Oz 06: Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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the emerald city of Oz

by L . frank Baum

author of_the road to Oz, Dorothy and_the wizard in Oz, the land of Oz, etc .

Contents

-- author's note--
1 . how the Nome king became angry
2 . how uncle Henry got into trouble
3 . how Ozma granted Dorothy's request
4 . how the Nome king planned revenge
5 . how Dorothy became a princess
6 . how Guph visited the Whimsies
7 . how aunt Em conquered the lion
8 . how the grand Gallipoot joined the Nomes
9 . how the Wogglebug taught athletics
10 . how the Cuttenclips lived
11 . how the general Met the first and foremost
12 . how they matched the Fuddles
13 . how the general talked to_the king
14 . how the wizard practiced sorcery
15 . how Dorothy happened to_get lost
16 . how Dorothy visited Utensia
17 . how they came to Bunbury
18 . how Ozma looked into_the magic picture
19 . how Bunnybury welcomed the Strangers
20 . how Dorothy Lunched with a king
21 . how the king changed his mind
22 . how the wizard found Dorothy
23 . how they encountered the Flutterbudgets
24 . how the tin woodman told the sad News
25 . how the Scarecrow Displayed his wisdom
26 . how Ozma refused to fight for her kingdom
27 . how the fierce Warriors invaded Oz
28 . how they drank at_the forbidden fountain
29 . how Glinda worked a magic spell
30 . how the story of Oz came to an end

author's note

perhaps i_should admit on_the title page that_this book is " by L . frank Baum and_his correspondents," for I_have used many suggestions conveyed to_me in letters from children . once on a time I really imagined myself " an author of fairy tales," but now I_am merely an editor or private secretary for a host of youngsters whose ideas I_am requestsed to weave into_the thread of_my stories .

these ideas are often clever . they_are also logical and interesting . so I_have used them whenever I_could find an opportunity, and it_is but just that I acknowledge my indebtedness to my little friends .

my, what imaginations these children have developed ! Sometimes I_am fairly astounded by their daring and genius . there_will_be no lack of fairy- tale authors in_the_future, I_am_sure . my readers have told me what to_do with Dorothy, and aunt Em and uncle Henry, and I_have obeyed their mandates . they_have also given me a variety of subjects to write about in_the_future: enough, in_fact, to_keep me busy for some_time . I_am very proud of_this alliance . children love these stories because children have helped to create them . my readers know what they_want and realize_that I try to_please them . the result is very satisfactory to_the publishers, to_me, and ( I_am quite_sure) to_the children .

I_hope, my dears, it_will_be a long_time before we_are obliged to dissolve partnership .

L . frank BAUM .

Coronado, 1910

1 . how the Nome king became angry

the Nome king was in an angry mood, and at such times he_was very disagreeable . every_one kept away from_him, even his chief steward Kaliko .

therefore the king stormed and raved all by himself, walking up and down in_his jewel- studded cavern and getting angrier all the time . then he remembered that_it_was no fun being angry unless he had some one to frighten and make miserable, and he rushed to_his big gong and made it clatter as loud as he_could .

in came the chief steward, trying not to show the Nome king how frightened he_was .

" send the chief Counselor here ! " shouted the angry monarch .

Kaliko ran out as fast as his spindle legs could carry his fat, round body, and soon the chief Counselor entered the cavern . the king scowled and said to him:

"I'm in great trouble over the loss of_my magic belt . every little while i_want to_do something magical, and find I_can't because the belt is gone . that makes me angry, and when I'm angry I_can't have a good_time . now, what do_you advise ? "

" some people," said the chief Counselor, " enjoy getting angry ."

" but not all the time," declared the king ." to_be angry once in a while is really good fun, because it makes others so miserable . but to_be angry morning, noon and night, as I_am, grows monotonous and prevents my gaining any_other pleasure in life . now what do_you advise ? "

" why, if_you_are angry because you_want to_do magical things and can't, and if_you don't want to_get angry at all, my advice is_not to want to_do magical things ."

Hearing this, the king glared at his Counselor with a furious expression and tugged at his own long white whiskers until he pulled them so hard that he yelled with pain .

" you_are a fool ! " he exclaimed .

"I share that honor with your majesty," said the chief Counselor .

the king roared with rage and stamped his foot .

"Ho, there, my guards ! " he cried ."Ho" is a royal way of saying, " come here ." so, when_the guards had hoed, the king said to_them:

" take this chief Counselor and throw him away ."

then the guards took the chief Counselor, and bound him with chains to_prevent his struggling, and threw him away . and_the king paced up and down his cavern more angry than before .

finally he rushed to_his big gong and made it clatter like a fire alarm .Kaliko appeared again, trembling and white with fear .

" fetch my pipe ! " yelled the king .

" your pipe is already here, your majesty," replied Kaliko .

" then get my tobacco ! " roared the king .

" the tobacco is in your pipe, your majesty," returned the steward .

" then bring a live coal from_the furnace ! " commanded the king .

" the tobacco is lighted, and your majesty is already smoking your pipe," answered the steward .

" why, so I_am ! " said the king, who had forgotten this fact; " but you_are very rude to remind me of it ."

" I_am a lowborn, miserable villain," declared the chief steward, humbly .

the Nome king could think of nothing to_say next, so he puffed away at his pipe and paced up and down the room . finally, he remembered how angry he_was, and cried out:

" what do_you_mean, Kaliko, by being so contented when your monarch is unhappy ? "

" what makes you unhappy ? " asked the steward .

"I've lost my magic belt .a little girl named Dorothy, who was here with Ozma of Oz, stole my belt and carried it away with her," said the king, grinding his teeth with rage .

" she captured it in a fair fight," Kaliko ventured to_say .

" but i_want it ! I_must_have it ! half my power is gone with_that belt ! " roared the king .

" you_will_have to_go to_the land of Oz to recover it, and your majesty can't get to_the land of Oz in any possible way," said the steward, yawning because he had_been on duty ninety-six hours, and was sleepy .

" why_not ? " asked the king .

" because there_is a deadly desert all around that fairy country, which no one is able to cross . you_know that fact as_well as I_do, your majesty . never mind the lost belt . you_have plenty of power left, for_you rule this underground kingdom like a tyrant, and thousands of Nomes obey your commands .I advise you to drink a glass of melted silver, to quiet your nerves, and then go to bed ."

the king grabbed a big ruby and threw it at Kaliko's head . the steward ducked to escape the heavy jewel, which crashed against the door just over his left ear .

" get out of_my sight ! vanish ! go away-- and send general Blug here," screamed the Nome king .

Kaliko hastily withdrew, and_the Nome king stamped up and down until the general of_his armies appeared .

this Nome was known far and wide as a terrible fighter and a cruel, desperate commander . he had fifty thousand Nome soldiers, all well drilled, who feared nothing but their stern master . yet general Blug was a trifle uneasy when he arrived and saw how angry the Nome king was .

"Ha ! so you're here ! " cried the king .

" so I_am," said the general .

" march your army at once to_the land of Oz, capture and destroy the emerald city, and bring back to_me my magic belt ! " roared the king .

" you're crazy," calmly remarked the general .

" what's that ? what's that ? what's that ? " and_the Nome king danced around on_his pointed toes, he_was so enraged .

" you don't know what you're talking about," continued the general, seating himself upon a large cut diamond ."I advise you to stand in a corner and count sixty before_you speak again . by_that_time you_may_be more sensible ."

the king looked around for something to throw at general Blug, but as nothing was handy he began to consider that perhaps the man was right and he had_been talking foolishly . so he merely threw himself into his glittering throne and tipped his crown over his ear and curled his feet up under him and glared wickedly at Blug .

" in_the first place," said the general, " we_cannot march across the deadly desert to_the land of Oz . and if_we_could, the ruler of_that country, princess Ozma, has certain fairy powers that_would render my army helpless . had you not lost your magic belt we_might_have some chance of defeating Ozma; but the belt is gone ."

" i_want it ! " screamed the king ." I_must_have it ."

" well, then, let_us try in a sensible way to_get it," replied the general ." the belt was captured by a little girl named Dorothy, who lives in Kansas, in_the United_States_of_America ."

" but she left it in_the emerald city, with Ozma," declared the king .

" how do_you_know that ? " asked the general .

" one of_my spies, who_is a blackbird, flew over the desert to_the land of Oz, and saw the magic belt in Ozma's palace," replied the king with a groan .

" now that gives me an idea," said general Blug, thoughtfully ." there_are two ways to_get to_the land of Oz without traveling across the sandy desert ."

" what_are they ? " demanded the king, eagerly .

" one_way is over the desert, through_the air; and_the other way is under the desert, through_the earth ."

Hearing this the Nome king uttered a yell of joy and leaped from_his throne, to resume his wild walk up and down the cavern .

" that's it, Blug ! " he shouted ." that's the idea, general ! I'm king of_the under world, and my subjects are all miners .I'll make a secret tunnel under the desert to_the land of Oz-- yes ! right up_to_the emerald city-- and you_will march your armies there and capture the whole country ! "

" softly, softly, your majesty .Don't go too fast," warned the general ." my Nomes are good fighters, but they_are_not strong enough to conquer the emerald city ."

" are_you sure ? " asked the king .

" absolutely certain, your majesty ."

" then what am I to_do ? "

" give up the idea and mind your own business," advised the general ." you_have plenty to_do trying to rule your underground kingdom ."

" but i_want the magic belt-- and I'm going to_have it ! " roared the Nome king .

"I'd like to_see you get it," replied the general, laughing maliciously .

the king was by_this_time so exasperated that he picked up his scepter, which had a heavy ball, made from a sapphire, at_the end of it, and threw it with all his force at general Blug . the sapphire hit the general upon his forehead and knocked him flat upon_the ground, where he lay motionless . then the king rang his gong and told his guards to drag out the general and throw him away; which they_did .

this Nome king was named Roquat the red, and no one loved him . he_was a bad man and a powerful monarch, and he had resolved to destroy the land of Oz and its magnificent emerald city, to enslave princess Ozma and little Dorothy and all the Oz people, and recover his magic belt . this same belt had once enabled Roquat the red to carry out many wicked plans; but that was before Ozma and her people marched to_the underground cavern and captured it . the Nome king could_not forgive Dorothy or princess Ozma, and he had determined to_be revenged upon them .

but they, for their part, did_not know they had so dangerous an enemy . indeed, Ozma and Dorothy had both almost forgotten that such a person as_the Nome king yet lived under the mountains of_the land of Ev-- which lay just across the deadly desert to_the south of_the land of Oz .

an unsuspected enemy is doubly dangerous .

2 . how uncle Henry got into trouble

Dorothy gale lived on a farm in Kansas, with her aunt Em and her uncle Henry . it_was not a big farm, nor a very_good one, because sometimes the rain did_not come when_the crops needed it, and then everything withered and dried up . once a cyclone had carried away uncle Henry's house, so_that he_was obliged to build another; and as he_was a poor man he had to mortgage his farm to_get the money to_pay for_the new house . then his health became bad and he_was too feeble to work . the doctor ordered him to_take a sea voyage and he went to Australia and took Dorothy with_him . that cost alot of

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