Oz 06: Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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" luncheon is served ! " cried Blinkem, throwing open the door, and in came a dozen rabbits in livery, all bearing trays which they placed upon_the table, where they arranged the dishes in an orderly manner .

" now clear out-- all of you ! " exclaimed the king ." bristle, you_may wait outside, in_case i_want you ."

when_they had gone and_the king was alone with Dorothy he_came down from_his throne, tossed his crown into a corner and kicked his ermine robe under the table .

" sit down," he_said, " and try to_be happy . it's useless for_me to_try, because I'm always wretched and miserable . but I'm hungry, and I_hope you_are ."

" I_am," said Dorothy ."I've only eaten a wheelbarrow and a piano to- day--oh, yes ! and a slice of bread and butter that used to_be a door- mat ."

" that sounds like a square meal," remarked the king, seating himself opposite her; " but perhaps it wasn't a square piano .Eh ? "

Dorothy laughed .

" you don't seem so very unhappy now," she said .

" but I_am," protested the king, fresh tears gathering in_his eyes ." even my jokes are miserable .I'm wretched, woeful, afflicted, distressed and dismal as an individual can_be . are_you not sorry for_me ? "

" no," answered Dorothy, honestly, " I_can't say I_am .Seems to_me that for a rabbit you're right in clover . this_is_the prettiest little city I ever saw ."

"Oh, the city is good enough," he admitted ."Glinda, the good sorceress, made it for_us because she was fond of rabbits .I don't mind the city so_much, although I wouldn't live here if I had my choice . it_is being king that has absolutely ruined my happiness ."

" why wouldn't you live here by choice ? " she asked .

" because it_is all unnatural, my dear .Rabbits are out of place in_such luxury . when i_was young I lived in a burrow in_the forest . i_was surrounded by enemies and often had to run for_my life . it_was hard getting enough to eat, at times, and when I_found a bunch of clover I had to listen and look for danger while I ate it . wolves prowled around the hole in_which I lived and sometimes I didn't dare stir out for days at_a_time .Oh, how happy and contented i_was then ! i_was a real rabbit, as nature made me-- wild and free ! -- and I even enjoyed listening to_the startled throbbing of_my own heart ! "

"I've often thought," said Dorothy, who was busily eating, " that_it would_be fun to_be a rabbit ."

" it_is fun-- when_you're the genuine article," agreed his majesty ." but look at me now ! I live in a marble palace instead of a hole in_the ground . I_have all i_want to eat, without the joy of hunting for_it . every day I_must dress in fine clothes and wear that horrible crown till it makes my head ache .Rabbits come to_me with all sorts of troubles, when my own troubles are the only ones I care about . when I walk out I_can't hop and run; I_must strut on my rear legs and wear an ermine robe ! and_the soldiers salute me and_the band plays and_the other rabbits laugh and clap their paws and cry out: ' hail to_the king ! ' now let me ask_you, as a friend and a young lady of good judgment: isn't all this pomp and foolishness enough to_make a decent rabbit miserable ? "

" once," said Dorothy, reflectively, " men were wild and unclothed and lived in caves and hunted for food as wild beasts do . but they got civ'lized, in_time, and now they'd hate to_go back to_the old days ."

" that_is an entirely different case," replied the king ." none of you Humans were civilized in one lifetime . it came to_you by degrees . but I_have known the forest and_the free life, and_that is why I resent being civilized all at once, against my will, and being made a king with a crown and an ermine robe .Pah ! "

" if_you don't like it, why don't you resign ? " she asked .

" impossible ! " wailed the rabbit, wiping his eyes again with_his handkerchief ." there's a beastly law in_this town that forbids it . when one is elected a king, there's no getting out of it ."

" who_made the laws ? " inquired Dorothy .

" the same sorceress who_made the town--Glinda the good . she built the wall, and fixed up the city, and gave_us several valuable enchantments, and made the laws . then she invited all the pink- eyed white rabbits of_the forest to_come here, after which she left us to our fate ."

" what made you 'cept the invitation, and come here ? " asked the child .

"I didn't know how dreadful city life was, and I'd no idea i_would_be elected king," said he, sobbing bitterly ." and-- and-- now I'm it-- with a capital I-- and can't escape ! "

" I_know Glinda," remarked Dorothy, eating for dessert a dish of charlotte russe, " and when I_see her again, I'll ask her to_put another king in your place ."

" will_you ? will_you, indeed ? " asked the king, joyfully .

" i_will if_you_want me to," she replied .

"Hurroo--huray ! " shouted the king; and then he jumped up from_the table and danced wildly about_the room, waving his napkin like a flag and laughing with glee .

after a time he managed to control his delight and returned to_the table .

" when are_you likely to_see Glinda ? " he inquired .

"Oh, p'raps in_a_few_days," said Dorothy .

" and you won't forget to ask her ? "

" of_course not ."

" princess," said the rabbit king, earnestly, " you_have relieved me of a great unhappiness, and I_am very grateful . therefore I propose to entertain you, since you_are my guest and I_am the king, as a slight mark of_my appreciation . come with me to my reception hall ."

he then summoned bristle and said to him: " assemble all the nobility in_the great reception hall, and also tell Blinkem that i_want him immediately ."

the keeper of_the wicket bowed and hurried away, and_his majesty turned to Dorothy and continued: " we'll have time for a walk in_the gardens before_the people get here ."

the gardens were back of_the palace and were filled with beautiful flowers and fragrant shrubs, with many shade and fruit trees and marble- paved walks running in every direction . as_they entered this place Blinkem came running to_the king, who gave him several orders in a low voice . then his majesty rejoined Dorothy and led her through_the gardens, which she admired very_much .

" what lovely clothes your majesty wears ! " she said, glancing at_the rich blue satin costume, embroidered, with pearls in_which_the king was dressed .

" yes," he returned, with an air of pride, " this_is one of_my favorite suits; but I_have a good_many that_are even more elaborate . we_have excellent tailors in Bunnybury, and Glinda supplies all the material . by_the_way, you_might ask_the sorceress, when_you see her, to permit me to_keep my wardrobe ."

" but if_you go back to_the forest you_will_not need clothes," she said .

"N--o ! " he faltered; " that_may_be so . but I've dressed up so_long that I'm used to_it, and I don't imagine I'd care to run around naked again . so perhaps the good Glinda will let me keep the costumes ."

"I'll ask her," agreed Dorothy .

then they left the gardens and went into a fine, big reception hall, where rich rugs were spread upon_the tiled floors and_the furniture was exquisitely carved and studded with jewels . the king's chair was an especially pretty piece of furniture, being in_the shape of a silver lily with one leaf bent over to_form the seat . the silver was everywhere thickly encrusted with diamonds and_the seat was upholstered in white satin .

"Oh, what a splendid chair ! " cried Dorothy, clasping her hands admiringly .

"Isn't it ? " answered the king, proudly ." it_is my favorite seat, and i_think it especially becoming to my complexion . while i_think of it, i_wish you'd ask Glinda to let me keep this lily chair when I go away ."

" it wouldn't look very_well in a hole in_the ground, would it ? " she suggested .

" maybe not; but I'm used to sitting in_it and I'd like to_take it with me," he answered ." but here come the ladies and gentlemen of_the court; so please sit beside me and be presented ."

21 . how the king changed his mind

just then a rabbit band of nearly fifty pieces marched in, playing upon golden instruments and dressed in neat uniforms .Following the band came the nobility of Bunnybury, all richly dressed and hopping along on their rear legs . both the ladies and_the gentlemen wore white gloves upon their paws, with their rings on_the outside of_the gloves, as_this seemed to_be the fashion here . some_of_the lady rabbits carried lorgnettes, while many_of_the gentlemen rabbits wore monocles in their left eyes .

the courtiers and their ladies paraded past the king, who introduced princess Dorothy to each couple in a very graceful manner . then the company seated themselves in chairs and on sofas and looked expectantly at their monarch .

" it_is our royal duty, as_well as our royal pleasure," he_said, " to_provide fitting entertainment for_our distinguished guest . we_will now present the royal band of whiskered Friskers ."

as he spoke the musicians, who had arranged themselves in a corner, struck up a dance melody while into_the room pranced the whiskered Friskers . they were eight pretty rabbits dressed only in gauzy purple skirts fastened around their waists with diamond bands . their whiskers were colored a rich purple, but otherwise they were pure white .

after bowing before_the king and Dorothy the Friskers began their pranks, and these were so comical that Dorothy laughed with real enjoyment . they not_only danced together, whirling and gyrating around the room, but they leaped over one another, stood upon their heads and hopped and skipped here and there so nimbly that_it_was hard work to_keep track of_them . finally, they all made double somersaults and turned handsprings out_of_the room .

the nobility enthusiastically applauded, and Dorothy applauded with_them .

" they're fine ! " she said to_the king .

" yes, the whiskered Friskers are really very clever," he replied ." I_shall hate to part with_them when I go away, for they_have often amused me when i_was very miserable .I wonder if_you_would ask Glinda--"

" no, it wouldn't do at all," declared Dorothy, positively ." there wouldn't be room in your hole in_the ground for so_many rabbits, 'spec'ly when_you get the lily chair and your clothes there .Don't think of_such a thing, your majesty ."

the king sighed . then he stood up and announced to_the company:

" we_will now hold a military drill by my picked bodyguard of royal Pikemen ."

now the band played a march and a company of rabbit soldiers came in . they wore green and gold uniforms and marched very stiffly but in perfect time . their spears, or pikes, had slender shafts of polished silver with golden heads, and during the drill they handled these weapons with wonderful dexterity .

" i_should think you'd feel pretty safe with_such a fine bodyguard," remarked Dorothy .

" I_do," said the king ." they protect me from every harm .I suppose Glinda wouldn't--"

" no," interrupted the girl; "I'm sure she wouldn't . it's the king's own bodyguard, and when_you_are no longer king you_can't have 'em ."

the king did_not reply, but he looked rather sorrowful for a time .

when_the soldiers had marched out he_said to_the company:

" the royal Jugglers will now appear ."

Dorothy had seen many jugglers in her lifetime, but never any so interesting as_these . there were six of_them, dressed in black satin embroidered with queer symbols in silver--a costume which contrasted strongly with their snow- white fur .

first, they pushed in a big red ball and three of_the rabbit jugglers stood upon its top and made it roll . then two of_them caught up a third and tossed him into_the air, all vanishing, until only the two were left . then one_of_these tossed the other upward and remained alone of all his fellows . this last juggler now touched the red ball, which fell apart, being hollow, and_the five rabbits who had disappeared in_the air scrambled out_of_the hollow ball .

next they all clung together and rolled swiftly upon_the floor . when_they came to a stop only_one fat rabbit juggler was seen, the others seeming to_be inside him . this_one leaped lightly into_the air and when he_came down he exploded and separated into_the original six . then four of_them rolled themselves into round balls and_the other two tossed them around and played ball with_them .

these were but a few of_the tricks the rabbit jugglers performed, and_they were so skillful that all the nobility and even the king applauded as loudly as did Dorothy .

"I suppose there_are no rabbit jugglers in all the world to compare with_these," remarked the king ." and since I_may not have the Whiskers Friskers or my bodyguard, you_might ask Glinda to let me take away just two_or_three of_these jugglers . will_you ? "

"I'll ask her," replied Dorothy, doubtfully .

" thank_you," said the king; " thank_you very_much . and now you shall listen to_the winsome waggish Warblers, who_have often cheered me in my moments of anguish ."

the winsome waggish Warblers proved to_be aquartette of rabbit singers, two gentlemen and two lady rabbits . the gentlemen Warblers wore full- dress swallow- tailed suits of white satin, with pearls for buttons, while the lady Warblers were gowned in white satin dresses with long trails .

the first song they sang began in_this_way:

" when a rabbit gets a habit of living in a city and wearing clothes and furbelows and jewels rare and pretty, he scorns the Bun who

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