big Wigs ever use that door," yawned the little Prince
of Rash, rolling over sleepily.
"Just what I was wondering," murmured Carter. "Now my plan is this.
Let us watch the door carefully. Then, when it opens, we will slip in
unnoticed and look around for the Hungry Tiger. But we must be mighty
careful not to get run over or trodden upon by the Giants."
Betsy turned a trifle pale at mention of the Giants, but Reddy hastened
to reassure her. "I'll take care of you, Betsy," promised the little
Prince boldly, "and the rubies will help even if the Giants do catch
us."
Somewhat comforted, but not absolutely convinced, Betsy ran over to the
brook, and after she and Reddy splashed their hands and faces with the
cool water and took a long drink from a nearby spring, they both felt
quite adventurous and cheerful.
"We'll not bother about breakfast," decided Carter, "for I've a notion
there'll be plenty inside."
"Do you really s'pose they'll open the gate?" asked Betsy, quite
excited at the prospect of entering a giant city.
"Well, the four Big Wigs we met on the road must have come out that
way," observed Carter, blinking up at the enormous tulip trees
surrounding the Big Wig Town. Each leaf was large as a person and
Carter was about to pick one up from the ground and fashion it into
a hat for Betsy, when a perfect shower of rocks came flying over
the wall. While none actually hit the three travellers they were so
startled by the suddenness of the attack that they stood frozen to the
spot. Then Carter, seizing Betsy, darted behind a tree. Before Reddy
could join them, a flock of monstrous pigeons swooped down from the
wall and began pecking greedily at the rocks.
"Why they're giant crumbs," cried Betsy, peering around the tree in
astonishment. "Did you ever see such big birds? Why, they're big as
ostriches!"
"Bigger!" gulped Carter, anxiously motioning for Reddy to hide himself.
But just then one of the pigeons, taking the little boy for a crumb or
a tempting little bug, snapped him up in its bill and soared over the
wall of the city.
"Stop! Come back! Help! Help!" shouted Carter Green, while Betsy jumped
up and down with terror and astonishment. But the pigeons on the
ground continued to peck at the crumbs and the pigeon that had carried
off the little Prince was as gone as yesterday.
"Will it eat him?" cried Betsy tearfully. "Oh Carter, what shall we
do now?" And with Reddy and the Hungry Tiger both gone, things looked
dark, indeed. The Vegetable Man had no idea what to do nor how to do
it but, determined to comfort Betsy, he began talking so confidently
and cheerfully that she soon dried her tears.
"No harm can come to Reddy, for he still has the Rash rubies," he
reminded her gaily. "And all we have to do is wait here till someone
opens the door in the wall. Then we'll find the Hungry Tiger and Reddy
and continue our journey to Oz."
After the pigeons had flown away, Carter rolled one of the giant crumbs
over to the little girl. Breaking off the crust, which was a bit stale,
they found the inside soft and fresh and, while it was not exactly the
breakfast she would have chosen, Betsy managed to satisfy her hunger.
Then, sitting down on the twisted roots of a tulip tree, they waited
impatiently for the doors of Immense City to open.
But nothing of the kind happened, and as the morning wore away Carter
grew terribly uneasy. He was more anxious about Reddy and the Hungry
Tiger than he cared to admit. Afraid to leave the spot for fear the
door would open while they were away, the two stared anxiously at the
wall. But it was a weary business and more and more Betsy began to
wonder why Ozma did not come to her assistance. There were plenty of
crumbs for Betsy's lunch and supper, but as night drew on and still
no one came to open the door, Carter decided to take matters into his
own hands. Slowly a plan was forming in the Vegetable Man's mind, and
as the moon rose up over the tulip trees, he explained it carefully to
Betsy Bobbin.
"To-night," announced Carter in a firm voice, "I will plant my feet
close to the walls of the city. In giant soil I ought to grow very
rapidly and by morning should reach the top of the wall. Then I will
bend over and grow downward till I touch the ground on the other side."
"But what will become of me?" cried Betsy, looking at Carter with
frightened eyes.
"You will grow with me," said the Vegetable Man calmly. "I will take
you in my arms and we will grow up together."
"Then what?" asked the little girl doubtfully. "How will you grow down
again?"
"I won't!" answered the Vegetable Man resignedly, "but I'm not
important, Betsy dear, and shall doubtless make some sort of useful
vine or tree."
"I don't want you to be a vine," wailed the little girl in dismay.
"Please don't be a vine and leave me all alone."
"But we must think of the others," Carter pointed out gently. "Once
inside the city, you will find the Hungry Tiger and Reddy and with the
help of the Rash rubies manage to escape. When you reach Oz perhaps
Ozma will find a way to have me transported and transplanted in the
Emerald City. I'd like to be near you, Betsy," sighed the Vegetable Man
wistfully.
In vain Betsy reasoned, argued and coaxed, Carter's mind was fully made
up. It grew darker and darker as they talked, and just as the lanterns
flashed out from the Big Wig wall the Vegetable Man picked her up in
his arms and ran over to the great barred door. Standing as close to
the wall as he could squeeze, Carter set Betsy on his shoulder and
resolutely planted his feet in the soft earth and gazed up into the
darkness.
"Now then," chuckled Carter, assuming a jaunty and care-free air
to reassure the little girl, "I'm rooting for you, Betsy dear, and
to-morrow we'll grow over the top."
But at that instant there was a loud thump on the other side of the
wall. With a screech, the door crunched open and a giant foot was
thrust through.
"Betsy! Betsy!" bellowed a terrible Big Wig voice. "Where are you,
Betsy?"
Betsy Bobbin stared at the Vegetable Man, and he stared at the giant
foot. There was something familiar about that foot--but what was it?