Oz 17: The Cowardly Lion of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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asked crunch, with a stamp that threw the cowardly lion off his feet ." why, I_can easily fix that ! "

" do_you_mean to_say you_could give_me courage ? " roared the cowardly lion, stopping perfectly still in_his tracks .

" I_know a trick to fix you so_that you_will never again be afraid," answered the stone man, rolling his eyes from side to side ." that_is one_thing I_can do ."

" who taught you magic ? " rumbled the cowardly lion suspiciously .

" no one," grated crunch, " but this hard little secret was in_the brains Wam wished into my block head . shall I change you now ? "

the cowardly lion sat down and scratched his ear with_his hind leg . he had lived long enough in a magic country to_believe anything possible, but somehow this huge, craggy giant filled him with misgivings .

"I'd like to_think about_this a little longer, if_you don't mind," he answered cautiously ." tell me more about_it, can't you ? "

crunch shook his head solemnly ." if i_told you it wouldn't work . better let me change you, old fellow ."

" no," wheezed the cowardly lion uneasily, " i_think I'll wait a bit .I tell you," he added, brightening up, " let's not try it until this little Mudge affair is over . it isn't quite right to_think of ourselves when my good friend Notta is in danger . help me first and change me afterward ."

" all right," agreed the stone man, starting stolidly forward, but several_times the cowardly lion, glancing up unexpectedly, caught him moving his stiff lips and looking at him with_such a stony glare that_it sent a shiver of terror down his spine .

" now, see here," roared the lion, planting himself determinedly in crunch's path ." you_must promise me not to_try that trick till I'm ready .I've been frightened all my life and I don't wish to_be frightened into a courageous lion without knowing it ."

"Oh, all right," grumbled the stone man again, " but I don't see any sense in all this delay . what if your friends do turn blue ? it won't hurt them, and why should you put yourself in_the clutches of_this wicked old Mudger ? "

" that_is my affair," roared the cowardly lion, shocked at crunch's unfeeling words ."I suppose a person entirely composed of stone cannot help being hard and unsympathetic," he reflected to himself . aloud he_called, " come along, let's hurry," and hurry they_did as fast as their legs would carry them .

aMunchkin farmer, whose cottage they passed just at dusk, gave the cowardly lion a hearty dinner, but he shook his head doubtfully at crunch, who had propped himself up against a barn while the lion ate .

" he'll break something," whispered the farmer nervously ." he's too heavy to_be walking about . what's he doing alive anyway ? has Ozma seen him ? or the Scarecrow ? here, here ! " he_called angrily, as_the barn began to creak and lean to one side, " you'll have to lean against something else ! "

"I'll stand right here, and nothing will budge me," grumbled crunch disagreeably . at_this the cowardly lion swallowed the rest of_his dinner at one gulp and started to run down the road . he_knew that_the stone man would follow him and he_did_not want the poor farmer's barn demolished .

" i_thought you were going to help people," he roared reproachfully, as crunch overtook him ." no, I've changed my mind," announced crunch with a terrible grin, "I'm only going to help_you ." the cowardly lion started to lecture the stone man, but, as he paid not the slightest attention, he finally gave it up and trotted along in silence . he_was growing wearier every_minute, and finally on_the edge of a little wood he stopped altogether . night was coming on, and after_the flights and excitement of_the past two days the cowardly lion felt he_must snatch a little rest .

" crunch, old rock, will_you keep watch while I get a little sleep ? " he yawned . the stone man nodded impassively . he had watched men sleep in_the long_ago stone age and, though he could_not_see any use in_this strange custom, he concluded it_was another tiresome habit of_these creatures not brought to life by magic .

with a long sigh, for he sadly missed his jolly companions, the cowardly lion stretched himself out under a tree and almost instantly fell into a heavy slumber . for a time the stone man stood perfectly still . then he began to mutter crossly to himself . the idea of waiting until they reached Mudge to_try his trick was not pleasing to_the stony fellow, for after_the change, though he had_been careful not to_say so, the cowardly lion would_be absolutely in_his power . and, with_the cowardly lion, he meant to return to_his lonely mountain and stand happily ever afterward . already the thought of offering his services to_the queen and building a city had begun to bore him . this pounding about chipped his toes and jarred his granite . why had he ever made that ridiculous promise to_the cowardly lion ? but made it_was, and a stone man can no sooner break his promise than his head .Kicking the earth up fretfully, crunch tried to_think of a way out_of_the difficulty . just as_the twentieth star came pricking out in_the heavens, he had an idea . crunch, being of stone, never tired and could therefore travel indefinitely . if_this Mudge business had to_be got through with, then the sooner they arrived in Mudge the better . he_knew that he_could go three times as quickly as an ordinary flesh and bone man, therefore he ought to reach Mustafa's kingdom by morning .

Snatching into_the air a startled Munchkin shepherd, who was strolling along with_his hands in_his pockets, he asked him the way to Mudge . when_the lad's teeth stopped chattering long enough to_tell him, he dropped him carelessly on_the ground and picked up the cowardly lion . the next instant he_was running with all his might toward Mustafa's dreadful desert, trampling under his feet any fences or small buildings that got in_the way, and jarring the whole country with_his heavy strides . the cowardly lion awakened almost immediately and tried to wriggle out of_his grasp, but escape from those mighty arms was an impossibility .

" where are_you going ? " he growled angrily, the words being fairly jolted out of him .

" to Mudge ! " shouted crunch without slackening his speed ."I promised not to_change you to a courageous lion till we finished with Mustafa . well, now, I_am going to finish Mustafa ."

" stop ! " implored the cowardly lion, but he might as_well have argued with_the wind, and to_continue the argument, when crunch's every step deprived him of_his breath, took the whole of_his strength and determination . but continue it he_did, with roars, threats and rumblings . to_these the stone man paid not the slightest attention, and finally the cowardly lion was too exhausted and shaken to utter another roar .

" there's no use reasoning with me," crunch had insisted stubbornly, " for I_am a hard mass of mineral matter . i_will take you to Mudge because that I promised to_do, but as_soon_as we reach Mudge you_will_be mine forever ! "

the cowardly lion had_not even strength to tremble at_these awful words, so he closed his eyes and tried not to_think about Mustafa and_his nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions, nor crunch and_his terrible threat . it would_be impossible for Notta and Bob to reach Mudge in_time to help him now, so the poor cowardly lion resolved to fight as long as he_could, and then bravely resign himself to whatever fate had in store for him . at every step of_the stone man, he more bitterly regretted the moment he had trusted himself to_the company of_this treacherous giant .

whether he fell asleep, or was shaken into unconsciousness, the cowardly lion never knew . the next thing he remembered was leaning up against an iron encosure and hearing crunch calling loudly for admittance into Mudge . for_the stone man had run, without turning so_much as an inch out_of_the way, directly to_the land of_the Mudgers .

the sun was high in_the Heavens, and winds from Mustafa's desert blew hotly in their faces . the Mudger guard, hearing the terrible clamor, came running to_see who was hammering on_the gates, and when_they saw crunch and_the cowardly lion they turned and flew toward their master's striped tent .

Mustafa, still gazing fixedly at his ring, hardly heard their terrified description of_the stone giant . all that he heard was_the wonderful news that a lion, undoubtedly the cowardly lion of Oz, had at last been delivered into his power .Calling Panapee, and running so fast he_lost both of_his sandals, Mustafa rushed out to_the lion enclosure and with trembling hands unlocked the gates .Fortunately the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions were in another part, and when he waved for crunch and_the cowardly lion to enter, they_did so without disturbing Mustafa's ferocious pets . the cowardly lion wobbled slightly, for he_was still shaken by his terrible journey, but the stone man tramped defiantly toward the blue whiskered monarch of Mudge .

" welcome ! " wheezed Mustafa, waving his scimitar .Panny, with an outraged glance at_the stone man, climbed the nearest palm tree .

"I understand you wished to_have me captured," growled the cowardly lion, trembling slightly, but resolved to_go through with_this disagreeable business .

"Don't say captured," cried Mustafa slyly ." let_us_say that I wished to_have my court honored by your cowardly and perfect presence .I understand you_are a terrible fighter," he added, tugging at his whiskers joyfully .

" shall I crush or crumble him ? " asked crunch, interrupting Mustafa's further remarks and ramblings . and then Mustafa for_the first time became really aware of_the stone man . the more he exclaimed, the more horribly aware of him he became .

"Panny ! " he shrilled, looking all around for_his chief chamberlain, "Panny, call out the guard ! "

" call them out yourself," chattered the trembling chamberlain, frightened out of_his usual submissiveness ."I'll not stir from_this tree ." crunch made a snatch at Mustafa, but the cowardly lion hastily intervened . wicked though Mustafa had_been, the kind-hearted lion was not going to stand by and_see him crushed to a crumble . he motioned for crunch to_follow him a few steps aside and quite sulkily the stone man obeyed .

" this_is my fight," puffed the cowardly lion ." now be a good fellow and keep out of it till I_need you ."

" how long will it take ? " grated crunch, slightly mollified . to_tell the truth, he_wanted to_think over the formula needed to_change the cowardly lion . one_of_the magic words had slipped his stone memory .

"Oh, an hour or two," answered the lion uneasily, determined, if he_could, to escape from both of_these treacherous villains .

" all right, old fellow ." crunch smiled as he_said this . he_felt he_could afford to_be generous, for in a few hours the cowardly lion would belong to him for good . so he leaned stolidly against the enclosure, while the cowardly lion hurried after Mustafa, who was running in a cloud of sand toward his tent .

" where's that animated tombstone ? " gasped Mustafa, sinking down on_his throne ." outside," panted the cowardly lion, too tired to notice the signal that passed between Mustafa and two Guardsmen in_the opening of_the tent . in an instant a gold collar and chain had_been clapped ' round his tawny neck .

" now then," exulted Mustafa, " who says you're not captured ." Forgeting all about_the stone man and_his threats, he bade the two Guardsmen drag the cowardly lion to_the royal enclosure . as_they left through an opening in another side of_the tent, crunch knew nothing of_their going . the cowardly lion planted all four feet and roared terribly but six more Guardsmen came to help the others and ignominiously he_was dragged along .

" now we_shall see a famous fight, and discover whether this cowardly lion is as brave as he_is said to_be," chuckled Mustafa, shuffling along beside him . the part of_the enclosure to_which they were taking the lion was widened out into a regular arena . already the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions, with noses pressed against the bars, were watching the approach of_their rival . for Mustafa had talked so_long and tiresomely of_the cowardly lion, who was coming to fight the whole company of_them, that_they considered him an enemy to_be destroyed upon_the spot . they_did_not have long to wait, for while two Guardsmen opened the gates of_the enclosure, six more with_the ends of_their scimitars urged the cowardly lion forward .Stars ! what an array of eyes, tails and gleaming teeth ! what a thunder of savage growls, roars and rumbles !

before_they made a spring at_the cowardly lion an unexpected interruption startled them . it_was sir Hokus of Pokes, falling down like a ton of kitchen tins beside the monarch of Mudge . and before_the lions had stopped blinking at_that, down rattled the tin woodman and Tik Tok, Glinda and_the little wizard of Oz, followed by Dorothy, Snorer and Bob and last of all, Ozma, the Scarecrow and Notta bit more .

" help ! " screeched the Guards running in every direction .

" it's raining royalty ! " shrilled Tazzywaller, who had sneaked out to witness the fight ." fly for your life ! " the fat little lion feeder tugged at Mustafa's robe, for he had at once recognized princess Dorothy and Ozma of Oz . but before Mustafa could flee, or the company from_the emerald city had caught their breath, Mustafa's lions, recovering from_the shock of so_many fallers, sprang with nine thousand different dreadful roars toward the cowardly lion .

Dorothy screamed and_the Scarecrow recklessly tried to squeeze himself through_the bars, but before anyone from_the emerald city could raise a hand, crunch, aroused by_the thumps and roars, came pounding upon_the scene . just as_the cowardly lion crouched to meet

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