Jellia in a Frightful Jam
For a long time after the departure of the Tin Woodman and of Strut
and his legions, Jellia sat forlornly on the Star Throne, trying to
stem the tears that coursed slowly down her cheeks. To be stranded on
this high and dangerous airosphere was bad enough, but the thought of
Strut flying off to destroy Ozma and steal all her treasures was more
frightening still.
"What on airth shall we do?" questioned Jellia with a rueful smile, of
the Soldier with Green Whiskers who was tramping morosely up and down
the pavilion. Halting in his march, Wantowin shook his head dubiously.
"That I cannot say!" he murmured, taking off his cap and staring
gloomily inside. "I have no standing in this country at all! But you,
Jellia, are a Starina. Therefore you must decide what is to be done.
And whatever your Majesty's orders may be, I will carry them out to the
letter. To the _letter_!" declared Wantowin, standing up very straight
and tall.
"Oh, bother 'my Majesty!'" scolded Jellia. "You know perfectly well I
didn't _ask_ to be a Starina of this terrible place!"
"It is not what you want but what you are, that counts!" insisted the
Soldier, stubbornly. "And there's no getting round it, Jellia, you
_are_ a Starina! So while you are deciding what is to be done, I'll
just do a bit of reconnoitering. It might be well to know the lay of
the air!"
"Wait!" cried Jellia as Wantowin started smartly down the steps.
"Whatever you do, Wanny--don't run!" she implored earnestly. "You
might easily run off the edge and then where'd you be? So do please be
careful, and if anything frightens you run straight back here! Do you
promise?"
"Nothing ever frightens me!" said the Soldier in an offended voice.
Marching sternly down the steps he was off at a double-quick, without
even a glance over his shoulder. Feeling more alone than ever, Jellia
sighed and folded her hands in her lap. But Wantowin's words, foolish
as they were, had done her good. After all she was a Starina, for
the time being anyway. So, straightening her crown, and drying her
tears, Jellia tried to think how she should act under such bewildering
circumstances. How would Ozma act, for instance, if she were sitting
on the throne of this singular airtry? Even thinking of the gentle and
dignified little Girl Ruler of Oz, steadied Jellia. Holding her head
very high, she stepped down from the dais and began pacing slowly
up and down the pavilion, switching her green skirts in such a regal
manner that the two messengers who had returned quietly to their posts,
stared at her with new interest and admiration.
"Is there anything we might bring your Strajesty?" asked Junnenrump,
bowing from the waist and clicking his heels smartly together. At his
question Jellia paused and eyed the two, speculatively.
"Why, yes," she decided after a moment's thought. "You, Junnenrump, may
send some one to amuse me, and you, Hippenscop, may bring me two of
those winged staffs. It is neither safe nor proper for a Starina and
her Army to be without them!"
"But, your Skyness!" Hippenscop leaped into the air and spun round
and round in an agony of embarrassment. "There are no extra staffs!"
he blurted, finally coming to a stop before her. The little fellow
looked so distressed, Jellia was on the point of letting him off. Then,
remembering just in time that she was bound to be obeyed, she raised
her arm.
"Go!" she commanded haughtily. "And do not return without two winged
staffs!" Junnenrump already had started, and at Jellia's stern command
Hippenscop backed dejectedly down the steps, his eyes bulging with
dismay and consternation.
"If Wanny and I had flying sticks, we'd at least be as well off as
the rest of these Airlanders," reasoned Jellia, resuming her walk.
"But what funny names," she mused, as the messengers disappeared in
two different directions and at two different speeds. "They make me
think of--" here Jellia took a little run and jump, following it with
a skip and a hop. "I suppose" she continued, talking conversationally
to herself, "that is what their names really mean, everything is so
mixed up here." Regaining her throne in one long slide, Jellia brought
up with a slight start. This, she decided, was no way for a Starina
to act. Smoothing down her dress, she walked sedately to Strut's
throne and reached underneath. The real reason she had got rid of the
messengers, of course, was so she could recover the kit-bag and have a
chance to examine its contents without being observed. The cheer gas
had saved them on one occasion, and perhaps there was magic powerful
enough to enable her and the Soldier to escape from the airosphere
before Strut returned. The bag was still there and snatching it up
in her arms, Jellia climbed back on the throne. But just as she was
about to zip it open, Junnenrump bounded up the steps of the pavilion,
dragging a lean old Skylander by the hand.
"His Majesty's Piper!" announced Junnenrump, giving the Piper a shove
forward and seating himself expectantly on the messenger's bench.
Jellia was annoyed to have Junnenrump return so soon. But since she
had sent for someone to amuse her, she could not very well object.
So, resting her chin in her hand she looked curiously at the royal
Piper. The old Skylander was tremendously tall and thin. His tunic was
short and plaited, and under his arms he carried a pair of enormous
bag pipes. Jellia never had cared for bag pipes, but on an airosphere
she supposed wind instruments such as this naturally would be popular.
The Piper, however, did not immediately play on his pipes. Instead he
struck a few light and pleasant chords on the top buttons of his tunic.
"Shall I do a buck and wing, or a little Skyland fling?
Shall I sing a little sing, for you, Dear?"
bawled the Piper cheerfully. He looked so funny that Jellia burst out
laughing. Thus encouraged, the Piper proceeded to sing, punctuating his
song with extraordinary leaps and toe tappings.
"When we Skylanders feel low, we just
Dance the stratispho;
Step it high, kick and fly, toss the
Partner up ski-high. High HO!
"Would you care to try it?" he asked politely, holding out his hand to
Jellia.
"No, No! Not today!" gasped the Oz maid, backing as far as the star
throne would allow. "But I've really enjoyed watching you very much,
and your singing is lovely," she added, generously.
"Ah, but wait until you hear me play," puffed the Piper. Raising his
pipes he blew forth such a hurricane of whistles, squeals and fierce
thunderings that poor Jellia clapped both hands to her ears. "Tell him
to go away," she screamed above the awful din, wildly motioning to
Junnenrump who was tapping his foot in time to the pipes and looking
highly diverted. "Tell him to come back tomorrow." The fierce music
of the bag pipes had brought airlanders running from every direction.
Crowding round the pavilion they waved and bowed to the new Starina.
Realizing she never would have any privacy under the Imperial Canopy,
Jellia slipped off her throne. The messenger had the Piper by the
tunic tails and was easing him gently down the steps. Jellia waited
till they reached the bottom, then, as all the airlanders began to run
after the still furiously pumping piper, Jellia started in the opposite
direction. Surely somewhere, she thought, clutching the kit-bag close
to her, somewhere she could find a quiet corner or cave or clump of
bushes where she could examine the contents of the Wizard's bag without
interruption.
So anxious was Jellia to be by herself, she broke into a run. Failing
to notice a crystal bar stretched across the path, she tripped and fell
violently _up_ a tune tree. Falling down is bad enough, but falling up
is worse still. Jellia not only had barked her shins on the crystal
bar, but had bounced into the air so high she lost her breath and
plunged down so abruptly among the top branches of the tune tree that
she was somewhat scratched and shaken. She knew it must be a tune tree
because plump black notes grew in clusters like cherries between the
leaves. Several, dislodged by her fall, broke into gay little arias and
chords. At any other time Jellia would have been quite interested, but
now she was too agitated and upset to care.
"Such a country--or airtry!" groaned the Oz maid, rubbing her left
ankle and her right knee. "One can't even fall down in their own way!"
Parting the branches the ruffled little girl looked crossly out. It
was quite a long way to the ground, but nevertheless Jellia decided to
climb down. But suddenly it occurred to her that the top of the tune
tree was as good a place as any, to open the kit-bag. Easing herself to
a larger limb, she balanced the bag carefully in her lap and stretched
out her hand to pull the tail. Then a piercing scream and the thump
of a hundred footsteps made her draw it back in a hurry. Parting the
branches of the tree for a second time, she saw Wantowin Battles
running toward her like the wind.
"Help! Help! Save me!" yelled the Soldier with Green Whiskers. And
he had reason to yell for just two leaps behind him panted Kabebe,
waving an enormous crystal rolling-pin. After the Queen pounded the
three big Blowmen, and after the Blowmen came nearly a hundred men,
women, and children. Before Jellia had time even to guess why they were
chasing the Army, Wantowin tripped over the same crystal bar that had
caused her upfall, and landed with a terrific grunt in the branches
beside her, scattering half and quarter-notes in every direction. The
Airlanders stopped short and watched with breathless interest as the
Soldier disappeared into the thick foliage of the tune tree.
"What's the matter? What happened?" whispered Jellia reaching out to
steady the soldier who was bouncing wildly up and down on a nearby limb.
"YOU?" gasped Wantowin, almost losing his balance at the shock of
seeing her. "Oh, Jellia! We must leave at once! At ONCE! As I was
passing the cooking caves, Kabebe rushed out and grabbed me. She has
decided to blow us away most any minute now. She has persuaded the
Airlanders that Strut is lost and never will return. Oh why, WHY, did
we ever fly to this terrible place?"
"Be quiet!" hissed Jellia, frightened almost out of her wits at this
new turn of affairs. "How can I think with you making all that noise?"
"Come down! Come down!" bawled Kabebe. "Come down before I shake you
down!" Grasping the trunk of the tune tree she gave it a playful shake.
Rolling his eyes up, the Soldier glanced desperately at Jellia, and
Jellia, as desperately, glanced back.
"You might as well go down," she whispered resignedly, as the Queen
gave the tree a tremendous shake that nearly dislodged them both.
"Not without you," shivered Wantowin, hugging his branch for dear life.
"Oh, well--let's get it over with," said Jellia despairingly. "Blowing
away may not be so bad, and I'd rather do anything than stay up here."
Tucking the kit-bag under one arm, Jellia swung herself down by the
other and dropped lightly to the ground.
"What is the meaning of this outrageous behavior?" she demanded, as
Wantowin dropped fearfully beside her. "His Majesty shall hear of this,
I promise you!"
Kabebe, astonished to see Jellia as well as the Soldier with Green
Whiskers drop out of the tree, took a hasty step backward. Jellia
quickly followed up her advantage. "I'm amazed!" she said sternly.
"I thought you knew that I was to help you rule while King Strut is
away!" At this bold speech, Wantowin looked at Jellia in round-eyed
admiration. Though her cheeks were scratched and her crown slightly
askew, the little Waiting Maid looked every inch a ruler's helper, if
not a ruler. Even the Blowmen began to shift uneasily from one foot
to the other, their mouths falling open at Jellia's indignation. But
Kabebe raised both arms and fairly screeched at the little Oz Maid.
"How dare you speak to me like that?" she shrieked. "King Strut is lost
and never will return! I am Queen here--and I don't need your help!
Blowmen! Seize this impudent pair, march them to the edge of the cliffs
and blow them away." The crowd of Stratovanians looked uncertainly from
Kabebe to Jellia.
"His Highness left you here to _protect_ me!" Jellia reminded them
sternly. But even as she spoke, she knew they had decided to obey
Kabebe. She was flashing her star eyes so threateningly, and waving her
winged stick so close to their heads, that the Blowmen were afraid to
defy her.
"Come along, now," grumbled the first Blowman, taking Jellia roughly by
the arm. "You've made enough trouble here!"
The other two Blowmen seized the trembling Soldier and began marching
sternly toward the edge of Strut's Skyland. Jellia pulled back with
all her strength, as also did Wantowin, but, hustled along by the huge
Skylanders, they could do little to help themselves. Relentlessly, with
the jeering citizens of Stratovania running along after them, the
unfortunate Oz pair was dragged on.
"Just wait till your Master hears about this," sobbed Jellia, as the
Blowmen shoved them as near to the edge of the cliffs as they dared
go themselves. Then they stepped back to lift their horns. Jellia had
managed to retain her hold on the Wizard's kit-bag, but even so she
felt that their last moment had come.
Jellia gave a final sad little wave to the Soldier, who really was
quite brave now that his doom had arrived. The Blowmen pointed their
horns straight at them, but before they even could inflate their
cheeks, a fierce roar and splutter from the clouds caused every head
to turn upwards.
"The ship--the ship! The flying ship!" cried the First Blowman, letting
his horn fall disregarded to the ground.
"It's Strut!" screamed the Stratovanians, treading on one another's
toes in their sudden frenzy to be out of sight of their Master when he
landed.
"'Tis the Master himself!" cried the first Blowman, yanking Jellia and
the Soldier back from the edge of the Skyland. Pulling Kabebe along
with them, the Blowmen ran as never before, closely followed by Strut's
scurrying subjects. One moment later there was not a single airbody
in sight. Convinced that their cruel and brilliant ruler had returned,
they ran like rabbits. Some even flew, helping themselves along with
their winged staffs, while Jellia, sinking on a large, crystal boulder,
stared dazedly at the silver-bodied plane dropping rapidly toward them.
"It can't be the Oztober!" cried Jellia, delightedly. "It couldn't have
come back so soon!"
"It's _not_!" cried Wantowin Battles, tossing up his cap and waving his
arms exuberantly. "It's the other one, the Ozpril, and that means--"
In his extreme excitement, the Soldier tripped over a balloon bush and
fell seven feet into the air. "It means the Wizard himself has come to
help us," sputtered Wantowin, blinking rapidly as he landed hard on the
rock beside the young Oz maid. "Three cheers, Jellia! The Wizard of Oz
has saved us!"