Oz 04: Dorthy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum
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splendid flowers were blooming and pretty fountains shot their silvery sprays into_the air .

Zeb shook the reins to rouse the cab- horse from_his stupor of amazement, for_the people were beginning to gather around and stare at_the strangers .

"Gid-dap ! " cried the boy, and at_the word Jim slowly trotted into_the courtyard and drew the buggy along the jewelled driveway to_the great entrance of_the royal palace .

15 . old friends are Reunited

many servants dressed in handsome uniforms stood ready to welcome the new arrivals, and when_the wizard got out_of_the buggy a pretty girl in a green gown cried out in surprise:

" why, it's Oz, the wonderful wizard, come back again ! "

the little man looked at her closely and then took both the maiden's hands in_his and shook them cordially .

" on my word," he exclaimed, " it's little Jellia Jamb-- as pert and pretty as ever ! "

" why_not, Mr wizard ? " asked Jellia, bowing low ." but I'm afraid you_cannot rule the emerald city, as_you used to, because we now have a beautiful princess whom everyone loves dearly ."

" and_the people will not willingly part with her," added a tall soldier in a captain- general's uniform .

the wizard turned to look at him .

" did you not wear green whiskers at one_time ? " he asked .

" yes," said the soldier; " but I shaved them off long_ago, and since then I_have risen from a private to_be the chief general of_the royal Armies ."

" that's nice," said the little man ." but I assure you, my good people, that I_do_not wish to rule the emerald city," he added, earnestly .

" in_that case you_are very welcome ! " cried all the servants, and it pleased the wizard to note the respect with_which the royal retainers bowed before him . his fame had_not_been forgotten in_the land of Oz, by any means .

" where is Dorothy ? " enquired Zeb, anxiously, as he left the buggy and stood beside his friend the little wizard .

" she_is with_the princess Ozma, in_the private rooms of_the palace," replied Jellia Jamb ." but she has ordered me to_make you welcome and to show you to your apartments ."

the boy looked around him with wondering eyes . such magnificence and wealth as was displayed in_this palace was more than he had ever dreamed of, and he_could scarcely believe that all the gorgeous glitter was real and not tinsel .

" what's to_become of me ? " asked the horse, uneasily . he had seen considerable of life in_the cities in_his younger days, and knew that_this regal palace was no place for him .

it perplexed even Jellia Jamb, for a time, to_know what to_do with_the animal . the green maiden was much astonished at_the sight of so unusual a creature, for horses were unknown in_this land; but those who lived in_the emerald city were apt to_be astonished by queer sights, so after inspecting the cab- horse and noting the mild look in_his big eyes the girl decided not to_be afraid of him .

" there_are no stables here," said the wizard, " unless some have_been built since I went away ."

" we_have never needed them before," answered Jellia; " for_the sawhorse lives in a room of_the palace, being much smaller and more natural in appearance than this great beast you_have brought with_you ."

" do_you_mean that I'm a freak ? " asked Jim, angrily .

"Oh, no," she hastened to_say, " there_may_be many more like you in_the place you came from, but in Oz any horse but a sawhorse is unusual ."

this mollified Jim a little, and after some thought the green maiden decided to_give the cab- horse a room in_the palace, such a big building having many rooms that were seldom in use .

so Zeb unharnessed Jim, and several of_the servants then led the horse around to_the rear, where they selected a nice large apartment that he could_have all to himself .

then Jellia said to_the wizard:

" your own room-- which_was back of_the great throne room-- has_been vacant ever_since you left us . would you like it again ? "

" yes, indeed ! " returned the little man ." it_will seem like being at home again, for I lived in_that room for many, many years ."

he_knew the way to_it, and a servant followed him, carrying his satchel .Zeb was also escorted to a room-- so grand and beautiful that he almost feared to sit in_the chairs or lie upon_the bed, lest he might dim their splendor . in_the closets he discovered many fancy costumes of rich velvets and brocades, and one_of_the attendants told him to dress himself in any of_the clothes that pleased him and to_be prepared to dine with_the princess and Dorothy in an hour's time .

Opening from_the chamber was a fine bathroom having a marble tub with perfumed water; so the boy, still dazed by_the novelty of_his surroundings, indulged in a good bath and then selected a maroon velvet costume with silver buttons to replace his own soiled and much worn clothing . there were silk stockings and soft leather slippers with diamond buckles to accompany his new costume, and when he_was fully dressed Zeb looked much more dignified and imposing than ever before in_his life .

he_was all ready when an attendant came to escort him to_the presence of_the princess; he followed bashfully and was ushered into a room more dainty and attractive than it_was splendid . here he_found Dorothy seated beside a young girl so marvelously beautiful that_the boy stopped suddenly with a gasp of admiration .

but Dorothy sprang up and ran to seize her friend's hand drawing him impulsively toward the lovely princess, who smiled most graciously upon her guest . then the wizard entered, and_his presence relieved the boy's embarrassment . the little man was clothed in black velvet, with many sparkling emerald ornaments decorating his breast; but his bald head and wrinkled features made him appear more amusing than impressive .

Ozma had_been quite curious to meet the famous man who had built the emerald city and united the Munchkins, Gillikins, Quadlings and Winkies into one people; so when_they were all four seated at_the dinner table the princess said:

" please tell me, Mr wizard, whether you called yourself Oz after_this great country, or whether you believe my country is called Oz after you . it_is a matter that I_have long wished to enquire about, because you_are of a strange race and my own name is Ozma . no, one, I_am_sure, is better able to explain this mystery than you ."

" that_is true," answered the little wizard; " therefore it_will give_me pleasure to explain my connection with your country . in_the first place, I_must tell you that i_was born in Omaha, and my father, who was a politician, named me Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, Diggs being the last name because he_could think of no more to_go before it . taken altogether, it_was adreadfully long name to weigh down a poor innocent child, and one_of_the hardest lessons I ever learned was to remember my own name . when I grew up I just called myself O .Z ., because the other initials were P-I-N-H-E-A-D; and_that spelled 'pinhead,' which_was a reflection on my intelligence ."

" surely no one could blame you for cutting your_name short," said Ozma, sympathetically ." but didn't you cut it almost too short ? "

" perhaps so," replied the wizard ." when a young man I ran away from home and joined a circus .I used to_call myself a wizard, and do tricks of ventriloquism ."

" what does that mean ? " asked the princess .

"Throwing my voice into any object I pleased, to_make it appear that_the object was speaking instead of me . also I began to_make balloon ascensions . on my balloon and on all the other articles I used in_the circus I painted the two initials: 'O .Z .', to show that_those things belonged to_me .

" one day my balloon ran away with me and brought me across the deserts to_this beautiful country . when_the people saw me come from_the sky they naturally thought me some superior creature, and bowed down before me . i_told them i_was a wizard, and showed them some easy tricks that amazed them; and when_they saw the initials painted on_the balloon they called me Oz ."

" now I begin to understand," said the princess, smiling .

" at_that_time," continued the wizard, busily eating his soup while talking, " there were four separate countries in_this land, each one_of_the four being ruled by a witch . but the people thought my power was greater than that of_the Witches; and perhaps the Witches thought so too, for they never dared oppose me .I ordered the emerald city to_be built just where the four countries cornered together, and when it_was completed I announced myself the ruler of_the land of Oz, which included all the four countries of_the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and_the Quadlings . over this land I ruled in peace for many years, until I grew old and longed to_see my native city once again . so when Dorothy was first blown to_this place by a cyclone I arranged to_go away with her in a balloon; but the balloon escaped too soon and carried me back alone . after many adventures I reached Omaha, only to_find that all my old friends were dead or had moved away . so, having nothing else to_do, I joined a circus again, and made my balloon ascensions until the earthquake caught me ."

" that_is quite a history," said Ozma; " but there_is a little more history about_the land of Oz that you_do_not seem to understand-- perhaps for_the reason that no one ever told it you . many years before_you came here this land was united under one ruler, as_it_is now, and_the ruler's name was always 'Oz,' which_means in_our language ' great and good'; or, if_the ruler happened to_be a woman, her name was always 'Ozma .' but once upon a time four Witches leagued together to depose the king and rule the four parts of_the kingdom themselves; so when_the ruler, my grandfather, was hunting one day, one wicked witch named Mombi stole him and carried him away, keeping him a close prisoner . then the Witches divided up the kingdom, and ruled the four parts of it until you came here . that was why the people were so glad_to_see you, and why they thought from your initials that you were their rightful ruler ."

" but, at_that_time," said the wizard, thoughtfully, " there were two good Witches and two wicked Witches ruling in_the land ."

" yes," replied Ozma, " because a good witch had conquered Mombi in_the north and Glinda the good had conquered the evil witch in_the south . but Mombi was still my grandfather's jailor, and afterward my father's jailor . when i_was born she transformed me into a boy, hoping that no one would ever recognize me and know that I was_the rightful princess of_the land of Oz . but I escaped from her and am now the ruler of_my people ."

" I_am very_glad of_that," said the wizard, " and hope_you_will consider me one of your most faithful and devoted subjects ."

" we owe a great deal to_the wonderful wizard," continued the princess, " for it_was you who built this splendid emerald city ."

" your people built it," he answered ."I only bossed the job, as_we say in Omaha ."

" but you ruled it wisely and well for many years," said she, " and made the people proud of your magical art . so, as_you_are now too old to wander abroad and work in a circus, I offer you a home here as long as_you live . you shall be the official wizard of_my kingdom, and be treated with every respect and consideration ."

"I accept your kind offer with gratitude, gracious princess," the little man said, in a soft voice, and they_could all see that tear-drops were standing in_his keen old eyes . it meant a good_deal to him to secure a home like this .

" he's only a humbug wizard, though," said Dorothy, smiling at him .

" and that_is_the safest kind of a wizard to_have," replied Ozma, promptly .

"Oz can do some good tricks, humbug or no humbug," announced Zeb, who was now feeling more at ease .

" he shall amuse us with_his tricks tomorrow," said the princess ." I_have sent messengers to summon all of Dorothy's old friends to meet her and give her welcome, and_they ought to arrive very_soon, now ."

indeed, the dinner was no sooner finished than in rushed the Scarecrow, to hug Dorothy in_his padded arms and tell her how glad he_was to_see her again . the wizard was also most heartily welcomed by_the straw man, who was an important personage in_the land of Oz .

" how are your brains ? " enquired the little humbug, as he grasped the soft, stuffed hands of_his old friend .

"Working finely," answered the Scarecrow ."I'm very certain, Oz, that you_gave me the best brains in_the_world, for I_can think with_them day and night, when all other brains are fast asleep ."

" how long did you rule the emerald city, after I left here ? " was_the next question .

" quite awhile, until i_was conquered by a girl named general Jinjur . but Ozma soon conquered her, with_the help of Glinda the good, and after_that I went to live with nick chopper, the tin woodman ."

just then a loud cackling was heard outside; and, when a servant threw open the door with a low bow, a yellow hen strutted in . Dorothy

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