They soon discovered that the
Saw-Horse limped, for his new leg was a trifle too long. So they were
obliged to halt while the Tin Woodman chopped it down with his axe,
after which the wooden steed paced along more comfortably. But the
Saw-Horse was not entirely satisfied, even yet.
"It was a shame that I broke my
other leg!" it growled.
"On the contrary," airily
remarked the Woggle-Bug, who was walking alongside, "you should consider
the accident most fortunate. For a horse is never of much use until he
has been broken."
"I beg your pardon," said Tip,
rather provoked, for he felt a warm interest in both the Saw-Horse and
his man Jack; "but permit me to say that your joke is a poor one, and as
old as it is poor."
"Still, it is a Joke," declared
the Woggle-Bug; firmly, "and a Joke derived from a play upon words is
considered among educated people to be eminently proper."
"What does that mean?" enquired
the Pumpkinhead, stupidly.
"It means, my dear friend,"
explained the Woggle-Bug, "that our language contains many words having
a double meaning; and that to pronounce a joke that allows both meanings
of a certain word, proves the joker a person of culture and refinement,
who has, moreover, a thorough command of the language."
"I don't believe that," said
Tip, plainly; "anybody can make a pun."
"Not so," rejoined the
Woggle-Bug, stiffly. "It requires education of a high order. Are you
educated, young sir?"
"Not especially," admitted Tip.
|
"Then you cannot judge
the matter. I myself am Thoroughly Educated, and I say that puns
display genius. For instance, were I to ride upon this
Saw-Horse, he would not only be an animal he would become an
equipage. For he would then be a horse-and-buggy."
At this the Scarecrow
gave a gasp and the Tin Woodman stopped short and looked
reproachfully at the Woggle-Bug. At the same time the Saw-Horse
loudly snorted his derision; and even the Pumpkinhead put up his
hand to hide the smile which, because it was carved upon his
face, he could not change to a frown.
But the Woggle-Bug
strutted along as if he had made some brilliant remark, and the
Scarecrow was obliged to say:
"I have heard, my dear
friend, that a person can become over-educated; and although I
have a high respect for brains, no matter how they may be
arranged or classified, I begin to suspect that yours are
slightly tangled. In any event, I must beg you to restrain your
superior education while in our society."
"We are not very
particular," added the Tin Woodman; "and we are exceedingly kind
hearted. But if your superior culture gets leaky again -- " He
did not complete the sentence, but he twirled his gleaming axe
so carelessly that the Woggle-Bug looked frightened, and shrank
away to a safe distance.
The others marched on
in silence, and the Highly Magnified one, after a period of deep
thought, said in an humble voice:
"I will endeavor to
restrain myself."
"That is all we can
expect," returned the Scarecrow pleasantly; and good nature
being thus happily restored to the party, they proceeded upon
their way. |
|
When they again stopped to allow
Tip to rest -- the boy being the only one that seemed to tire -- the Tin
Woodman noticed many small, round holes in the grassy meadow.
"This must be a village of the
Field Mice," he said to the Scarecrow." I wonder if my old friend, the Queen
of the Mice, is in this neighborhood."
"If she is, she may be of great
service to us," answered the Scarecrow, who was impressed by a sudden
thought. "See if you can call her, my dear Nick."
So the Tin Woodman blew a shrill
note upon a silver whistle that hung around his neck, and presently a tiny
grey mouse popped from a near-by hole and advanced fearlessly toward them.
For the Tin Woodman had once saved her life, and the Queen of the Field Mice
knew he was to be trusted."
"Good day, your Majesty, said Nick,
politely addressing the mouse; "I trust you are enjoying good health?"
"Thank you, I am quite well,"
answered the Queen, demurely, as she sat up and displayed the tiny golden
crown upon her head. "Can I do anything to assist my old friends?"
"You can, indeed," replied the
Scarecrow, eagerly. "Let me, I intreat you, take a dozen of your subjects
with me to the Emerald City."
"Will they be injured in any way?"
asked the Queen, doubtfully.
"I think not," replied the
Scarecrow. "I will carry them hidden in the straw which stuffs my body, and
when I give them the signal by unbuttoning my jacket, they have only to rush
out and scamper home again as fast as they can. By doing this they will
assist me to regain my throne, which the Army of Revolt has taken from me."
"In that case," said the Queen, "I
will not refuse your request. Whenever you are ready, I will call twelve of
my most intelligent subjects."
"I am ready now" returned the
Scarecrow. Then he lay flat upon the ground and unbuttoned his jacket,
displaying the mass of straw with which he was stuffed.
The Queen uttered a little piping
call, and in an instant a dozen pretty field mice had emerged from their
holes and stood before their ruler, awaiting her orders.
What the Queen said to them none of
our travelers could understand, for it was in the mouse language; but the
field mice obeyed without hesitation, running one after the other to the
Scarecrow and hiding themselves in the straw of his breast.
When all of the twelve mice had
thus concealed themselves, the Scarecrow buttoned his Jacket securely and
then arose and thanked the Queen for her kindness.
"One thing more you might do to
serve us," suggested the Tin Woodman; "and that is to run ahead and show us
the way to the Emerald City. For some enemy is evidently trying to prevent
us from reaching it."
"I will do that gladly," returned
the Queen. "Are you ready?"
The Tin Woodman looked at Tip.
"I'm rested," said the boy. "Let us
start."
Then they resumed their journey,
the little grey Queen of the Field Mice running swiftly ahead and then
pausing until the travelers drew near, when away she would dart again.
Without this unerring guide the
Scarecrow and his comrades might never have gained the Emerald City; for
many were the obstacles thrown in their way by the arts of old Mombi. Yet
not one of the obstacles really existed -- all were cleverly contrived
deceptions. For when they came to the banks of a rushing river that
threatened to bar their way the little Queen kept steadily on, passing
through the seeming flood in safety; and our travelers followed her without
encountering a single drop of water.
Again, a high wall of granite
towered high above their heads and opposed their advance. But the grey Field
Mouse walked straight through it, and the others did the same, the wall
melting into mist as they passed it.
Afterward, when they had stopped
for a moment to allow Tip to rest, they saw forty roads branching off from
their feet in forty different directions; and soon these forty roads began
whirling around like a mighty wheel, first in one direction and then in the
other, completely bewildering their vision.
But the Queen called for them to
follow her and darted off in a straight line; and when they had gone a few
paces the whirling pathways vanished and were seen no more.
Mombi's last trick was the most
fearful of all. She sent a sheet of crackling flame rushing over the meadow
to consume them; and for the first time the Scarecrow became afraid and
turned to fly.
"If that fire reaches me I will be
gone in no time!" said he, trembling until his straw rattled. "It's the most
dangerous thing I ever encountered."
"I'm off, too!" cried the
Saw-Horse, turning and prancing with agitation; "for my wood is so dry it
would burn like kindlings."
"Is fire dangerous to pumpkins?"
asked Jack, fearfully.
"You'll be baked like a tart -- and
so will I!" answered the Woggle-Bug, getting down on all fours so he could
run the faster.
But the Tin Woodman, having no fear
of fire, averted the stampede by a few sensible words.
"Look at the Field Mouse!" he
shouted. "The fire does not burn her in the least. In fact, it is no fire at
all, but only a deception."
Indeed, to watch the little Queen
march calmly through the advancing flames restored courage to every member
of the party, and they followed her without being even scorched.
"This is surely a most
extraordinary adventure," said the Woggle-Bug, who was greatly amazed; "for
it upsets all the Natural Laws that I heard Professor Nowitall teach in the
school-house."
"Of course it does," said the
Scarecrow, wisely. "All magic is unnatural, and for that reason is to be
feared and avoided. But I see before us the gates of the Emerald City, so I
imagine we have now overcome all the magical obstacles that seemed to oppose
us."
Indeed, the walls of the City were
plainly visible, and the Queen of the Field Mice, who had guided them so
faithfully, came near to bid them goodbye.
"We are very grateful to your
Majesty for your kind assistance," said the Tin Woodman, bowing before the
pretty creature.
"I am always pleased to be of
service to my friends," answered the Queen, and in a flash she had darted
away upon her journey home.
Next chapter...
( The Prisoners of the Queen )
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