Oz 20: The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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none to compare with_the emerald city of Oz . its sparkling buildings and shining streets, inlaid with emeralds, its quaint domed cottages and shimmering palace, make it afitting capitol for_this enchanting fairyland . where but in Oz can animals talk as sensibly as men ? where but in Oz can one live forever, without growing old ? where but in Oz are there wish Ways and truth Ponds, book Mines and fire Falls and where but in Oz can one find such delightful companions as_the Scarecrow and Scraps ?

is_it any wonder, then, that Dorothy gale, who blew to Oz in a cyclone, that trot and Betsy bobbin, who arrived in_this strange country by way of a shipwreck, have never returned to_the real world ? who_would ? indeed, these three little mortals live in_the royal palace itself, with Ozma, the young fairy who rules over the four countries of Oz, and this small sovereign has gathered at her court all the most interesting and unusual people and animals in_the realm . and every single one had_been invited to Betsy's birthday, so_that it took two rooms to hold all the presents, twenty-seven tables to seat the guests and sixty-nine footmen to_pass the plates .

" you sit there and tell me you're hungry ! " gasped Scraps, snapping her suspender button eyes at_the hungry tiger ." why you ate more than anyone .I counted ." Scraps, being well stuffed with cotton, never ate at all and had amused herself by keeping strict watch over the others .

" why Scraps," murmured Ozma reprovingly . she had come up behind the patchwork girl and now gently tried to_change the subject . no one ever knew what Scraps would say next . made from a gay patchwork quilt and magically brought to life, this saucy maiden was one_of_the_most surprising people in_the castle . but the hungry tiger had lived in_the emerald city too long to mind her teasing .

" of_course I'm hungry," he yawned, rolling over on_his side ." this party stuff fills me up, but does_not satisfy me . what I_need is something alive . but don't worry my dear," he added hastily, at Ozma's rather anxious expression ." i_will never devour anyone, for_my conscience would_not permit it, so I_shall_be hungry to_the end of_my days ."

" why don't you_have yourself stuffed ? " asked the Scarecrow, sitting down in_the hammock beside Betsy bobbin ." then you_would lose this frightful appetite and never be hungry at all . mighty convenient, being stuffed, old boy .Saves no end of bother and expense ." the Scarecrow spoke from experience, for he_was himself a stuffed person, having been made by aMunchkin farmer and stuck on a pole to scare away the crows . he had_been lifted down and brought to_the emerald city by Dorothy, on her first adventure, and since then has_been restuffed and laundered many_times . of all Ozma's advisers, he is_the wittiest and most lovable ." have yourself stuffed," he advised cheerfully, " and use straw like I_do ."

" he stuffs himself from morning till night," snickered Scraps turning a handspring .

" if he were_not so ugly- so yellow and so big I'd say be warn't a tiger, but a greedy weedy-"

"Scraps ! " Ozma raised her scepter warningly, and_the patchwork girl dove into a button bush . but almost immediately her mischievous face reappeared .

" Pig ! " shouted Scraps defiantly, and looked so funny, peering out_of_the button bush, that even the hungry tiger had to grin .

" I_say, though, why don't you_have yourself stuffed ? " asked the little wizard of Oz, who had just come up ."I've been experimenting with some new wishing powders and might easily wish you out of your jacket and stuff you with sawdust ."

" sawdust ! " coughed the hungry tiger, sit-ting up and lashing his tail at_the very thought of_such a thing, " i_should say not .I prefer my own stuffing, thank_you ."

" so do I," said Betsy, running over to_give him a little hug ." you're so soft and comfortable to ride this_way ."

" but sawdust is very serviceable," urged the wizard, who was anxious to_try his new powders, " and I_could stuff you in an hour ." the wizard, by_the_way, is a mortal like Dorothy and Betsy . long_ago he had_been engaged by a circus in Omaha to_make balloon flights . but one afternoon, his balloon becoming unmanageable, had flown off- up and away and never stopped till it dropped down in Oz . it was_the wizard who had built the emerald city and for many years he practiced the trick magic he had learned in_the circus . but later, Glinda the good sorceress of_the south, had taught him real magic and he_is now one_of_the_most accomplished magicians in all fairy history .

" better let me stuff you," repeated the wizard coaxingly .

" no ! no ! no ! " roared the hungry tiger, becoming really alarmed at_the little man's persistence ." no, I tell you ! "

" well," the wizard rose regretfully and began to move off, " if_you ever change your mind, let me have first chance, will_you ? "

"I'm going to_change my mind to- morrow .Sitting down stiffly on a bench opposite the hammock, jack Pumpkinhead beamed upon_the company ." it's almost too soft to use," mused jack, touching the top of_his pumpkin gently, " so, if_you don't mind, I'll not talk any more .

" we don't mind at all," laughed Betsy, while Dorothy and trot, who had just joined the group, exchanged merry winks . jack was so amusing that no one could help chuckling when he_was around . he had_been made by Ozma, when she was a little boy, and was almost as unusual as_the Scarecrow . to_those not familiar with Oz history, this_may seem a bit strange, but Ozma once was a little boy, having been transformed by old Mombi, the witch . and while she was a little boy she had carved jack neatly from wood and set an old pumpkin on_his Peg neck for a head . later he had_been brought to life by mistake and has_been living merrily ever_since . every_month or so jack has_to pick a pumpkin and hollow out a new head for himself, so_that he_is constantly changing his mind, but Ozma has a deep affection for_the queer fellow, and jack is so odd and jolly that he_is a great favorite in_the emerald city .

" let's finish off the party with a game of hide and seek," suggested the cowardly lion, as jack continued to stare solemnly straight in front of him ." you're it Betsy ! " Giving the little girl a playful poke, he dashed down an arbored path, followed helter skelter by all the others . even jack, holding fast to_his pumpkin head, ran and hid himself behind a balloon vine . but the hungry tiger ran fastest of all, never stopping till he reached the remotest corner of_the garden . all this talk of stuffing had made him exceedingly nervous and, with a troubled sigh, he sank down beside a lovely fairy fountain . here, blinking up at_the bright lanterns hung everywhere in honor of Betsy's birthday, he began to_think of_the good old days when he had roamed the wild jungles of Oz and eaten- well we had best not say what he had eaten !

it was_the cowardly lion who had coaxed the hungry tiger to_the capitol . the cowardly lion, himself, had come there with Dorothy and_the Scarecrow and grown so fond of_the place and its people that he had returned to_the jungle for_his old friend, the hungry tiger . and like the cowardly lion, the hungry tiger had never been able to tear himself away from_this dear and delightful city . indeed life without the love of Dorothy, Betsy and trot, the trust and affection of little Ozma, and_the companionship of all the merry dwellers in_the castle, would_not_be worth a soup bone . so the hungry tiger had never gone back, but at times the longing for real tiger food almost overcame him .

"I wonder if stuffing would help," sighed the poor beast, licking his chops hungrily ."I wonder-"

" what ? " wheezed an oily voice, almost in_his ear . the hungry tiger, supposing himself to_be alone, had spoken aloud, and springing up found himself face_to_face with an ugly, red- faced and exceedingly disagreeable looking stranger . he_was dressed in robes of pink, gold embroidered slippers and a simply enormous turban, that wagged from side to side as he talked . an oddly twisted cane swung from_his left wrist and as he extended his hand in greeting, the hungry tiger jumped back in alarm, for_the stranger's thumb was blazing away merrily . it_was Ippty, chief scribe of rash, for_the hurry- cane had brought him straight to_the royal gardens of_the emerald city of Oz .

"Am I addressing the hungry tiger of Oz ? " inquired Ippty ." and are_you still hungry ? " he asked eagerly .

" what if I_am ? " growled the hungry tiger, blinking suspiciously at Irasha's singular messenger ." what if I_am ? "

" come with me," said Ippty, mysteriously ." come with me, famous and famished member of_the feline family, and you_will never know hunger more ! "

" who_are you ? " rumbled the hungry tiger, sitting up and beginning to pant a little from astonishment ." who_are you and what_are you doing here ? "

" I_am Ippty, chief scribe of Irasha the rough, and I_am here to offer you an important position at_the court of rash . come to rash," begged Ippty, glancing uneasily over his shoulder, for he_was not anxious to meet any of_the Oz celebrities ." come, before we_are discovered ! "

" rash ! " coughed the hungry tiger impatiently ." why should I go to_that measly little kingdom when I_am perfectly happy and contented here ? "

" because ! " Bending over and splattering the hungry tiger with hot candle grease from_his thumb, Ippty began whispering earnestly in_his ear . at first, the hungry tiger's tail lashed and twirled with fury, but as Ippty continued, he grew calmer, and a queer longing crept into his great yellow eyes .

" stand back fellow," he mumbled crossly, " you_will singe off my whiskers, and kindly remove your pencil from my eye .

" but you_will come ? " Straightening up, Ippty put his bristly hand behind him and regarded the hungry tiger expectantly ." not less_than one prisoner a day, sometimes as_many as ten," he repeated persuasively .

"Humph ! " grunted the tiger, half closing his eyes . already Ippty's wicked plan was beginning to tempt him . surely eating criminals would_not_be wrong, or at_least, not so very wrong .

" and these prisoners are dangerous fellows, I suppose ? " he asked casually, trying to appear careless and unconcerned about_the whole queer business .

"Villains, thieves and robbers, rascally fat rogues who_are a menace to_the country . by eating them you_will_be doing rash a real service," Ippty assured him .

" and where is rash ? " asked the hungry tiger, waving his tail inquiringly .

" in_the southwestern corner of Ev," answered the scribe, with a wave that nearly put out his thumb ." and if_you_are ready, dear beast, we_will start at once .

"Ev ! " spluttered the tiger, " why that's miles away . i_was there long_ago, when Ozma, Dorothy and Billina rescued prince Evardo from_the gnome king . too far ! " yawned the hungry tiger, rolling over on_the dewy grass ."I'm too tired for such a journey ."

" no trip at all ! " Ippty touched the hurry cane and in a few words explained its curious mechanism, following it up with_such atempting description of_the rash prisoners that_the hungry tiger's appetite got the better of_his conscience .

"I'll go," he agreed gruffly, " but only for_a_few_days, remember ." Ippty said nothing, but smiled wickedly to himself . then, stuffing the directions for their return into_the hurry cane, he sprang upon_the hungry tiger's back . next instant, in a flash of fire and smoke, they had disappeared from_the garden .

" what_was that ? " gasped Dorothy, clutching Ozma by_the sleeve . both little girls, crouched behind a button bush, had seen the strange flash .

" lightning, I guess ! " shuddered Ozma ." let's run back to_the castle, Dorothy .a thunder storm's coming ! "

chapter 3

the hungry tiger in rash

it_was night time when Ippty and_the hungry tiger arrived at_the pink palace .Travelling by hurry cane is a hair-raising experience, let me tell you .Showing the breathless beast to a luxurious apartment, the chief scribe hurried off to_the pasha, and until long after midnight the two whispered and conferred together . of_course it_was about_the hungry tiger that_they talked ."A saucy but serviceable brute ." finished Ippty, blowing out his thumb, " and he_will require watching, your highness, for would_not a tiger fed on criminals grow dangerous ? "

" we'll lock him up in_the prison court- yard," declared Irashi, rubbing his hands gleefully together, " then there'll be no chance of_his running away or chewing off our heads . good work, old butter- tub, I'll raise your wages for_this ." and clapping his chief scribe on_the back, Irashi tumbled into bed and was soon snoring loudly .

the hungry tiger did_not find falling asleep so easy . already he regretted his rash action in coming with Ippty .Padding up and down the big bedroom, he began anxiously to reflect upon_the duties of_his new office . was_it right or wrong to eat the rash criminals ? what would Ozma think if she knew ? the gentle face of_the little fairy kept rising reproachfully between him and_the thought of_the fat and tempting prisoners ."I'll stay just a few_days," groaned the poor tiger at last, trying to_put Ozma out of_his mind, " and only eat the very worst and wickedest ones . I_hope they'll not taste too bad," he yawned, sinking down wearily on_the soft pink rug, " nor have too many knives and swords in their pockets .Hah, hoh, hum ! " with a great yawn, the tired tiger rolled over and fell into a troubled sleep .

a shrill blast

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