and it seemed to jar on the shaggy man's nerves.
"Stop it, can't you?" he cried angrily; "or breathe in a whisper; or
put a clothes-pin on your nose. Do something, anyhow!"
But the fat one, with a sad look, sang this answer:
Music hath charms, and it may
Soothe even the savage, they say;
So if savage you feel
Just list to my reel,
For sooth to say that's the real way.
The shaggy man had to laugh at this, and when he laughed he stretched
his donkey mouth wide open. Said Dorothy:
"I don't know how good his poetry is, but it seems to fit the notes, so
that's all that can be 'xpected."
"I like it," said Button-Bright, who was staring hard at the musicker,
his little legs spread wide apart. To the surprise of his companions,
the boy asked this long question:
"If I swallowed a mouth-organ, what would I be?"
"An organette," said the shaggy man. "But come, my dears; I think the
best thing we can do is to continue on our journey before Button-Bright
swallows anything. We must try to find that Land of Oz, you know."
Hearing this speech the musicker sang, quickly:
If you go to the Land of Oz
Please take me along, because
On Ozma's birthday
I'm anxious to play
The loveliest song ever was.
"No thank you," said Dorothy; "we prefer to travel alone. But if I see
Ozma I'll tell her you want to come to her birthday party."
"Let's be going," urged the shaggy man, anxiously.
Polly was already dancing along the road, far in advance, and the
others turned to follow her. Toto did not like the fat musicker and
made a grab for his chubby leg. Dorothy quickly caught up the growling
little dog and hurried after her companions, who were walking faster
than usual in order to get out of hearing. They had to climb a hill,
and until they got to the top they could not escape the musicker's
monotonous piping:
Oom, pom-pom; oom, pom-pom;
Tiddle-iddle-widdle, oom, pom-pom;
Oom, pom-pom--pah!
As they passed the brow of the hill, however, and descended on the
other side, the sounds gradually died away, whereat they all felt much
relieved.
"I'm glad I don't have to live with the organ-man; aren't you, Polly?"
said Dorothy.
"Yes indeed," answered the Rainbow's Daughter.
"He's nice," declared Button-Bright, soberly.
"I hope your Princess Ozma won't invite him to her birthday
celebration," remarked the shaggy man; "for the fellow's music would
drive her guests all crazy. You've given me an idea, Button-Bright; I
believe the musicker must have swallowed an accordeon in his youth."
"What's 'cordeon?" asked the boy.
"It's a kind of pleating," explained Dorothy, putting down the dog.
"Bow-wow!" said Toto, and ran away at a mad gallop to chase a
bumble-bee.