The Army of Glinda the Good looked
very grand and imposing when it assembled at daybreak before the palace
gates. The uniforms of the girl soldiers were pretty and of gay colors,
and their silver-tipped spears were bright and glistening, the long
shafts being inlaid with mother-of-pearl. All the officers wore sharp,
gleaming swords, and shields edged with peacock-feathers; and it really
seemed that no foe could by any possibility defeat such a brilliant
army.
The Sorceress rode in a beautiful
palanquin which was like the body of a coach, having doors and windows
with silken curtains; but instead of wheels, which a coach has, the
palanquin rested upon two long, horizontal bars, which were borne upon
the shoulders of twelve servants.
The Scarecrow and his comrades
decided to ride in the Gump, in order to keep up with the swift march of
the army; so, as soon as Glinda had started and her soldiers had marched
away to the inspiring strains of music played by the royal band, our
friends climbed into the sofas and followed. The Gump flew along slowly
at a point directly over the palanquin in which rode the Sorceress.
|
"Be careful," said the Tin
Woodman to the Scarecrow, who was leaning far over the side to
look at the army below. "You might fall."
"It wouldn't matter,"
remarked the educated Woggle-Bug. "he can't get broke so long as
he is stuffed with money."
"Didn't I ask you" began
Tip, in a reproachful voice.
"You did!" said the
Woggle-Bug, promptly. "And I beg your pardon. I will really try
to restrain myself."
"You'd better," declared
the boy. "That is, if you wish to travel in our company."
"Ah! I couldn't bear to
part with you now," murmured the Insect, feelingly; so Tip let
the subject drop.
The army moved steadily
on, but night had fallen before they came to the walls of the
Emerald City. By the dim light of the new moon, however,
Glinda's forces silently surrounded the city and pitched their
tents of scarlet silk upon the greensward. The tent of the
Sorceress was larger than the others, and was composed of pure
white silk, with scarlet banners flying above it. A tent was
also pitched for the Scarecrow's party; and when these
preparations had been made, with military precision and
quickness, the army retired to rest.
Great was the amazement of
Queen Jinjur next morning when her soldiers came running to
inform her of the vast army surrounding them. She at once
climbed to a high tower of the royal palace and saw banners
waving in every direction and the great white tent of Glinda
standing directly before the gates. |
|
"We are surely lost!" cried Jinjur, in
despair; "for how can our knitting-needles avail against the long spears and
terrible swords of our foes?"
"The best thing we can do," said one
of the girls, "is to surrender as quickly as possible, before we get hurt."
"Not so," returned Jinjur, more
bravely. "The enemy is still outside the walls, so we must try to gain time
by engaging them in parley. Go you with a flag of truce to Glinda and ask
her why she has dared to invade my dominions, and what are her demands."
So the girl passed through the gates,
bearing a white flag to show she was on a mission of peace, and came to
Glinda's tent. "Tell your Queen," said the Sorceress to the girl, "that she
must deliver up to me old Mombi, to be my prisoner. If this is done I will
not molest her farther."
Now when this message was delivered to
the Queen it filled her with dismay, for Mombi was her chief counsellor, and
Jinjur was terribly afraid of the old hag. But she sent for Mombi, and told
her what Glinda had said.
"I see trouble ahead for all of us,"
muttered the old witch, after glancing into a magic mirror she carried in
her pocket. "But we may even yet escape by deceiving this sorceress, clever
as she thinks herself."
"Don't you think it will be safer for
me to deliver you into her hands?" asked Jinjur, nervously.
"If you do, it will cost you the
throne of the Emerald City!" answered the witch, positively. "But if you
will let me have my own way, I can save us both very easily."
"Then do as you please," replied
Jinjur, "for it is so aristocratic to be a Queen that I do not wish to be
obliged to return home again, to make beds and wash dishes for my mother."
So Mombi called Jellia Jamb to her,
and performed a certain magical rite with which she was familiar. As a
result of the enchantment Jellia took on the form and features of Mombi,
while the old witch grew to resemble the girl so closely that it seemed
impossible anyone could guess the deception.
"Now," said old Mombi to the Queen,
"let your soldiers deliver up this girl to Glinda. She will think she has
the real Mombi in her power, and so will return immediately to her own
country in the South."
Therefore Jellia, hobbling along like
an aged woman, was led from the city gates and taken before Glinda.
"Here is the person you demanded,"
said one of the guards, "and our Queen now begs you will go away, as you
promised, and leave us in peace."
"That I will surely do," replied
Glinda, much pleased; "if this is really the person she seems to be."
"It is certainly old Mombi," said the
guard, who believed she was speaking the truth; and then Jinjur's soldiers
returned within the city's gates.
The Sorceress quickly summoned the
Scarecrow and his friends to her tent, and began to question the supposed
Mombi about the lost girl Ozma. But Jellia knew nothing at all of this
affair, and presently she grew so nervous under the questioning that she
gave way and began to weep, to Glinda's great astonishment.
"Here is some foolish trickery!" said
the Sorceress, her eyes flashing with anger. "This is not Mombi at all, but
some other person who has been made to resemble her! Tell me," she demanded,
turning to the trembling girl, "what is your name?"
This Jellia dared not tell, having
been threatened with death by the witch if she confessed the fraud. But
Glinda, sweet and fair though she was, understood magic better than any
other person in the Land of Oz. So, by uttering a few potent words and
making a peculiar gesture, she quickly transformed the girl into her proper
shape, while at the same time old Mombi, far away in Jinjur's palace,
suddenly resumed her own crooked form and evil features.
"Why, it's Jellia Jamb!" cried the
Scarecrow, recognizing in the girl one of his old friends.
"It's our interpreter!" said the
Pumpkinhead, smiling pleasantly.
Then Jellia was forced to tell of the
trick Mombi had played and she also begged Glinda's protection, which the
Sorceress readily granted. But Glinda was now really angry, and sent word to
Jinjur that the fraud was discovered and she must deliver up the real Mombi
or suffer terrible consequences. Jinjur was prepared for this message, for
the witch well understood, when her natural form was thrust upon her, that
Glinda had discovered her trickery. But the wicked old creature had already
thought up a new deception, and had made Jinjur promise to carry it out. So
the Queen said to Glinda's messenger:
"Tell your mistress that I cannot find
Mombi anywhere, but that Glinda is welcome to enter the city and search
herself for the old woman. She may also bring her friends with her, if she
likes; but if she does not find Mombi by sundown, the Sorceress must promise
to go away peaceably and bother us no more."
Glinda agreed to these terms, well
knowing that Mombi was somewhere within the city walls. So Jinjur caused the
gates to be thrown open, and Glinda marched in at the head of a company of
soldiers, followed by the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, while Jack
Pumpkinhead rode astride the Saw-Horse, and the Educated, Highly Magnified
Woggle-Bug sauntered behind in a dignified manner. Tip walked by the side of
the Sorceress, for Glinda had conceived a great liking for the boy.
Of course old Mombi had no intention
of being found by Glinda; so, while her enemies were marching up the street,
the witch transformed herself into a red rose growing upon a bush in the
garden of the palace. It was a clever idea, and a trick Glinda did not
suspect; so several precious hours were spent in a vain search for Mombi.
As sundown approached the Sorceress
realized she had been defeated by the superior cunning of the aged witch; so
she gave the command to her people to march out of the city and back to
their tents.
The Scarecrow and his comrades
happened to be searching in the garden of the palace just then, and they
turned with disappointment to obey Glinda's command. But before they left
the garden the Tin Woodman, who was fond of flowers, chanced to espy a big
red rose growing upon a bush; so he plucked the flower and fastened it
securely in the tin buttonhole of his tin bosom.
As he did this he fancied he heard a
low moan proceed from the rose; but he paid no attention to the sound, and
Mombi was thus carried out of the city and into Glinda's camp without anyone
having a suspicion that they had succeeded in their quest.
Next chapter...
( The Transformation of Old Mombi)
Back to
English Stories ::
Learning English
