In the Country of the Gillikins,
which is at the North of the Land of Oz, lived a youth called Tip. There was
more to his name than that, for old Mombi often declared that his whole name
was Tippetarius; but no one was expected to say such a long word when "Tip"
would do just as well.
This boy remembered nothing of his
parents, for he had been brought when quite young to be reared by the old
woman known as Mombi, whose reputation, I am sorry to say, was none of the
best. For the Gillikin people had reason to suspect her of indulging in
magical arts, and therefore hesitated to associate with her.
Mombi was not exactly a Witch,
because the Good Witch who ruled that part of the Land of Oz had forbidden
any other Witch to exist in her dominions. So Tip's guardian, however much
she might aspire to working magic, realized it was unlawful to be more than
a Sorceress, or at most a Wizardess.
Tip was made to carry wood from the
forest, that the old woman might boil her pot. He also worked in the
corn-fields, hoeing and husking; and he fed the pigs and milked the
four-horned cow that was Mombi's especial pride.
|
But you must not
suppose he worked all the time, for he felt that would be bad
for him. When sent to the forest Tip often climbed trees for
birds' eggs or amused himself chasing the fleet white rabbits or
fishing in the brooks with bent pins. Then he would hastily
gather his armful of wood and carry it home. And when he was
supposed to be working in the corn-fields, and the tall stalks
hid him from Mombi's view, Tip would often dig in the gopher
holes, or if the mood seized him -- lie upon his back between
the rows of corn and take a nap. So, by taking care not to
exhaust his strength, he grew as strong and rugged as a boy may
be.
Mombi's curious magic
often frightened her neighbors, and they treated her shyly, yet
respectfully, because of her weird powers. But Tip frankly hated
her, and took no pains to hide his feelings. Indeed, he
sometimes showed less respect for the old woman than he should
have done, considering she was his guardian.
There were pumpkins in
Mombi's corn-fields, lying golden red among the rows of green
stalks; and these had been planted and carefully tended that the
four-horned cow might eat of them in the winter time. But one
day, after the corn had all been cut and stacked, and Tip was
carrying the pumpkins to the stable, he took a notion to make a
"Jack Lantern" and try to give the old woman a fright with it.
So he selected a fine,
big pumpkin -- one with a lustrous, orange-red color -- and
began carving it. With the point of his knife he made two round
eyes, a three-cornered nose, and a mouth shaped like a new moon.
The face, when completed, could not have been considered
strictly beautiful; but it wore a smile so big and broad, and
was so Jolly in expression, that even Tip laughed as he looked
admiringly at his work.
The child had no
playmates, so he did not know that boys often dig out the inside
of a "pumpkin-jack," and in the space thus made put a lighted
candle to render the face more startling; but he conceived an
idea of his own that promised to be quite as effective. He
decided to manufacture the form of a man, who would wear this
pumpkin head, and to stand it in a place where old Mombi would
meet it face to face.
"And then," said Tip to
himself, with a laugh, "she'll squeal louder than the brown pig
does when I pull her tail, and shiver with fright worse than I
did last year when I had the ague!" |
|
He had plenty of time to accomplish
this task, for Mombi had gone to a village -- to buy groceries, she said --
and it was a journey of at least two days.
So he took his axe to the forest,
and selected some stout, straight saplings, which he cut down and trimmed of
all their twigs and leaves. From these he would make the arms, and legs, and
feet of his man. For the body he stripped a sheet of thick bark from around
a big tree, and with much labor fashioned it into a cylinder of about the
right size, pinning the edges together with wooden pegs. Then, whistling
happily as he worked, he carefully jointed the limbs and fastened them to
the body with pegs whittled into shape with his knife.
By the time this feat had been
accomplished it began to grow dark, and Tip remembered he must milk the cow
and feed the pigs. So he picked up his wooden man and carried it back to the
house with him.
During the evening, by the light of
the fire in the kitchen, Tip carefully rounded all the edges of the joints
and smoothed the rough places in a neat and workmanlike manner. Then he
stood the figure up against the wall and admired it. It seemed remarkably
tall, even for a full-grown man; but that was a good point in a small boy's
eyes, and Tip did not object at all to the size of his creation.
Next morning, when he looked at his
work again, Tip saw he had forgotten to give the dummy a neck, by means of
which he might fasten the pumpkinhead to the body. So he went again to the
forest, which was not far away, and chopped from a tree several pieces of
wood with which to complete his work. When he returned he fastened a
cross-piece to the upper end of the body, making a hole through the center
to hold upright the neck. The bit of wood which formed this neck was also
sharpened at the upper end, and when all was ready Tip put on the pumpkin
head, pressing it well down onto the neck, and found that it fitted very
well. The head could be turned to one side or the other, as he pleased, and
the hinges of the arms and legs allowed him to place the dummy in any
position he desired.
"Now, that," declared Tip, proudly,
"is really a very fine man, and it ought to frighten several screeches out
of old Mombi! But it would be much more lifelike if it were properly
dressed."
To find clothing seemed no easy
task; but Tip boldly ransacked the great chest in which Mombi kept all her
keepsakes and treasures, and at the very bottom he discovered some purple
trousers, a red shirt and a pink vest which was dotted with white spots.
These he carried away to his man and succeeded, although the garments did
not fit very well, in dressing the creature in a jaunty fashion. Some knit
stockings belonging to Mombi and a much worn pair of his own shoes completed
the man's apparel, and Tip was so delighted that he danced up and down and
laughed aloud in boyish ecstacy.
"I must give him a name!" he cried.
"So good a man as this must surely have a name. I believe," he added, after
a moment's thought, "I will name the fellow 'Jack Pumpkinhead!'"
Next chapter...
( The Marvelous Powder of Life )
_____________
Other chapter:
Chapter 2 : The Marvelous Powder
of Life
Chapter 3 :
The Flight of the Fugitives
Chapter 4 :
Tip Makes an Experiment in Magic
Chapter 5 :
The Awakening of the Saw-Horse
Chapter 6 :
Jack Pumpkinhead's Ride to the Emerald City
Chapter 7 :
His Majesty The Scarecrow
Chapter 8 :
Gen. Jinjur's Army of Revolt
Chapter 9 :
The Scarecrow Plans Escape
Chapter 10 :The
Journey to the Tin Woodman
Chapter 11 :
A Nickel-Plated Emperor
Chapter 12 :
Mr. H.M. Woggle-Bug, T.E.
Chapter 13 :
A Highly Magnified History
Chapter 14 :
Old Mombi indulges in Witchcraft
Chapter 15 :
The Prisoners of the Queen
Chapter 16 :
The Scarecrow Takes Time To Think
Chapter 17 :
The Astonishing Flight of the Gump
Chapter 18 :
In the Jackdaw's Nest
Chapter 19 :
Dr. Nikidik's Famous Wishing Pills
Chapter 20 :
The Scarecrow Appeals to Glenda the Good
Chapter 21 :
The Tin-Woodman Plucks a Rose
Chapter 22 :
The Transformation of old Mombi
Chapter 23 :
Princess Ozma of Oz
Chapter 24 :
The Riches Of Content
Back to
English Stories ::
Learning English
