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[Illustration: RINKITINK IN OZ]
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RINKITINK IN OZ
BY
L. FRANK BAUM
AUTHOR OF
The Road to Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The
Emerald City of Oz, The Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz,
The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Tik-Tok of
Oz, The Scarecrow of Oz
[Illustration]
ILLUSTRATED BY
JOHN R. NEILL
The Reilly & Britton Co.
Chicago
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Copyright 1916
By L. Frank Baum
ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
To
My New Grandson--
Robert Alison Baum
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INTRODUCING THIS STORY
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Here is a story with a boy hero, and a boy of whom you have never before
heard. There are girls in the story, too, including our old friend
Dorothy, and some of the characters wander a good way from the Land of
Oz before they all assemble in the Emerald City to take part in Ozma's
banquet. Indeed, I think you will find this story quite different from
the other histories of Oz, but I hope you will not like it the less on
that account.
If I am permitted to write another Oz book it will tell of some
thrilling adventures encountered by Dorothy, Betsy Bobbin, Trot and the
Patchwork Girl right in the Land of Oz, and how they discovered some
amazing creatures that never could have existed outside a fairyland. I
have an idea that about the time you are reading this story of Rinkitink
I shall be writing that story of Adventures in Oz.
Don't fail to write me often and give me your advice and suggestions,
which I always appreciate. I get a good many letters from my readers,
but every one is a joy to me and I answer them as soon as I can find
time to do so.
L. FRANK BAUM
Royal Historian of Oz
"OZCOT"
at HOLLYWOOD
in CALIFORNIA
1916.
LIST OF CHAPTERS
1 The Prince of Pingaree 17
2 The Coming of King Rinkitink 29
3 The Warriors from the North 44
4 The Deserted Island 56
5 The Three Pearls 71
6 The Magic Boat 92
7 The Twin Islands 109
8 Rinkitink Makes a Great Mistake 127
9 A Present for Zella 142
10 The Cunning of Queen Cor 153
11 Zella Goes to Coregos 167
12 The Excitement of Bilbil the Goat 175
13 Zella Saves the Prince 180
14 The Escape 192
15 The Flight of the Rulers 210
16 Nikobob Refuses a Crown 216
17 The Nome King 226
18 Inga Parts with his Pink Pearl 237
19 Rinkitink Chuckles 265
20 Dorothy to the Rescue 275
21 The Wizard Finds an Enchantment 281
22 Ozma's Banquet 291
23 The Pearl Kingdom 301
24 The Captive King 307
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The Prince of Pingaree
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CHAPTER 1
If you have a map of the Land of Oz handy, you will find that the great
Nonestic Ocean washes the shores of the Kingdom of Rinkitink, between
which and the Land of Oz lies a strip of the country of the Nome King
and a Sandy Desert. The Kingdom of Rinkitink isn't very big and lies
close to the ocean, all the houses and the King's palace being built
near the shore. The people live much upon the water, boating and
fishing, and the wealth of Rinkitink is gained from trading along the
coast and with the islands nearest it.
Four days' journey by boat to the north of Rinkitink is the Island of
Pingaree, and as our story begins here I must tell you something about
this island. At the north end of Pingaree, where it is widest, the land
is a mile from shore to shore, but at the south end it is scarcely half
a mile broad; thus, although Pingaree is four miles long, from north to
south, it cannot be called a very big island. It is exceedingly pretty,
however, and to the gulls who approach it from the sea it must resemble
a huge green wedge lying upon the waters, for its grass and trees give
it the color of an emerald.
The grass came to the edge of the sloping shores; the beautiful trees
occupied all the central portion of Pingaree, forming a continuous grove
where the branches met high overhead and there was just space beneath
them for the cosy houses of the inhabitants. These houses were scattered
everywhere throughout the island, so that there was no town or city,
unless the whole island might be called a city. The canopy of leaves,
high overhead, formed a shelter from sun and rain, and the dwellers in
the grove could all look past the straight tree-trunks and across the
grassy slopes to the purple waters of the Nonestic Ocean.
At the big end of the island, at the north, stood the royal palace of
King Kitticut, the lord and ruler of Pingaree. It was a beautiful
palace, built entirely of snow-white marble and capped by domes of
burnished gold, for the King was exceedingly wealthy. All along the
coast of Pingaree were found the largest and finest pearls in the whole
world.
These pearls grew within the shells of big oysters, and the people raked
the oysters from their watery beds, sought out the milky pearls and
carried them dutifully to their King. Therefore, once every year His
Majesty was able to send six of his boats, with sixty rowers and many
sacks of the valuable pearls, to the Kingdom of Rinkitink, where there
was a city called Gilgad, in which King Rinkitink's palace stood on a
rocky headland and served, with its high towers, as a lighthouse to
guide sailors to the harbor. In Gilgad the pearls from Pingaree were
purchased by the King's treasurer, and the boats went back to the island
laden with stores of rich merchandise and such supplies of food as the
people and the royal family of Pingaree needed.
The Pingaree people never visited any other land but that of Rinkitink,
and so there were few other lands that knew there was such an island.
To the southwest was an island called the Isle of Phreex, where the
inhabitants had no use for pearls. And far north of Pingaree--six days'
journey by boat, it was said--were twin islands named Regos and Coregos,
inhabited by a fierce and warlike people.
Many years before this story really begins, ten big boatloads of those
fierce warriors of Regos and Coregos visited Pingaree, landing suddenly
upon the north end of the island. There they began to plunder and
conquer, as was their custom, but the people of Pingaree, although
neither so big nor so strong as their foes, were able to defeat them and
drive them all back to the sea, where a great storm overtook the raiders
from Regos and Coregos and destroyed them and their boats, not a single
warrior returning to his own country.
This defeat of the enemy seemed the more wonderful because the
pearl-fishers of Pingaree were mild and peaceful in disposition and
seldom quarreled even among themselves. Their only weapons were their
oyster rakes; yet the fact remains that they drove their fierce enemies
from Regos and Coregos from their shores.
King Kitticut was only a boy when this remarkable battle was fought,
and now his hair was gray; but he remembered the day well and, during
the years that followed, his one constant fear was of another invasion
of his enemies. He feared they might send a more numerous army to his
island, both for conquest and revenge, in which case there could be
little hope of successfully opposing them.
This anxiety on the part of King Kitticut led him to keep a sharp
lookout for strange boats, one of his men patrolling the beach
constantly, but he was too wise to allow any fear to make him or his
subjects unhappy. He was a good King and lived very contentedly in his
fine palace, with his fair Queen Garee and their one child, Prince Inga.
The wealth of Pingaree increased year by year; and the happiness of the
people increased, too. Perhaps there was no place, outside the Land of
Oz, where contentment and peace were more manifest than on this pretty
island, hidden in the bosom of the Nonestic Ocean. Had these conditions
remained undisturbed, there would have been no need to speak of Pingaree
in this story.
Prince Inga, the heir to all the riches and the kingship of Pingaree,
grew up surrounded by every luxury; but he was a manly little fellow,
although somewhat too grave and thoughtful, and he could never bear to
be idle a single minute. He knew where the finest oysters lay hidden
along the coast and was as successful in finding pearls as any of the
men of the island, although he was so slight and small. He had a little
boat of his own and a rake for dragging up the oysters and he was very
proud indeed when he could carry a big white pearl to his father.
There was no school upon the island, as the people of Pingaree were far
removed from the state of civilization that gives our modern children
such advantages as schools and learned professors, but the King owned
several manuscript books, the pages being made of sheepskin. Being a man
of intelligence, he was able to teach his son something of reading,
writing and arithmetic.
When studying his lessons Prince Inga used to go into the grove near his
father's palace and climb into the branches of a tall tree, where he had
built a platform with a comfortable seat to rest upon, all hidden by the
canopy of leaves. There, with no one to disturb him, he would pore over
the sheepskin on which were written the queer characters of the
Pingarese language.
King Kitticut was very proud of his little son, as well he might be, and
he soon felt a high respect for Inga's judgment and thought that he was
worthy to be taken into the confidence of his father in many matters of
state. He taught the boy the needs of the people and how to rule them
justly, for some day he knew that Inga would be King in his place. One
day he called his son to his side and said to him:
"Our island now seems peaceful enough, Inga, and we are happy and
prosperous, but I cannot forget those terrible people of Regos and
Coregos. My constant fear is that they will send a fleet of boats to
search for those of their race whom we defeated many years ago, and whom
the sea afterwards destroyed. If the warriors come in great numbers we
may be unable to oppose them, for my people are little trained to
fighting at best; they surely would cause us much injury and suffering."
"Are we, then, less powerful than in my grandfather's day?" asked Prince
Inga.
The King shook his head thoughtfully.
"It is not that," said he. "That you may fully understand that marvelous
battle, I must confide to you a great secret. I have in my possession
three Magic Talismans, which I have ever guarded with utmost care,
keeping the knowledge of their existence from anyone else. But, lest I
should die and the secret be lost, I have decided to tell you what these
talismans are and where they are hidden. Come with me, my son."
He led the way through the rooms of the palace until they came to the
great banquet hall. There, stopping in the center of the room, he
stooped down and touched a hidden spring in the tiled floor. At once one
of the tiles sank downward and the King reached within the cavity and
drew out a silken bag.
This bag he proceeded to open, showing Inga that it contained three
great pearls, each one as big around as a marble. One had a blue tint
and one was of a delicate rose color, but the third was pure white.
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"These three pearls," said the King, speaking in a solemn, impressive
voice, "are the most wonderful the world has ever known. They were gifts
to one of my ancestors from the Mermaid Queen, a powerful fairy whom he
once had the good fortune to rescue from her enemies. In gratitude for
this favor she presented him with these pearls. Each of the three
possesses an astonishing power, and whoever is their owner may count
himself a fortunate man. This one having the blue tint will give to
the person who carries it a strength so great that no power can resist
him. The one with the pink glow will protect its owner from all dangers
that may threaten him, no matter from what source they may come. The
third pearl--this one of pure white--can speak, and its words are always
wise and helpful."
"What is this, my father!" exclaimed the Prince, amazed; "do you tell me
that a pearl can speak? It sounds impossible."
"Your doubt is due to your ignorance of fairy powers," returned the
King, gravely. "Listen, my son, and you will know that I speak the
truth."
He held the white pearl to Inga's ear and the Prince heard a small voice
say distinctly: "Your father is right. Never question the truth of what
you fail to understand, for the world is filled with wonders."
"I crave your pardon, dear father," said the Prince, "for clearly I
heard the pearl speak, and its words were full of wisdom."
"The powers of the other pearls are even greater," resumed the King.
"Were I poor in all else, these gems would make me richer than any other
monarch the world holds."
"I believe that," replied Inga, looking at the beautiful pearls with
much awe. "But tell me, my father, why do you fear the warriors of Regos
and Coregos when these marvelous powers are yours?"
"The powers are mine only while I have the pearls upon my person,"
answered King Kitticut, "and I dare not carry them constantly for fear
they might be lost. Therefore, I keep them safely hidden in this recess.
My only danger lies in the chance that my watchmen might fail to
discover the approach of our enemies and allow the warrior invaders to
seize me before I could secure the pearls. I should, in that case, be
quite powerless to resist. My father owned the magic pearls at the time
of the Great Fight, of which you have so often heard, and the pink pearl
protected him from harm, while the blue pearl enabled him and his people
to drive away the enemy. Often have I suspected that the destroying
storm was caused by the fairy mermaids, but that is a matter of which I
have no proof."
"I have often wondered how we managed to win that battle," remarked Inga
thoughtfully. "But the pearls will assist us in case the warriors come
again, will they not?"
"They are as powerful as ever," declared the King. "Really, my son, I
have little to fear from any foe. But lest I die and the secret be lost
to the next King, I have now given it into your keeping. Remember that
these pearls are the rightful heritage of all Kings of Pingaree. If at
any time I should be taken from you, Inga, guard this treasure well and
do not forget where it is hidden."
"I shall not forget," said Inga.
Then the King returned the pearls to their hiding place and the boy went
to his own room to ponder upon the wonderful secret his father had that
day confided to his care.
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The Coming of King Rinkitink
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