Tip awoke soon after dawn, but the
Scarecrow had already risen and plucked, with his clumsy fingers, a
double-handful of ripe berries from some bushes near by. These the boy ate
greedily, finding them an ample breakfast, and afterward the little party
resumed its Journey.
After an hour's ride they reached
the summit of a hill from whence they espied the City of the Winkies and
noted the tall domes of the Emperor's palace rising from the clusters of
more modest dwellings.
The Scarecrow became greatly
animated at this sight, and exclaimed:
"How delighted I shall be to see my
old friend the Tin Woodman again! I hope that he rules his people more
successfully than I have ruled mine!"
Is the Tin Woodman the Emperor of
the Winkies?" asked the horse.
"Yes, indeed. They invited him to
rule over them soon after the Wicked Witch was destroyed; and as Nick
Chopper has the best heart in all the world I am sure he has proved an
excellent and able emperor."
"I thought that 'Emperor' was the
title of a person who rules an empire," said Tip, "and the Country of the
Winkies is only a Kingdom."
"Don't mention that to the Tin
Woodman!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, earnestly. "You would hurt his feelings
terribly. He is a proud man, as he has every reason to be, and it pleases
him to be termed Emperor rather than King."
"I'm sure it makes no difference to
me," replied the boy.
|
The Saw-Horse now
ambled forward at a pace so fast that its riders had hard work
to stick upon its back; so there was little further conversation
until they drew up beside the palace steps.
An aged Winkie, dressed
in a uniform of silver cloth, came forward to assist them to
alight. Said the Scarecrow to his personage:
"Show us at once to
your master, the Emperor."
The man looked from one
to another of the party in an embarrassed way, and finally
answered:
"I fear I must ask you
to wait for a time. The Emperor is not receiving this morning."
"How is that?" enquired
the Scarecrow, anxiously." I hope nothing has happened to him."
"Oh, no; nothing
serious," returned the man. "But this is his Majesty's day for
being polished; and just now his august presence is thickly
smeared with putz-pomade."
"Oh, I see!" cried the
Scarecrow, greatly reassured. "My friend was ever inclined to be
a dandy, and I suppose he is now more proud than ever of his
personal appearance."
"He is, indeed," said
the man, with a polite bow. "Our mighty Emperor has lately
caused himself to be nickel-plated."
"Good Gracious!" the
Scarecrow exclaimed at hearing this. "If his wit bears the same
polish, how sparkling it must be! But show us in -- I'm sure the
Emperor will receive us, even in his present state"
"The Emperor's state is
always magnificent," said the man. "But I will venture to tell
him of your arrival, and will receive his commands concerning
you." |
|
So the party followed the servant
into a splendid ante-room, and the Saw-Horse ambled awkwardly after them,
having no knowledge that a horse might be expected to remain outside.
The travelers were at first
somewhat awed by their surroundings, and even the Scarecrow seemed impressed
as he examined the rich hangings of silver cloth caught up into knots and
fastened with tiny silver axes. Upon a handsome center-table stood a large
silver oil-can, richly engraved with scenes from the past adventures of the
Tin Woodman, Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow: the lines of the
engraving being traced upon the silver in yellow gold. On the walls hung
several portraits, that of the Scarecrow seeming to be the most prominent
and carefully executed, while a the large painting of the famous Wizard of
Oz, in act of presenting the Tin Woodman with a heart, covered almost one
entire end of the room.
While the visitors gazed at these
things in silent admiration they suddenly heard a loud voice in the next
room exclaim:
"Well! well! well! What a great
surprise!"
And then the door burst open and
Nick Chopper rushed into their midst and caught the Scarecrow in a close and
loving embrace that creased him into many folds and wrinkles.
"My dear old friend! My noble
comrade!" cried the Tin Woodman, joyfully. "how delighted!," I am to meet
you once again.
And then he released the Scarecrow
and held him at arms' length while he surveyed the beloved, painted
features.
But, alas! the face of the
Scarecrow and many portions of his body bore great blotches of putz-pomade;
for the Tin Woodman, in his eagerness to welcome his friend, had quite
forgotten the condition of his toilet and had rubbed the thick coating of
paste from his own body to that of his comrade.
"Dear me!" said the Scarecrow
dolefully. "What a mess I'm in!"
"Never mind, my friend," returned
the Tin Woodman," I'll send you to my Imperial Laundry, and you'll come out
as good as new."
"Won't I be mangled?" asked the
Scarecrow.
"No, indeed!" was the reply. "But
tell me, how came your Majesty here? and who are your companions?"
The Scarecrow, with great
politeness, introduced Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead, and the latter personage
seemed to interest the Tin Woodman greatly.
"You are not very substantial, I
must admit," said the Emperor. "but you are certainly unusual, and therefore
worthy to become a member of our select society."
"I thank your Majesty, said Jack,
humbly.
"I hope you are enjoying good
health?" continued the Woodman.
"At present, yes;" replied the
Pumpkinhead, with a sigh; "but I am in constant terror of the day when I
shall spoil."
"Nonsense!" said the Emperor -- but
in a kindly, sympathetic tone. "Do not, I beg of you, dampen today's sun
with the showers of tomorrow. For before your head has time to spoil you can
have it canned, and in that way it may be preserved indefinitely."
Tip, during this conversation, was
looking at the Woodman with undisguised amazement, and noticed that the
celebrated Emperor of the Winkies was composed entirely of pieces of tin,
neatly soldered and riveted together into the form of a man. He rattled and
clanked a little, as he moved, but in the main he seemed to be most cleverly
constructed, and his appearance was only marred by the thick coating of
polishing-paste that covered him from head to foot.
The boy's intent gaze caused the
Tin Woodman to remember that he was not in the most presentable condition,
so he begged his friends to excuse him while he retired to his private
apartment and allowed his servants to polish him. This was accomplished in a
short time, and when the emperor returned his nickel-plated body shone so
magnificently that the Scarecrow heartily congratulated him on his improved
appearance.
"That nickel-plate was, I confess,
a happy thought," said Nick; "and it was the more necessary because I had
become somewhat scratched during my adventurous experiences. You will
observe this engraved star upon my left breast. It not only indicates where
my excellent heart lies, but covers very neatly the patch made by the
Wonderful Wizard when he placed that valued organ in my breast with his own
skillful hands."
"Is your heart, then, a
hand-organ?" asked the Pumpkinhead, curiously.
"By no means," responded the
emperor, with dignity. "It is, I am convinced, a strictly orthodox heart,
although somewhat larger and warmer than most people possess."
Then he turned to the Scarecrow and
asked:
"Are your subjects happy and
contented, my dear friend?"
"I cannot, say" was the reply. "for
the girls of Oz have risen in revolt and driven me out of the emerald City."
"Great Goodness!" cried the Tin
Woodman, "What a calamity! They surely do not complain of your wise and
gracious rule?"
"No; but they say it is a poor rule
that don't work both ways," answered the Scarecrow; "and these females are
also of the opinion that men have ruled the land long enough. So they have
captured my city, robbed the treasury of all its jewels, and are running
things to suit themselves."
"Dear me! What an extraordinary
idea!" cried the Emperor, who was both shocked and surprised.
"And I heard some of them say,"
said Tip, "that they intend to march here and capture the castle and city of
the Tin Woodman."
"Ah! we must not give them time to
do that," said the Emperor, quickly; "we will go at once and recapture the
Emerald City and place the Scarecrow again upon his throne."
"I was sure you would help me,"
remarked the Scarecrow in a pleased voice. "How large an army can you
assemble?"
"We do not need an army," replied
the Woodman. "We four, with the aid of my gleaming axe, are enough to strike
terror into the hearts of the rebels."
"We five," corrected the
Pumpkinhead.
"Five?" repeated the Tin Woodman.
"Yes; the Saw-Horse is brave and
fearless," answered Jack, forgetting his recent quarrel with the quadruped.
The Tin Woodman looked around him
in a puzzled way, for the Saw-Horse had until now remained quietly standing
in a corner, where the Emperor had not noticed him. Tip immediately called
the odd-looking creature to them, and it approached so awkwardly that it
nearly upset the beautiful center-table and the engraved oil-can.
"I begin to think," remarked the
Tin Woodman as he looked earnestly at the Saw-Horse, "that wonders will
never cease! How came this creature alive?"
"I did it with a magic powder,"
modestly asserted the boy. "and the Saw-Horse has been very useful to us."
"He enabled us to escape the
rebels," added the Scarecrow.
"Then we must surely accept him as
a comrade," declared the emperor. "A live Saw-Horse is a distinct novelty,
and should prove an interesting study. Does he know anything?"
"Well, I cannot claim any great
experience in life," the Saw-Horse answered for himself. "but I seem to
learn very quickly, and often it occurs to me that I know more than any of
those around me."
"Perhaps you do," said the emperor;
"for experience does not always mean wisdom. But time is precious Just now,
so let us quickly make preparations to start upon our Journey.
The emperor called his Lord High
Chancellor and instructed him how to run the kingdom during his absence.
Meanwhile the Scarecrow was taken apart and the painted sack that served him
for a head was carefully laundered and restuffed with the brains originally
given him by the great Wizard. His clothes were also cleaned and pressed by
the Imperial tailors, and his crown polished and again sewed upon his head,
for the Tin Woodman insisted he should not renounce this badge of royalty.
The Scarecrow now presented a very respectable appearance, and although in
no way addicted to vanity he was quite pleased with himself and strutted a
trifle as he walked. While this was being done Tip mended the wooden limbs
of Jack Pumpkinhead and made them stronger than before, and the Saw-Horse
was also inspected to see if he was in good working order.
Then bright and early the next
morning they set out upon the return Journey to the emerald City, the Tin
Woodman bearing upon his shoulder a gleaming axe and leading the way, while
the Pumpkinhead rode upon the Saw-Horse and Tip and the Scarecrow walked
upon either side to make sure that he didn't fall off or become damaged.
Next chapter...
( Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E. )
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