Oz 06: Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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who has_to run and burrow in_the ground and pities those whose watchful foes are man and gun and hound ."

Dorothy looked at_the king when she heard this song and noticed that he_seemed disturbed and ill at ease .

"I don't like that song," he_said to_the Warblers ." give_us something jolly and rollicking ."

so they sang to a joyous, tinkling melody as follows:

"Bunnies gay delight to play in their fairy town secure; Ev'ry frisker Flirts his whisker at a pink- eyed girl demure .Ev'ry maid in silk arrayed at her partner shyly glances, Paws are grasped, Waists are clasped as_they whirl in giddy dances . then together through_the heather 'Neath the moonlight soft they stroll; each is very blithe and merry, Gamboling with laughter droll . life is fun to ev'ry one guarded by our magic charm for to dangers we_are strangers, safe from any thought of harm ."

" you_see," said Dorothy to_the king, when_the song ended, " the rabbits all seem to like Bunnybury except you . and I guess you're the only_one that ever has cried or was unhappy and wanted to_get back to your muddy hole in_the ground ."

his majesty seemed thoughtful, and while the servants passed around glasses of nectar and plates of frosted cakes their king was silent and a bit nervous .

when_the refreshments had_been enjoyed by all and_the servants had retired Dorothy said:

" I_must go now, for_it's getting late and I'm lost .I've got to_find the wizard and aunt Em and uncle Henry and all the rest sometime before night comes, if I poss'bly can ."

" won't you stay with_us ? " asked the king ." you_will_be very welcome ."

" no, thank_you," she replied ." I_must get back to my friends . and i_want_to_see Glinda just as_soon_as I_can, you_know ."

so the king dismissed his court and said he_would himself walk with Dorothy to_the gate . he_did_not weep nor groan any more, but his long face was quite solemn and_his big ears hung dejectedly on each side of it . he still wore his crown and_his ermine and walked with a handsome gold- headed cane .

when_they arrived at_the room in_the wall the little girl found Toto and Billina waiting for her very patiently . they had_been liberally fed by some_of_the attendants and were in no hurry to leave such comfortable quarters .

the keeper of_the wicket was by_this_time back in_his old place, but he kept a safe distance from Toto . Dorothy bade good bye to_the king as_they stood just inside the wall .

" you've been good to_me," she said, " and i_thank_you ever so_much . as_soon_as poss'ble I'll see Glinda and ask her to_put another king in your place and send_you back into_the wild forest . and I'll ask her to let you keep some of your clothes and_the lily chair and one_or_two jugglers to amuse you .I'm sure she will do_it, ' cause she's so kind she doesn't like any_one to_be unhappy ."

"Ahem ! " said the king, looking rather downcast ."I don't like to trouble you with my misery; so you needn't see Glinda ."

"Oh, yes i_will," she replied ." it won't be any trouble at all ."

" but, my dear," continued the king, in an embarrassed way, "I've been thinking the subject over carefully, and I_find there_are alot of pleasant things here in Bunnybury that i_would miss if I went away . so perhaps I'd better stay ."

Dorothy laughed . then she looked grave .

" it won't do for_you to_be a king and a cry- baby at_the same time," she said ." you've been making all the other rabbits unhappy and discontented with your howls about being so miserable . so I guess it's better to_have another king ."

"Oh, no indeed ! " exclaimed the king, earnestly ." if_you won't say anything to Glinda I'll promise to_be merry and gay all the time, and never cry or wail again ."

" honor bright ? " she asked .

" on_the royal word of a king I promise it ! " he answered .

" all right," said Dorothy ." you'd be areg'lar lunatic to want to leave Bunnybury for a wild life in_the forest, and I'm sure any rabbit outside the city would_be_glad to_take your place ."

" forget it, my dear; forget all my foolishness," pleaded the king, earnestly ." hereafter I'll try to enjoy myself and do my duty by my subjects ."

so then she left him and entered through_the little door into_the room in_the wall, where she grew gradually bigger and bigger until she had resumed her natural size .

the keeper of_the wicket let them out into_the forest and told Dorothy that she had_been of great service to Bunnybury because she had brought their dismal king to a realization of_the pleasure of ruling so beautiful a city .

" I_shall start a petition to_have your statue erected beside Glinda's in_the public square," said the keeper ." I_hope_you_will come again, some day, and_see it ."

" perhaps I_shall," she replied .

then, followed by Toto and Billina, she walked away from_the high marble wall and started back along the narrow path toward the sign- post .

22 . how the wizard found Dorothy

when_they came to_the signpost, there, to_their joy, were the tents of_the wizard pitched beside the path and_the kettle bubbling merrily over the fire . the shaggy man and Omby Amby were gathering firewood while uncle Henry and aunt Em sat in their camp chairs talking with_the wizard .

they all ran forward to greet Dorothy, as she approached, and aunt Em exclaimed: " goodness gracious, child ! where have_you been ? "

" you've played hookey the whole day," added the shaggy man, reproachfully .

" well, you_see, I've been lost," explained the little girl, " and I've tried awful hard to_find the way back to_you, but just couldn't do_it ."

" did you wander in_the forest all day ? " asked uncle Henry .

" you_must_be a' most starved ! " said aunt Em .

" no," said Dorothy, "I'm not hungry .I had a wheelbarrow and a piano for breakfast, and lunched with a king ."

"Ah ! " exclaimed the wizard, nodding with a bright smile ." so you've been having adventures again ."

" she's stark crazy ! " cried aunt Em ." whoever heard of eating a wheelbarrow ? "

" it wasn't very big," said Dorothy; " and it had azuzu wheel ."

" and I ate the crumbs," said Billina, soberly .

" sit down and tell us about_it," begged the wizard ." we've hunted for_you all day, and at last I noticed your footsteps in_this path-- and_the tracks of Billina . we_found the path by accident, and seeing it only led to two places I decided you were at either one or the other of_those places . so we_made camp and waited for_you to return . and now, Dorothy, tell us where you_have_been-- to Bunbury or to Bunnybury ? "

" why, I've been to both," she replied; " but first I went to Utensia, which isn't on any path at all ."

she then sat down and related the day's adventures, and you_may_be_sure aunt Em and uncle Henry were much astonished at_the story .

" but after seeing the Cuttenclips and_the Fuddles," remarked her uncle, " we ought not to wonder at anything in_this strange country ."

"Seems like the only common and ordinary folks here are ourselves," rejoined aunt Em, diffidently .

" now that we're together again, and one reunited party," observed the shaggy man, " what_are we to_do next ? "

" have some supper and a night's rest," answered the wizard promptly, " and then proceed upon our journey ."

" where to ? " asked the captain general .

" we haven't visited the Rigmaroles or the Flutterbudgets yet," said Dorothy ."I'd like to_see them--wouldn't you ? "

" they don't sound very interesting," objected aunt Em ." but perhaps they_are ."

" and then," continued the little wizard, " we_will call upon_the tin woodman and jack Pumpkinhead and_our old friend the Scarecrow, on_our way home ."

" that_will_be nice ! " cried Dorothy, eagerly .

" can't say they sound very interesting, either," remarked aunt Em .

" why, they're the best friends I_have ! " asserted the little girl, " and you're sure to like them, aunt Em, ' cause ever' body likes them ."

by_this_time twilight was approaching, so they ate the fine supper which the wizard magically produced from_the kettle and then went to bed in_the cozy tents .

they were all up bright and early next morning, but Dorothy didn't venture to wander from_the camp again for fear of more accidents .

" do_you_know where there's a road ? " she asked the little man .

" no, my dear," replied the wizard; " but I'll find one ."

after breakfast he waved his hand toward the tents and_they became handkerchiefs again, which were at once returned to_the pockets of_their owners . then they all climbed into_the red wagon and_the sawhorse inquired:

" which_way ? "

" never mind which_way," replied the wizard ." just go as_you please and you're sure to_be right .I've enchanted the wheels of_the wagon, and they_will roll in_the right direction, never fear ."

as_the sawhorse started away through_the trees Dorothy said:

" if_we had one of_those new- fashioned airships we_could float away over the top of_the forest, and look down and find just the places we_want ."

" airship ? Pah ! " retorted the little man, scornfully ."I hate those things, Dorothy, although they_are nothing new to either you or me . i_was a balloonist for many years, and once my balloon carried me to_the land of Oz, and once to_the vegetable kingdom . and once Ozma had aGump that flew all over this kingdom and had sense enough to_go where it_was told to-- which airships won't do . the house which the cyclone brought to Oz all the way from Kansas, with_you and Toto in_it-- was a real airship at_the_time; so you_see we've got plenty of experience flying with_the birds ."

"Airships are_not so bad, after all," declared Dorothy ." some day they'll fly all over the world, and perhaps bring people even to_the land of Oz ."

" I_must speak to Ozma about_that," said the wizard, with a slight frown ." it wouldn't do at all, you_know, for_the emerald city to_become a way- station on an airship line ."

" no," said Dorothy, "I don't s' pose it would . but what can we_do to_prevent it ? "

"I'm working out a magic recipe to fuddle men's brains, so they'll never make an airship that_will go where they_want it to_go," the wizard confided to her ." that won't keep the things from flying, now_and_then, but it'll keep them from flying to_the land of Oz ."

just then the sawhorse drew the wagon out_of_the forest and a beautiful landscape lay spread before_the travelers' eyes . moreover, right before them was a good road that wound away through_the hills and valleys .

" now," said the wizard, with evident delight, " we_are on_the right track again, and there_is nothing more to worry about ."

" it's a foolish thing to_take chances in a strange country," observed the shaggy man ." had we kept to_the roads we never would_have_been lost .Roads always lead to some place, else they wouldn't be roads ."

" this road," added the wizard, "leads to Rigmarole town .I'm sure of_that because I enchanted the wagon wheels ."

sure enough, after riding along the road for an hour or two they entered a pretty valley where a village was nestled among_the hills . the houses were Munchkin shaped, for they were all domes, with windows wider than they were high, and pretty balconies over the front doors .

aunt Em was greatly relieved to_find this town " neither paper nor patch- work," and_the only surprising thing about_it was that_it_was so_far distant from all other towns .

as_the sawhorse drew the wagon into_the main street the travelers noticed that_the place was filled with people, standing in groups and seeming to_be engaged in earnest conversation . so occupied with themselves were the inhabitants that_they scarcely noticed the strangers at all . so the wizard stopped a boy and asked:

" is_this Rigmarole town ? "

" sir," replied the boy, " if_you_have traveled very_much you_will_have noticed that every town differs from every_other town in one_way or another and so by observing the methods of_the people and_the way they live as_well as_the style of_their dwelling places it ought not to_be a difficult thing to_make up your mind without the trouble of asking questions whether the town bears the appearance of_the one you intended to visit or whether perhaps having taken a different road from_the one you_should_have taken you have_made an error in your way and arrived at some point where--"

" land sakes ! " cried aunt Em, impatiently; " what's all this rigmarole about ? "

" that's it ! " said the wizard, laughing merrily ." it's arigmarole because the boy is aRigmarole and we've come to Rigmarole town ."

" do they all talk like that ? " asked Dorothy, wonderingly .

" he_might_have said ' yes' or ' no' and settled the question," observed uncle Henry .

" not here," said Omby Amby ."I don't believe the Rigmaroles know what ' yes' or ' no' means ."

while the boy had_been talking several_other people had approached the wagon and listened intently to_his speech . then they began talking to one another in long, deliberate speeches, where many words were used but little was said . but when_the strangers criticized them so frankly one_of_the women, who had no one else to_talk to, began an address to_them, saying:

" it_is_the easiest thing in_the_world for a person to_say ' yes' or ' no' when a question that_is asked for_the_purpose of gaining information or satisfying the curiosity of_the one who has_given expression to_the inquiry has attracted the attention of an individual who_may_be competent either from personal experience or the experience of others to answer it with more or less correctness or at_least an attempt

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