Notta's Last Disguise
Of all his adventures, Bob remembered this strange concert longest.
The fairylike music, that even made the Moon bend down to listen, the
drumlike accompaniment of Nick's snores and the misty faces of the
trees themselves, bending down in the dim starlight, all added to the
enchantment. Bob could not remember falling asleep, for all through his
dreams marched the music of the fiddles--but he must have slept, for
opening his eyes suddenly, he found the sun out and shining merrily.
He looked around to ask Notta whether he had dreamed about the fiddles
or really heard them, but Notta was nowhere to be seen. Nick, too, had
vanished.
Rather alarmed, Bob jumped up. As he did so a large green leaf with
white lines traced on it fluttered to the ground.
"You may use the Fiddlebow Boat," said the leaf and, looking up, Bob
fancied the big tree was smiling at him. So he made a stiff little
bow and, holding fast to the leaf, started off uneasily to find his
friends. The sound of water rippling over stones took him to the left,
for he was terribly thirsty and in a few seconds he had come out on a
rapid little stream. The water was so clear Bob could see the white
stones gleaming on the bottom. Throwing himself down, he took a long,
satisfying drink. When he straightened up he was astonished to see a
boat tied to a slim birch that leaned far out over the water's edge.
"Why, this must be the Fiddlebow Boat," cried the little boy, hastening
over to examine it. It was of a smooth and satiny garnet, and exactly
the shape of a huge, hollowed-out fiddle. It rode gaily at the end of
its pink line, and this discovery only made Bob more anxious than ever
to find the clown. Calling first Notta and then Nick, he ran back to
the big tree, and just as he reached it was horrified to see a witch
bending over the pile of leaves he had slept on. With a shrill scream
Bob turned to flee but the witch came bounding and hobbling after,
calling to him in pleading tones not to run away. But the more the
witch called, the faster Bob ran, and he might have been running yet,
had he not tripped over the roots of a tree and fallen headlong. In an
instant the black hands of his pursuer jerked him to his feet.
"Bob! Bob!" cried the witch remorsefully, "don't you know me? Bob, it's
Notta--only old Notta!"
"Notta?" gasped Bob, for he was entirely out of breath and trembling
like a leaf.
"There! There!" coaxed the clown. "It's only one of my disguises." As
Bob continued to regard him with disfavor, he explained hurriedly, "You
see we're going to this Emerald City, Bob Up, where every other person
is more or less magic. Now, what attention would they pay to a silly
clown? Why, they might not even listen to me. But if I pretend to be
a powerful witch, Princess Ozma and the Wizard of Oz, whom we've been
hearing so much about, will hasten to do what I say."
"You'll frighten them," said Bob stubbornly, but Notta shook his head.
"People in fairy cities aren't frightened as easily as little boys," he
chuckled knowingly. "And just look what I've found you for breakfast!"
In Bob's cap he had gathered nuts and berries of every kind, and Bob,
seeing Notta was determined to go to the Emerald City as a witch, said
nothing more but began to eat hungrily. After a hearty breakfast, Nick
came flapping back and was so startled by the clown's disguise that
his nose fell off the hook with a crash. But Notta soon reassured him
and, as Bob was tingling with impatience to show them the boat, they
finished the berries in great haste.
"This is the friendliest forest I ever was in," repeated the clown,
viewing Bob's discovery with delight. "This will take us out faster
than we could walk and it's much safer than the Flyaboutabus. Now then,
all aboard for the Emerald City!"
[Illustration: NOTTA AND BOB UP ON THEIR WAY TO THE EMERALD CITY,
IN THE FIDDLEBOW BOAT.]
Gathering up his witch skirts, Notta leaped into the Fiddlebow Boat
and, seizing the long oar, pushed it in close to the bank. Snorer
alighted on the end, and Bob settled himself cozily among the cushions.
Merrily the boat went dancing down the stream, propelled by Notta's
strong arm. The only thing that marred Bob's pleasure was the thought
of Notta's disguise. But he determined to tell Dorothy, or the first
person they met, that the clown was not a witch, but the jolliest
fellow in the world. Somewhat comforted by this thought, Bob gave
himself up to pure enjoyment.
"Did you hear the fiddles last night?" asked the little boy presently.
"Bob," sighed Notta, "I did, and never heard any like it in the whole
of my travels."
"It must have been my snoring you heard," said Nick, preening his
feathers busily, for he wished to appear at his best in the Emerald
City. Notta laughed uproariously at this and almost upset the boat.
They all felt light-hearted and gay, and Bob was no more like the
solemn little orphan who had fallen into Mudge than Nick's snoring was
like the music in the Fiddlestick Forest.
"I wonder if there are any other boys and girls in the Emerald City
besides Dorothy?" asked Bob, after a little pause. "And I wonder if
Dorothy ever heard of Un or Doorways?"
"You'll have plenty to tell this little girl from Kansas, eh, Bob Up?"
smiled the clown, and Snorer, after adjusting his nose, related all
that he knew of the Emerald City, which unfortunately wasn't much, as
very little news of the capital ever came to Un.
"I hope the Cowardly Lion is having as pleasant a journey as this,"
said Notta, as they skimmed along under the branches of the trees, "and
I hope Crunch is behaving himself properly."
"I should think he'd be a hard person to get along with," chirped Nick,
giving the clown a nudge so he would be sure to see the joke.
"Because he's made of stone, you mean?" replied Notta. "Well, trust
the Cowardly Lion to manage him. Hello! Looks as if we were out of the
woods."
A turn of the rapid little stream had brought them into a broad meadow
and the Fiddlebow Boat stopped of its own accord.
"Guess this is as far as it goes," puffed the clown, after vainly
endeavoring to push it forward with the oar. So he guided it to the
bank and they all hopped out.
"But it doesn't seem right to leave it here," observed Notta,
scratching his ear anxiously. No sooner had he spoken than a tall
tree near the edge of the water leaned down, seized the boat in its
branches, and passed it along to the next tree, and in a second it was
being tossed lightly from tree to tree, much to the amazement of Notta
and Bob.
With wonders happening every moment, you would expect them to be used
to it, but each time they were newly astonished. When the last trace
of the magic boat disappeared, they struck out across the meadow, for
already over the top of a little hill they could see the sparkling
green towers of the Emerald City of Oz.
Nick, hopping sidewise, paused every few minutes to see that his curly
nose was safely on its hook. Notta began rehearsing long speeches he
meant to make to the lovely little ruler of Oz, while Bob skipped
between the two, nearly bursting with excitement. On the other side of
the meadow they came to the yellow brick road mentioned by Mustafa.
From the windows of the little green cottages scattered here and there,
the inhabitants looked at them curiously, and several of the quaintly
dressed town folk whom they met on the road, at sight of a witch, took
immediately to their heels. But without waiting to explain themselves
or talk to anyone, the three hurried on to the gates of the Emerald
City itself.
Bob gazed with round-eyed delight, Nick began to snort with surprise,
and Notta, who had seen in the course of his travels every great
city on two continents, was struck dumb with amazement, for the
capital city of Oz outshone them all in beauty and magnificence. Its
streets of green marble sparkled with emeralds, and the palace, rising
majestically from its flowering gardens, shone with splendor in the
bright morning sunshine. The Guardian of the Gate was breakfasting in
his cottage, and Nick flew over the bars and, turning the emerald key,
quietly admitted Bob and Notta.
"Let us proceed to the main tent," puffed the clown a bit nervously,
for he felt ill at ease among so much magnificence. He had forgotten
every word of his speech and, with a sigh, resolved to stick to his old
rules--disguise, politeness, joke and run. "Though I see no reason why
we should have to run," he muttered uneasily, settling his witch hat a
bit more firmly.
It was still rather early and the gardens were deserted, but all at
once Bob, who was a bit ahead of the others, spied a little girl in
pink, sitting on the edge of a fountain, reading.
"It's Dorothy!" cried Bob, waving excitedly. "She looks just like a
picture in the lion book! Come on!" Immediately Snorer spread his wings
and flung himself into the air. Notta grasped his black cloak and
catching Bob's hand started on a run for the fountain.
The flapping of Nick's wings made Dorothy look up. With a little scream
she jumped to her feet, for any little girl, even though she _is_ a
Princess of Oz, cannot help being afraid of witches.
"Help!" cried Dorothy, turning to run. But just then she caught sight
of a gold bucket that always stood beside the fountain, and she
remembered an experience she had had long ago with the wicked witch
of the West. Water had melted one witch--why not another? Seizing the
bucket, she filled it hastily at the fountain and, just as the witch,
strange bird and little boy reached her, she flung its contents over
the witch's head.
"Oh! Oh!" screamed Snorer. "You have insulted the most beautiful person
in Oz."
Notta, taken completely by surprise, could do nothing but choke and
splutter.
"Wait!" panted Bob, for Dorothy was refilling the bucket. But he was
too late and down splashed another bucket on Notta's head, carrying
away his hat and drenching his black wig. Unable to speak, Notta began
to wave his arms, and this was anything but reassuring to Dorothy.
Snatching a little silver whistle that hung on a ribbon on her neck,
she blew on it shrilly. The next instant running feet could be heard on
all the garden paths and in a twinkling Bob and Notta were surrounded.
"What is it?" boomed Sir Hokus of Pokes, Dorothy's Knight Errant. He
brought his mailed fist heavily down upon Notta's witch shoulder. The
Soldier with the Green Whiskers, not to be outdone, grasped Bob Up
and Tik Tok leaned over stiffly and seized Snorer by the neck. More
and more people kept arriving, and though Bob tried his best to make
himself heard, in the general confusion his voice was drowned out, and
in disgrace they were marched to the palace.
Ozma was having a quiet game of checkers with the Scarecrow and looked
up in amazement as the company burst into the throne room.
"A witch!" shrilled the Patchwork Girl, dancing madly at the head of
the procession,
"A witch, a witch,
As black as pitch,
Has come to steal your throne
And sich!"
"If they would only stop screaming," thought poor Bob, looking
anxiously at the lovely little figure of Ozma of Oz. Just then they
did, for Ozma, glancing in surprise and displeasure at the witch,
raised her scepter for silence.