At daybreak Tip was awakened by the Pumpkinhead. He rubbed the sleep
from his eyes, bathed in a little brook, and then ate a portion of his
bread and cheese. Having thus prepared for a new day the boy said:
“Let us start at once. Nine miles is quite a distance, but we ought to
reach the Emerald City by noon if no accidents happen.” So the
Pumpkinhead was again perched upon the back of the Saw-Horse and the
journey was resumed.
Tip noticed that the purple tint of the grass and trees had now faded
to a dull lavender, and before long this lavender appeared to take on a
greenish tinge that gradually brightened as they drew nearer to the
great City where the Scarecrow ruled.
The little party had traveled but a short two miles upon their way when
the road of yellow brick was parted by a broad and swift river. Tip was
puzzled how to cross over; but after a time he discovered a man in a
ferry-boat approaching from the other side of the stream.
When the man reached the bank Tip asked:
“Will you row us to the other side?”
“Yes, if you have money,” returned the ferryman, whose face looked
cross and disagreeable.
“But I have no money,” said Tip.
“None at all?” inquired the man.
“None at all,” answered the boy.
“Then I’ll not break my back rowing you over,” said the ferryman,
decidedly.
“What a nice man!” remarked the Pumpkinhead, smilingly.
The ferryman stared at him, but made no reply. Tip was trying to think,
for it was a great disappointment to him to find his journey so
suddenly brought to an end.
“I must certainly get to the Emerald City,” he said to the boatman;
“but how can I cross the river if you do not take me?”
The man laughed, and it was not a nice laugh.
“That wooden horse will float,” said he; “and you can ride him across.
As for the pumpkinheaded loon who accompanies you, let him sink or swim
it won’t matter greatly which.”
[Illustration: image073]
“Don’t worry about me,” said Jack, smiling pleasantly upon the crabbed
ferryman; “I’m sure I ought to float beautifully.”
Tip thought the experiment was worth making, and the Saw-Horse, who did
not know what danger meant, offered no objections whatever. So the boy
led it down into the water and climbed upon its back. Jack also waded
in up to his knees and grasped the tail of the horse so that he might
keep his pumpkin head above the water.
“Now,” said Tip, instructing the Saw-Horse, “if you wiggle your legs
you will probably swim; and if you swim we shall probably reach the
other side.”
The Saw-Horse at once began to wiggle its legs, which acted as oars and
moved the adventurers slowly across the river to the opposite side. So
successful was the trip that presently they were climbing, wet and
dripping, up the grassy bank.
Tip’s trouser-legs and shoes were thoroughly soaked; but the Saw-Horse
had floated so perfectly that from his knees up the boy was entirely
dry. As for the Pumpkinhead, every stitch of his gorgeous clothing
dripped water.
“The sun will soon dry us,” said Tip “and, anyhow, we are now safely
across, in spite of the ferryman, and can continue our journey.”
“I didn’t mind swimming, at all,” remarked the horse.
“Nor did I,” added Jack.
They soon regained the road of yellow brick, which proved to be a
continuation of the road they had left on the other side, and then Tip
once more mounted the Pumpkinhead upon the back of the Saw-Horse.
“If you ride fast,” said he, “the wind will help to dry your clothing.
I will hold on to the horse’s tail and run after you. In this way we
all will become dry in a very short time.”
“Then the horse must step lively,” said Jack.
“I’ll do my best,” returned the Saw-Horse, cheerfully.
Tip grasped the end of the branch that served as tail to the Saw-Horse,
and called loudly: “Get-up!”
The horse started at a good pace, and Tip followed behind. Then he
decided they could go faster, so he shouted: “Trot!”
[Illustration: image075]
Now, the Saw-Horse remembered that this word was the command to go as
fast as he could; so he began rocking along the road at a tremendous
pace, and Tip had hard work—running faster than he ever had before in
his life—to keep his feet.
Soon he was out of breath, and although he wanted to call “Whoa!” to
the horse, he found he could not get the word out of his throat. Then
the end of the tail he was clutching, being nothing more than a dead
branch, suddenly broke away, and the next minute the boy was rolling in
the dust of the road, while the horse and its pumpkin-headed rider
dashed on and quickly disappeared in the distance.
By the time Tip had picked himself up and cleared the dust from his
throat so he could say “Whoa!” there was no further need of saying it,
for the horse was long since out of sight.
So he did the only sensible thing he could do. He sat down and took a
good rest, and afterward began walking along the road.
“Some time I will surely overtake them,” he reflected; “for the road
will end at the gates of the Emerald City, and they can go no further
than that.”
Meantime Jack was holding fast to the post and the Saw-Horse was
tearing along the road like a racer. Neither of them knew Tip was left
behind, for the Pumpkinhead did not look around and the Saw-Horse
couldn’t.
As he rode, Jack noticed that the grass and trees had become a bright
emerald-green in color, so he guessed they were nearing the Emerald
City even before the tall spires and domes came into sight.
At length a high wall of green stone, studded thick with emeralds,
loomed up before them; and fearing the Saw-Horse would not know enough
to stop and so might smash them both against this wall, Jack ventured
to cry “Whoa!” as loud as he could.
So suddenly did the horse obey that had it not been for his post Jack
would have been pitched off head foremost, and his beautiful face
ruined.
“That was a fast ride, dear father!” he exclaimed; and then, hearing no
reply, he turned around and discovered for the first time that Tip was
not there.
This apparent desertion puzzled the Pumpkinhead, and made him uneasy.
And while he was wondering what had become of the boy, and what he
ought to do next under such trying circumstances, the gateway in the
green wall opened and a man came out.
This man was short and round, with a fat face that seemed remarkably
good-natured. He was clothed all in green and wore a high, peaked green
hat upon his head and green spectacles over his eyes. Bowing before the
Pumpkinhead he said:
“I am the Guardian of the Gates of the Emerald City. May I inquire who
you are, and what is your business?”
“My name is Jack Pumpkinhead,” returned the other, smilingly; “but as
to my business, I haven’t the least idea in the world what it is.”
The Guardian of the Gates looked surprised, and shook his head as if
dissatisfied with the reply.
“What are you, a man or a pumpkin?” he asked, politely.
“Both, if you please,” answered Jack.
“And this wooden horse—is it alive?” questioned the Guardian.
The horse rolled one knotty eye upward and winked at Jack. Then it gave
a prance and brought one leg down on the Guardian’s toes.
“Ouch!” cried the man; “I’m sorry I asked that question. But the answer
is most convincing. Have you any errand, sir, in the Emerald City?”
“It seems to me that I have,” replied the Pumpkinhead, seriously; “but
I cannot think what it is. My father knows all about it, but he is not
here.”
“This is a strange affair very strange!” declared the Guardian. “But
you seem harmless. Folks do not smile so delightfully when they mean
mischief.”
“As for that,” said Jack, “I cannot help my smile, for it is carved on
my face with a jack-knife.”
“Well, come with me into my room,” resumed the Guardian, “and I will
see what can be done for you.”
So Jack rode the Saw-Horse through the gateway into a little room built
into the wall. The Guardian pulled a bell-cord, and presently a very
tall soldier—clothed in a green uniform—entered from the opposite door.
This soldier carried a long green gun over his shoulder and had lovely
green whiskers that fell quite to his knees. The Guardian at once
addressed him, saying:
“Here is a strange gentleman who doesn’t know why he has come to the
Emerald City, or what he wants. Tell me, what shall we do with him?”
The Soldier with the Green Whiskers looked at Jack with much care and
curiosity. Finally he shook his head so positively that little waves
rippled down his whiskers, and then he said:
“I must take him to His Majesty, the Scarecrow.”
“But what will His Majesty, the Scarecrow, do with him?” asked the
Guardian of the Gates.
“That is His Majesty’s business,” returned the soldier. “I have
troubles enough of my own. All outside troubles must be turned over to
His Majesty. So put the spectacles on this fellow, and I’ll take him to
the royal palace.”
So the Guardian opened a big box of spectacles and tried to fit a pair
to Jack’s great round eyes.
“I haven’t a pair in stock that will really cover those eyes up,” said
the little man, with a sigh; “and your head is so big that I shall be
obliged to tie the spectacles on.”
“But why need I wear spectacles?” asked Jack.
[Illustration: image081]
“It’s the fashion here,” said the Soldier, “and they will keep you from
being blinded by the glitter and glare of the gorgeous Emerald City.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Jack. “Tie them on, by all means. I don’t wish to be
blinded.”
“Nor I!” broke in the Saw-Horse; so a pair of green spectacles was
quickly fastened over the bulging knots that served it for eyes.
Then the Soldier with the Green Whiskers led them through the inner
gate and they at once found themselves in the main street of the
magnificent Emerald City.
Sparkling green gems ornamented the fronts of the beautiful houses and
the towers and turrets were all faced with emeralds. Even the green
marble pavement glittered with precious stones, and it was indeed a
grand and marvelous sight to one who beheld it for the first time.
However, the Pumpkinhead and the Saw-Horse, knowing nothing of wealth
and beauty, paid little attention to the wonderful sights they saw
through their green spectacles. They calmly followed after the green
soldier and scarcely noticed the crowds of green people who stared at
them in surprise. When a green dog ran out and barked at them the
Saw-Horse promptly kicked at it with its wooden leg and sent the little
animal howling into one of the houses; but nothing more serious than
this happened to interrupt their progress to the royal palace.
The Pumpkinhead wanted to ride up the green marble steps and straight
into the Scarecrow’s presence; but the soldier would not permit that.
So Jack dismounted, with much difficulty, and a servant led the
Saw-Horse around to the rear while the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
escorted the Pumpkinhead into the palace, by the front entrance.
The stranger was left in a handsomely furnished waiting room while the
soldier went to announce him. It so happened that at this hour His
Majesty was at leisure and greatly bored for want of something to do,
so he ordered his visitor to be shown at once into his throne room.
Jack felt no fear or embarrassment at meeting the ruler of this
magnificent city, for he was entirely ignorant of all worldly customs.
But when he entered the room and saw for the first time His Majesty the
Scarecrow seated upon his glittering throne, he stopped short in
amazement.
[Illustration: image084]
[Illustration: image085]