Oz 14: Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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magical art, Dorothy: you_know the trick of winning all hearts ."

" no, I don't," said Dorothy earnestly ." if I really can do_it, Ozma, I_am_sure I don't know how I do_it ."

it took them a good two hours to reach the foot of_the round, flat mountain, and then they found the sides so steep that_they were like the wall of a house .

" even my purple kitten couldn't climb 'em," remarked Dorothy, gazing upward .

" but there_is some way for_the Flatheads to_get down and up again," declared Ozma; " otherwise they couldn't make war with_the Skeezers, or even meet them and quarrel with_them ."

" that's so, Ozma . let's walk around aways; perhaps we'll find a ladder or something ."

they walked quite a distance, for it_was a big mountain, and as_they circled around it and came to_the side that faced the palm trees, they suddenly discovered an entrance way cut out_of_the rock wall . this entrance was arched overhead and not very deep because it merely led to a short flight of stone stairs .

"Oh, we've found a way to_the top at last," announced Ozma, and_the two girls turned and walked straight toward the entrance . suddenly they bumped against something and stood still, unable to_proceed farther .

" dear me ! " exclaimed Dorothy, rubbing her nose, which had struck something hard, although she_could_not see what it_was; " this isn't as easy as it looks . what has stopped us, Ozma ? is_it magic of some sort ? "

Ozma was feeling around, her bands outstretched before her .

" yes, dear, it_is magic," she replied ." the Flatheads had to_have a way from their mountain top from_the plain below, but to_prevent enemies from rushing up the stairs to conquer them, they_have built, at a small distance before_the entrance a wall of solid stone, the stones being held in place by cement, and then they made the wall invisible ."

"I wonder why they_did that ? " mused Dorothy ."A wall would keep folks out anyhow, whether it could_be seen or not, so there wasn't any use making it invisible .Seems to_me it would_have_been better to_have left it solid, for then no one would_have seen the entrance behind it . now anybody can_see the entrance, as we_did . and prob'bly anybody that tries to_go up the stairs gets bumped, as we_did ."

Ozma made no reply at once . her face was grave and thoughtful .

" i_think I_know the reason for making the wall invisible," she said after a while ." the Flatheads use the stairs for coming down and going up . if there_was a solid stone wall to_keep them from reaching the plain they_would themselves be imprisoned by_the wall . so they had to leave some place to_get around the wall, and, if_the wall was visible, all strangers or enemies would find the place to_go around it and then the wall would_be useless . so the Flatheads cunningly made their wall invisible, believing that everyone who saw the entrance to_the mountain would walk straight toward it, as we_did, and find it impossible to_go any farther .I suppose the wall is really high and thick, and can't be broken through, so those who find it in their way are obliged to_go away again ."

" well," said Dorothy, " if there's a way around the wall, where is_it ? "

" we_must find it," returned Ozma, and began feeling her way along the wall . Dorothy followed and began to_get discouraged when Ozma had walked nearly a quarter of a mile away from_the entrance . but now the invisible wall curved in toward the side of_the mountain and suddenly ended, leaving just space enough between_the wall and_the mountain for an ordinary person to_pass through .

the girls went in, single file, and Ozma explained that_they were now behind the barrier and could go back to_the entrance . they met no further obstructions .

" most people, Ozma, wouldn't have figured this thing out the way you_did," remarked Dorothy ." if I'd been alone the invisible wall surely would_have stumped me ."

Reaching the entrance they began to mount the stone stairs . they went up ten stairs and then down five stairs, following a passage cut from_the rock . the stairs were just wide enough for_the two girls to walk abreast, arm in arm . at_the bottom of_the five stairs the passage turned to_the right, and_they ascended ten more stairs, only to_find at_the top of_the flight five stairs leading straight down again . again the passage turned abruptly, this_time to_the left, and ten more stairs led upward .

the passage was now quite dark, for they were in_the heart of_the mountain and all daylight had_been shut out by_the turns of_the passage . however, Ozma drew her silver wand from her bosom and_the great jewel at its end gave out a lustrous, green- tinted light which lighted the place well enough for_them to_see their way plainly .

Ten steps up, five steps down, and a turn, this_way or that . that was_the program, and Dorothy figured that_they were only gaining five stairs upward each trip that_they made .

" those Flatheads must_be funny people," she said to Ozma ." they don't seem to_do anything in a bold straightforward manner . in making this passage they forced everyone to walk three times as far as is necessary . and of_course this trip is just as tiresome to_the Flatheads as_it_is to other folks ."

" that_is true," answered Ozma; " yet it_is a clever arrangement to_prevent their being surprised by intruders . every time we reach the tenth step of a flight, the pressure of_our feet on_the stone makes a bell ring on top of_the mountain, to warn the Flatheads of_our coming ."

" how do_you_know that ? " demanded Dorothy, astonished .

"I've heard the bell ever_since we started," Ozma told her ." you_could_not hear it, I_know, but when I_am holding my wand in my hand I_can hear sounds a great distance off ."

" do_you hear anything on top of_the mountain 'cept the bell ? " inquired Dorothy

" yes . the people are calling to one another in alarm and many footsteps are approaching the place where we_will reach the flat top of_the mountain ."

this made Dorothy feel somewhat anxious ."I'd thought we were going to visit just common, ordinary people," she remarked, " but they're pretty clever, it seems, and_they know some kinds of magic, too . they_may_be dangerous, Ozma .P'raps we'd better stayed at home ."

finally the upstairs- and- downstairs passage seemed coming to an end, for daylight again appeared ahead of_the two girls and Ozma replaced her wand in_the bosom of her gown . the last ten steps brought them to_the surface, where they found themselves surrounded by such a throng of queer people that for a time they halted, speechless, and stared into_the faces that confronted them .

Dorothy knew at once why these mountain people were called Flatheads . their heads were really flat on top, as if_they had_been cut off just above the eyes and ears . also the heads were bald, with no hair on top at all, and_the ears were big and stuck straight out, and_the noses were small and stubby, while the mouths of_the Flatheads were well shaped and not unusual . their eyes were perhaps their best feature, being large and bright and a deep violet in color .

the costumes of_the Flatheads were all made of metals dug from their mountain . small gold, silver, tin and iron discs, about_the size of pennies, and very thin, were cleverly wired together and made to_form knee trousers and jackets for_the men and skirts and waists for_the women . the colored metals were skillfully mixed to_form stripes and checks of various sorts, so that_the costumes were quite gorgeous and reminded Dorothy of pictures she had seen of Knights of old clothed armor .

aside from their flat heads, these people were_not really bad looking . the men were armed with bows and arrows and had small axes of steel stuck in their metal belts . they wore no hats nor ornaments .

chapter Six

flathead mountain

when_they saw that_the intruders on their mountain were only two little girls, the Flatheads grunted with satisfaction and drew back, permitting them to_see what the mountain top looked like . it_was shaped like a saucer, so that_the houses and other buildings -- all made of rocks -- could_not_be seen over the edge by anyone standing in_the plain below .

but now a big fat flathead stood before_the girls and in a gruff voice demanded:

" what_are you doing here ? have the Skeezers sent you to spy upon us ? "

" I_am princess Ozma, ruler of all the land of Oz ."

" well, I've never heard of_the land of Oz, so you_may_be what you claim," returned the flathead .

" this_is_the land of Oz -- part of it, anyway," exclaimed Dorothy ." so princess Ozma rules you flathead people, as_well as all the other people in Oz ."

the man laughed, and all the others who stood around laughed, too . some one in_the crowd called:

" she'd better not tell the supreme dictator about ruling the Flatheads .Eh, friends ? "

" no, indeed ! " they all answered in positive tones .

" who_is your supreme dictator ? " answered Ozma .

" i_think I'll let him tell you that himself," answered the man who had first spoken ." you_have broken our laws by coming here; and whoever you_are the supreme dictator must fix your punishment . come along with me ."

he started down a path and Ozma and Dorothy followed him without protest, as_they wanted to_see the most important person in_this queer country . the houses they passed seemed pleasant enough and each had a little yard in_which were flowers and vegetables .Walls of rock separated the dwellings, and all the paths were paved with smooth slabs of rock . this seemed their only building material and_they utilized it cleverly for every purpose .

directly in_the center of_the great saucer stood a larger building which the flathead informed the girls was_the palace of_the supreme dictator . he led them through an entrance hall into a big reception room, where they sat upon stone benches and awaited the coming of_the dictator . pretty soon he entered from another room -- a rather lean and rather old flathead, dressed much like the others of_this strange race, and only distinguished from_them by_the sly and cunning expression of_his face . he kept his eyes half closed and looked through_the slits of_them at Ozma and Dorothy, who rose to receive him .

" are_you the supreme dictator of_the Flatheads ? " inquired Ozma .

" yes, that's me," he_said, rubbing his hands slowly together ." my word is law .I'm the head of_the Flatheads on_this flat headland ."

" I_am princess Ozma of Oz, and I_have come from_the emerald city to --"

" stop a minute," interrupted the dictator, and turned to_the man who had brought the girls there ." go away, dictator Felo flathead ! " he commanded ." return to your duty and guard the stairway . i_will look after_these strangers ." the man bowed and departed, and Dorothy asked wonderingly:

" is he a dictator, too ? "

" of_course," was_the answer ." everybody here_is a dictator of something or other . they're all office holders . that's what keeps them contented . but I'm the supreme dictator of all, and I'm elected once a year . this_is a democracy, you_know, where the people are allowed to vote for their rulers .a good_many others would like to_be supreme dictator, but as I_made a law that I_am always to count the votes myself, I_am always elected ."

" what_is your_name ? " asked Ozma .

" I_am called the Su-dic, which_is short for supreme dictator . I_sent that man away because the moment you mentioned Ozma of Oz, and_the emerald city, I_knew who you_are .I suppose I'm the only flathead that ever heard of you, but that's because I_have more brains than_the rest ."

Dorothy was staring hard at_the Su-dic .

"I don't see how you_can_have any brains at all," she remarked, " because the part of your head is gone where brains are kept ."

"I don't blame you for thinking that," he_said ." once the Flatheads had no brains because, as_you say, there_is no upper part to_their heads, to hold brains . but long, long_ago a band of fairies flew over this country and made it all a fairyland, and when_they came to_the Flatheads the fairies were sorry to_find them all very stupid and quite unable to_think . so, as_there_was no good place in their bodies in_which to_put brains the fairy queen gave each_one of us a nice can of brains to carry in_his pocket and_that made us just as intelligent as other people . see," he continued, " here_is one_of_the cans of brains the fairies gave_us ." he_took from a pocket a bright tin can having a pretty red label on_it which said: concentrated Brains, extra quality ."

" and does every flathead have the same kind of brains ? " asked Dorothy .

" yes, they're all alike . here's another can ." from another pocket he produced a second can of brains .

" did the fairies give_you a double supply ? " inquired Dorothy .

" no, but one_of_the Flatheads thought he_wanted to_be the Su-dic and tried to_get my people to rebel against me, so I punished him by taking away his brains . one day my wife scolded me severely, so i_took away her can of brains . she didn't like that and went out and robbed several women of_their brains . then I_made a law that if anyone stole another's brains, or even tried to borrow them, he_would forfeit his own brains to_the Su- dic . so each_one is content with_his own canned brains and my wife and I are the only ones on_the mountain with more than one can . I_have three cans and_that makes me very clever -- so clever that I'm a good sorcerer, if I_do say it myself . my poor wife had four cans of brains and became a remarkable witch, but alas ! that was before those terrible enemies, the Skeezers, transformed her into a golden Pig ."

" good gracious ! " cried Dorothy; " is your wife really a

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