AN UNLIKELY TRIO OF FRIENDS
Elephant, Tweaty and Nibbles were ready to leave, and it seemed that
dozens of other forest animals were of the same mind. The ferocity of
the Forest Monster had led many of the denizens of the Lunechien Forest
to panic. Many of them wanted to tell the Lord of the Forest about the
trouble, while others elected to go to Glinda the Good, who ruled over
the neighboring Land of the Quadlings. Animals were running to and fro,
and there was a mass of confusion.
"Look out!" Nibbles cried suddenly. "That Unicorn is coming right at
us!"
Elephant was helpless in trying to avert the disaster. An abnormally
frightened Unicorn, undoubtedly made nervous by the excitement, had lost
control of her footing. She plowed into the rear of the elephant with a
jolt which nearly flung the two passengers on his head into Glowing
Limbo.
Retrieving his companions and determining that they were unhurt, he
listened for a few moments to the oft-repeated apologies of the Unicorn
and then set out again.
"I sure hope that Queen Ozma can do something about that ugly brute,"
said Nibbles.
"If she can't, we'll be no worse off than when we started," replied
Tweaty.
The subject was dropped there. Elephant had run most rapidly and the
trio was now approaching the Emerald City.
"Excuse me," said the man at the gate. "Who are you and what is your
business in the Emerald City?"
"We want to see the child who has become our Queen," replied Elephant.
"On what grounds?"
"On the ground I'm walking upon now, I suppose. Is there a problem?"
"What is your business with the Queen? If you are here to make fun of
her age, you are welcome to go away. Queen Ozma was sent to us by the
Fairy Queen Lurliné herself, and she has our respect. Even though she is
a tiny child, she is not to be made sport of."
"No one is making sport of anyone," said Elephant gruffly. "Though if
you don't get out of my way I may decide to use you for a football."
"That will not be necessary," said the guard. "But you will need to wear
green glasses. It is a rule that was set up by the Wonderful Wizard of
Oz himself. It is because of the gleaming magnitude of all the big
gemstones everywhere. If you don't wear these special glasses, you might
well be blinded by their brilliance. I hope you won't object to this."
"Well," said Elephant. "I fear that your glasses will not fit someone my
size. Nor, for that matter, the smaller sizes of my companions."
"Jeepers," said the guard. "I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps you're
right." He practically threw himself into his chestful of green glasses,
but found none that would fit the animals. "I guess I'll have to make
you some. This may take a while, so you'll have to find something to do
in the mean."
"How about we go and talk to the Queen while you make us our glasses?"
suggested Nibbles.
"A grand idea!" replied the guard. He opened the gate and the company
entered.
The Emerald City of Oz is a truly remarkable place. It has had so many
volumes written about it that it hardly needs a description here, but it
should be noted that our trio was most impressed.
Ozma, too, was very impressive. They came upon her while she was
engrossed in playing paper-dolls with another little girl on the palace
steps.
[Illustration: Ozma]
"Excuse me, your Majesty," said Elephant.
The child looked up from her game and smiled at the pachyderm. "Hello,"
she said quietly.
"My Dear Queen," said Elephant, "I and my cohorts are from the Lunechien
Forest of Oz. It is situated in the Munchkin Country, and we are proud
to call ourselves your subjects."
"Thank you very much," Ozma said politely. "Do you want to play
paper-dolls with us?"
"I--er, well, I suppose at some point I could be persuaded," stammered
Elephant. "But I have come on very important business just now."
As the animals watched, Ozma seemed to make a complete transformation.
She remained a child, but her eyes suddenly grew solemn and she raised
herself from her seat on the steps. Even though very young and
inexperienced, the Child Queen took on an appearance of regal splendor.
It made Elephant want to bow down before her, and this he promptly did.
It was fortunate that Tweaty could fly, but unfortunate that Nibbles
could not. Tweaty zoomed into the air without mishap as soon as
Elephant's head went down in his bow. Nibbles, however, was thrust
through the air by the impact of Elephant's exuberant show of
subjection. He flew toward the child and did not stop until he became
caught in her pocket. Ozma, being that she was only a little girl after
all, began to scream until Elephant reached into the pocket with his
trunk and retrieved the rodent.
"Thank you," Ozma said, composing herself. "When I was a little boy
named Tip, I'd have probably thought that very funny. But I am beginning
to feel like Ozma again. This is who I am truly destined to be. Now tell
me, what is the nature of your call?"
Elephant and the others quickly explained about the Forest Monster and
how they feared for their lives. As they spoke, the child grew more and
more solemn.
"It is hard to be a ruler over such a big land as Oz," spoke the child
after she had heard the news concerning the spider creature. "But I am
not willing to allow such a fiendish creature to harm any of my
subjects. I do not know of your Lunechien Forest, but I will do all in
my power to assist you."
[Illustration: Lurliné, leader of the fairies]