At daybreak Tip was awakened by
the Pumpkinhead. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, bathed in a little
brook, and then ate a portion of his bread and cheese. Having thus
prepared for a new day the boy said:
"Let us start at once. Nine miles
is quite a distance, but we ought to reach the Emerald City by noon if
no accidents happen." So the Pumpkinhead was again perched upon the back
of the Saw-Horse and the journey was resumed.
Tip noticed that the purple tint
of the grass and trees had now faded to a dull lavender, and before long
this lavender appeared to take on a greenish tinge that gradually
brightened as they drew nearer to the great City where the Scarecrow
ruled.
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The little party had
traveled but a short two miles upon their way when the road of
yellow brick was parted by a broad and swift river. Tip was
puzzled how to cross over; but after a time he discovered a man
in a ferry-boat approaching from the other side of the stream.
When the man reached the
bank Tip asked:
"Will you row us to the
other side?"
"Yes, if you have money,"
returned the ferryman, whose face looked cross and disagreeable.
"But I have no money,"
said Tip.
"None at all?" inquired
the man.
"None at all," answered
the boy.
"Then I'll not break my
back rowing you over," said the ferryman, decidedly.
"What a nice man!"
remarked the Pumpkinhead, smilingly.
The ferryman stared at
him, but made no reply. Tip was trying to think, for it was a
great disappointment to him to find his journey so suddenly
brought to an end.
"I must certainly get to
the Emerald City," he said to the boatman; "but how can I cross
the river if you do not take me?"
The man laughed, and it
was not a nice laugh.
"That wooden horse will
float," said he; "and you can ride him across. As for the
pumpkinheaded loon who accompanies you, let him sink or swim it
won't matter greatly which."
"Don't worry about me,"
said Jack, smiling pleasantly upon the crabbed ferryman; "I'm
sure I ought to float beautifully."
Tip thought the experiment
was worth making, and the Saw-Horse, who did not know what
danger meant, offered no objections whatever. So the boy led it
down into the water and climbed upon its back. Jack also waded
in up to his knees and grasped the tail of the horse so that he
might keep his pumpkin head above the water. |
|
"Now," said Tip, instructing the
Saw-Horse, "if you wiggle your legs you will probably swim; and if you swim
we shall probably reach the other side."
The Saw-Horse at once began to wiggle
its legs, which acted as oars and moved the adventurers slowly across the
river to the opposite side. So successful was the trip that presently they
were climbing, wet and dripping, up the grassy bank.
Tip's trouser-legs and shoes were
thoroughly soaked; but the Saw-Horse had floated so perfectly that from his
knees up the boy was entirely dry. As for the Pumpkinhead, every stitch of
his gorgeous clothing dripped water.
"The sun will soon dry us," said Tip
"and, anyhow, we are now safely across, in spite of the ferryman, and can
continue our journey.
"I didn't mind swimming, at all,"
remarked the horse.
"Nor did I," added Jack.
They soon regained the road of yellow
brick, which proved to be a continuation of the road they had left on the
other side, and then Tip once more mounted the Pumpkinhead upon the back of
the Saw-Horse.
"If you ride fast," said he, "the wind
will help to dry your clothing. I will hold on to the horse's tail and run
after you. In this way we all will become dry in a very short time."
"Then the horse must step lively,"
said Jack.
"I'll do my best," returned the
Saw-Horse, cheerfully.
Tip grasped the end of the branch that
served as tail to the Saw-Horse, and called loudly: "Get-up!"
The horse started at a good pace, and
Tip followed behind. Then he decided they could go faster, so he shouted:
"Trot!"
Now, the Saw-Horse remembered that
this word was the command to go as fast as he could; so he began rocking
along the road at a tremendous pace, and Tip had hard work -- running faster
than he ever had before in his life -- to keep his feet.
Soon he was out of breath, and
although he wanted to call "Whoa!" to the horse, he found he could not get
the word out of his throat. Then the end of the tail he was clutching, being
nothing more than a dead branch, suddenly broke away, and the next minute
the boy was rolling in the dust of the road, while the horse and its
pumpkin-headed rider dashed on and quickly disappeared in the distance.
By the time Tip had picked himself up
and cleared the dust from his throat so he could say "Whoa!" there was no
further need of saying it, for the horse was long since out of sight.
So he did the only sensible thing he
could do. He sat down and took a good rest, and afterward began walking
along the road.
"Some time I will surely overtake
them," he reflected; "for the road will end at the gates of the Emerald
City, and they can go no further than that."
Meantime Jack was holding fast to the
post and the Saw-Horse was tearing along the road like a racer. Neither of
them knew Tip was left behind, for the Pumpkinhead did not look around and
the Saw-Horse couldn't.
As he rode, Jack noticed that the
grass and trees had become a bright emerald-green in color, so he guessed
they were nearing the Emerald City even before the tall spires and domes
came into sight.
At length a high wall of green stone,
studded thick with emeralds, loomed up before them; and fearing the
Saw-Horse would not know enough to stop and so might smash them both against
this wall, Jack ventured to cry "Whoa!" as loud as he could.
So suddenly did the horse obey that
had it not been for his post Jack would have been pitched off head foremost,
and his beautiful face ruined.
"That was a fast ride, dear father!"
he exclaimed; and then, hearing no reply, he turned around and discovered
for the first time that Tip was not there.
This apparent desertion puzzled the
Pumpkinhead, and made him uneasy. And while he was wondering what had become
of the boy, and what he ought to do next under such trying circumstances,
the gateway in the green wall opened and a man came out.
This man was short and round, with a
fat face that seemed remarkably good-natured. He was clothed all in green
and wore a high, peaked green hat upon his head and green spectacles over
his eyes. Bowing before the Pumpkinhead he said:
"I am the Guardian of the Gates of the
Emerald City. May I inquire who you are, and what is your business?"
"My name is Jack Pumpkinhead,"
returned the other, smilingly; "but as to my business, I haven't the least
idea in the world what it is."
The Guardian of the Gates looked
surprised, and shook his head as if dissatisfied with the reply.
"What are you, a man or a pumpkin?" he
asked, politely.
"Both, if you please," answered Jack.
"And this wooden horse -- is it
alive?" questioned the Guardian.
The horse rolled one knotty eye upward
and winked at Jack. Then it gave a prance and brought one leg down on the
Guardian's toes.
"Ouch!" cried the man; "I'm sorry I
asked that question. But the answer is most convincing. Have you any errand,
sir, in the Emerald City?"
"It seems to me that I have," replied
the Pumpkinhead, seriously; "but I cannot think what it is. My father knows
all about it, but he is not here."
"This is a strange affair very
strange!" declared the Guardian. "But you seem harmless. Folks do not smile
so delightfully when they mean mischief."
"As for that," said Jack, "I cannot
help my smile, for it is carved on my face with a jack-knife."
"Well, come with me into my room,"
resumed the Guardian, "and I will see what can be done for you."
So Jack rode the Saw-Horse through the
gateway into a little room built into the wall. The Guardian pulled a
bell-cord, and presently a very tall soldier -- clothed in a green uniform
-- entered from the opposite door. This soldier carried a long green gun
over his shoulder and had lovely green whiskers that fell quite to his
knees. The Guardian at once addressed him, saying:
"Here is a strange gentleman who
doesn't know why he has come to the Emerald City, or what he wants. Tell me,
what shall we do with him?"
The Soldier with the Green Whiskers
looked at Jack with much care and curiosity. Finally he shook his head so
positively that little waves rippled down his whiskers, and then he said:
"I must take him to His Majesty, the
Scarecrow."
But what will His Majesty, the
Scarecrow, do with him?" asked the Guardian of the Gates.
"That is His Majesty's business,"
returned the soldier. "I have troubles enough of my own. All outside
troubles must be turned over to His Majesty. So put the spectacles on this
fellow, and I'll take him to the royal palace."
So the Guardian opened a big box of
spectacles and tried to fit a pair to Jack's great round eyes.
"I haven't a pair in stock that will
really cover those eyes up," said the little man, with a sigh; "and your
head is so big that I shall be obliged to tie the spectacles on."
"But why need I wear spectacles?"
asked Jack.
"It's the fashion here," said the
Soldier, "and they will keep you from being blinded by the glitter and glare
of the gorgeous Emerald City."
"Oh!" exclaimed Jack. "Tie them on, by
all means. I don't wish to be blinded."
"Nor I!" broke in the Saw-Horse; so a
pair of green spectacles was quickly fastened over the bulging knots that
served it for eyes.
Then the Soldier with the Green
Whiskers led them through the inner gate and they at once found themselves
in the main street of the magnificent Emerald City.
Sparkling green gems ornamented the
fronts of the beautiful houses and the towers and turrets were all faced
with emeralds. Even the green marble pavement glittered with precious
stones, and it was indeed a grand and marvelous sight to one who beheld it
for the first time.
However, the Pumpkinhead and the
Saw-Horse, knowing nothing of wealth and beauty, paid little attention to
the wonderful sights they saw through their green spectacles. They calmly
followed after the green soldier and scarcely noticed the crowds of green
people who stared at them in surprise. When a green dog ran out and barked
at them the Saw-Horse promptly kicked at it with its wooden leg and sent the
little animal howling into one of the houses; but nothing more serious than
this happened to interrupt their progress to the royal palace.
The Pumpkinhead wanted to ride up the
green marble steps and straight into the Scarecrow's presence; but the
soldier would not permit that. So Jack dismounted, with much difficulty, and
a servant led the Saw-Horse around to the rear while the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers escorted the Pumpkinhead into the palace, by the front
entrance.
The stranger was left in a handsomely
furnished waiting room while the soldier went to announce him. It so
happened that at this hour His Majesty was at leisure and greatly bored for
want of something to do, so he ordered his visitor to be shown at once into
his throne room.
Jack felt no fear or embarrassment at
meeting the ruler of this magnificent city, for he was entirely ignorant of
all worldly customs. But when he entered the room and saw for the first time
His Majesty the Scarecrow seated upon his glittering throne, he stopped
short in amazement.
Next chapter...
(
His Majesty the Scarecrow )
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