Oz 06: Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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at their classes . in one place they played football, in another baseball . some played tennis, some golf; some were swimming in a big pool . upon a river which wound through_the grounds several crews in racing boats were rowing with great enthusiasm . other groups of students played basketball and cricket, while in one place a ring was roped in to permit boxing and wrestling by_the energetic youths . all the collegians seemed busy and there_was much laughter and shouting .

" this college," said professor Wogglebug, complacently, " is a great success . its educational value is undisputed, and we_are turning out many great and valuable citizens every year ."

" but when do they study ? " asked Dorothy .

" study ? " said the Wogglebug, looking perplexed at_the question .

" yes; when do they get their 'rithmetic, and jogerfy, and such things ? "

"Oh, they take doses of_those every night and morning," was_the reply .

" what do_you_mean by doses ? " Dorothy inquired, wonderingly .

" why, we use the newly invented school Pills, made by your friend the wizard . these pills we_have found to_be very effective, and_they save alot of_time . please step this_way and_I_will show you our laboratory of Learning ."

he led them to a room in_the building where many large bottles were standing in rows upon shelves .

" these are the algebra Pills," said the professor, taking down one_of_the bottles ." one at night, on retiring, is equal to four hours of study . here are the geography Pills-- one at night and one in_the morning . in_this next bottle are the Latin Pills-- one three times a day . then we_have the grammar Pills-- one before each meal-- and_the Spelling Pills, which are taken whenever needed ."

" your scholars must_have to_take alot of pills," remarked Dorothy, thoughtfully ." how do they take 'em, in applesauce ? "

" no, my dear . they_are sugar- coated and_are quickly and easily swallowed .I believe the students would rather take_the pills than study, and certainly the pills are a more effective method . you_see, until these school Pills were invented we wasted alot of_time in study that_may now be better employed in practicing athletics ."

"Seems to_me the pills are a good thing," said Omby Amby, who remembered how it used to_make his head ache as a boy to study arithmetic .

" they_are, sir," declared the Wogglebug, earnestly ." they give_us an advantage over all other colleges, because at no loss of_time our boys become thoroughly conversant with Greek and Latin, mathematics and geography, grammar and literature . you_see they_are never obliged to interrupt their games to acquire the lesser branches of learning ."

" it's a great invention, I'm sure," said Dorothy, looking admiringly at_the wizard, who blushed modestly at_this praise .

" we live in an age of progress," announced professor Wogglebug, pompously ." it_is easier to swallow knowledge than to acquire it laboriously from books . is_it not so, my friends ? "

" some folks can swallow anything," said aunt Em, " but to_me this seems too_much like taking medicine ."

" young men in college always have to_take their medicine, one_way or another," observed the wizard, with a smile; " and, as our professor says, these school Pills have proved to_be a great success . one day while i_was making them I happened to drop one_of_them, and one of Billina's chickens gobbled it up .a few_minutes afterward this chick got upon a roost and recited ' the boy stood on_the Burning deck' without making a single mistake . then it recited ' the charge of_the light brigade' and afterwards ' excelsior .' you_see, the chicken had eaten an elocution Pill ."

they now bade good-bye to_the professor, and thanking him for_his kind reception mounted again into_the red wagon and continued their journey .

10 . how the Cuttenclips lived

the travelers had taken no provisions with_them because they knew that they_would_be welcomed wherever they_might go in_the land of Oz, and_that the people would feed and lodge them with genuine hospitality . so about noon they stopped at a farm- house and were given a delicious luncheon of bread and milk, fruits and wheat cakes with maple syrup . after resting a while and strolling through_the orchards with their host--a round, jolly farmer-- they got into_the wagon and again started the sawhorse along the pretty, winding road .

there were signposts at all the corners, and finally they came to one which read:

take this road to_the CUTTENCLIPS

there_was also a hand pointing in_the right direction, so they turned the sawhorse that way and found it a very_good road, but seemingly little traveled .

"I've never seen the Cuttenclips before," remarked Dorothy .

" nor I," said the captain general .

" nor I," said the wizard .

" nor I," said Billina .

"I've hardly been out_of_the emerald city since I arrived in_this country," added the shaggy man .

" why, none of us has_been there, then," exclaimed the little girl ."I wonder what the Cuttenclips are like ."

" we_shall soon find out," said the wizard, with a sly laugh ."I've heard they_are rather flimsy things ."

the farm-houses became fewer as_they proceeded, and_the path was at times so faint that_the sawhorse had hard work to_keep in_the road . the wagon began to jounce, too; so they were obliged to_go slowly .

after a somewhat wearisome journey they came in sight of a high wall, painted blue with pink ornaments . this wall was circular, and seemed to enclose a large space . it_was so high that only the tops of_the trees could_be seen above it .

the path led up_to a small door in_the wall, which_was closed and latched . upon_the door was a sign in gold letters reading as follows:

VISITORS are requested to move slowly and carefully, and to avoid COUGHING or making any breeze or draught .

" that's strange," said the shaggy man, reading the sign aloud ." who_are the Cuttenclips, anyhow ? "

" why, they're paper dolls," answered Dorothy ."Didn't you_know that ? "

" paper dolls ! then let's go somewhere else," said uncle Henry ." we're all too old to play with dolls, Dorothy ."

" but these are different," declared the girl ." they're alive ."

" alive ! " gasped aunt Em, in amazement .

" yes . let's go in," said Dorothy .

so they all got out_of_the wagon, since_the door in_the wall was not big enough for_them to drive the sawhorse and wagon through it .

" you stay here, Toto ! " commanded Dorothy, shaking her finger at_the little dog ." you're so careless that you_might make a breeze if I let you inside ."

Toto wagged his tail as_if disappointed at being left behind; but he_made no effort to_follow them . the wizard unlatched the door, which opened outward, and_they all looked eagerly inside .

just before_the entrance was drawn up a line of tiny soldiers, with uniforms brightly painted and paper guns upon their shoulders . they were exactly alike, from one end of_the line to_the other, and all were cut out of paper and joined together in_the centers of_their bodies .

as_the visitors entered the enclosure the wizard let the door swing back into place, and at once the line of soldiers tumbled over, fell flat upon their backs, and lay fluttering upon_the ground .

"Hi there ! " called one_of_them; " what do_you_mean by slamming the door and blowing us over ? "

"I beg your pardon, I'm sure," said the wizard, regretfully ."I didn't know you were so delicate ."

" we're not delicate ! " retorted another soldier, raising his head from_the ground ." we_are strong and healthy; but we_can't stand draughts ."

" may I help_you up ? " asked Dorothy .

" if_you please," replied the end soldier ." but do_it gently, little girl ."

Dorothy carefully stood up the line of soldiers, who first dusted their painted clothes and then saluted the visitors with their paper muskets . from_the end it_was easy to_see that_the entire line had_been cut out of paper, although from_the front the soldiers looked rather solid and imposing .

"I've a letter of introduction from princess Ozma to miss Cuttenclip," announced Dorothy .

" very_well," said the end soldier, and blew upon a paper whistle that hung around his neck . at once a paper soldier in a captain's uniform came out of a paper house near by and approached the group at_the entrance . he_was not very big, and he walked rather stiffly and uncertainly on_his paper legs; but he had a pleasant face, with very red cheeks and very blue eyes, and he bowed so low to_the strangers that Dorothy laughed, and_the breeze from her mouth nearly blew the captain over . he wavered and struggled and finally managed to remain upon his feet .

" take care, miss ! " he_said, warningly ." you're breaking the rules, you_know, by laughing ."

"Oh, I didn't know that," she replied .

" to laugh in_this place is nearly as dangerous as_to cough," said the captain ." you'll have to breathe very quietly, I assure you ."

" we'll try to," promised the girl ." may we see miss Cuttenclip, please ? "

" you_may," promptly returned the captain ." this_is one of her reception days . be good enough to_follow me ."

he turned and led the way up a path, and as_they followed slowly, because the paper captain did_not move very swiftly, they took the opportunity to gaze around them at_this strange paper country .

beside the path were paper trees, all cut out very neatly and painted a brilliant green color . and back of_the trees were rows of cardboard houses, painted in various colors but most of_them having green blinds . some were large and some small, and in_the front yards were beds of paper flowers quite natural in appearance . over some_of_the porches paper vines were twined, giving them a cozy and shady look .

as_the visitors passed along the street a good_many paper dolls came to_the doors and windows of_their houses to look at them curiously . these dolls were nearly all the same height, but were cut into various shapes, some being fat and some lean . the girl dolls wore many beautiful costumes of tissue paper, making them quite fluffy; but their heads and hands were no thicker than_the paper of_which they were made .

some_of_the paper people were on_the street, walking along or congregated in groups and talking together; but as_soon_as they saw the strangers they all fluttered into_the houses as fast as they_could go, so as to_be out of danger .

" excuse me if I go edgewise," remarked the captain as_they came to a slight hill ." I_can get along faster that way and not flutter so_much ."

" that's all right," said Dorothy ." we don't mind how you go, I'm sure ."

at one side of_the street was a paper pump, and a paper boy was pumping paper water into a paper pail . the yellow Hen happened to brush against this boy with her wing, and he flew into_the air and fell into a paper tree, where he stuck until the wizard gently pulled him out . at_the same time, the pail went into_the air, spilling the paper water, while the paper pump bent nearly double .

" goodness me ! " said the Hen ." if i_should flop my wings I believe I'd knock over the whole village ! "

" then don't flop them-- please don't ! " entreated the captain ." miss Cuttenclip would_be very_much distressed if her village was spoiled ."

"Oh, I'll be careful," promised Billina .

" are_not all these paper girls and women named miss Cuttenclips ? " inquired Omby Amby .

" no indeed," answered the captain, who was walking better since he began to move edgewise ." there_is but one miss Cuttenclip, who_is our queen, because she made us all . these girls are Cuttenclips, to_be_sure, but their names are Emily and Polly and sue and Betty and such things . only the queen is called miss Cuttenclip ."

" I_must say that_this place beats anything I ever heard of," observed aunt Em ."I used to play with paper dolls myself, an' cut 'em out; but I never thought I'd ever see such things alive ."

"I don't see as it's any more curious than hearing hens talk," returned uncle Henry .

" you're likely to_see many queer things in_the land of Oz, sir," said the wizard ." but a fairy country is extremely interesting when_you get used to being surprised ."

" here we_are ! " called the captain, stopping before a cottage .

this house was_made of wood, and was remarkably pretty in design . in_the emerald city it would_have_been considered a tiny dwelling, indeed; but in_the midst of_this paper village it seemed immense . real flowers were in_the garden and real trees grew beside it . upon_the front door was a sign reading:

miss CUTTENCLIP .

just as_they reached the porch the front door opened and a little girl stood before them . she appeared to_be about_the same age as Dorothy, and smiling upon her visitors she said, sweetly:

" you_are welcome ."

all the party seemed relieved to_find that here was a real girl, of flesh and blood . she was very dainty and pretty as she stood there welcoming them . her hair was a golden blonde and her eyes turquoise blue . she had rosy cheeks and lovely white teeth . over her simple white lawn dress she wore an apron with pink and white checks, and in one hand she held a pair of scissors .

" may we see miss Cuttenclip, please ? " asked Dorothy .

" I_am miss Cuttenclip," was_the reply ." won't you come in ? "

she held the door open while they all entered a pretty sitting- room that was littered with all sorts of paper-- some stiff, some thin, and some tissue . the sheets and scraps were of all colors .

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