Oz 20: The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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began to_feel quite drawn to him ." i_was aWinkie," he confided mysteriously, " and sold fresh vegetables to all the royal families in Oz . but each night when I returned to my farm, there were vegetables left in my cart, so young, so fresh, so fair, I_could_not let them die, so I ate them," he continued dreamily ." and bit by bit I turned to_the figure you_see before_you . but I'm quite used to myself now and can still carry on my business . in_fact-Oh, spinach ! " the vegetable man interrupted himself crossly ." spinach and rhubarb ! "

" why what's the matter ? " asked Betsy in surprise, for he had put down the strawberries and was tugging with all his might at his left foot, which presently came up so violently, he sat down hard in_the road .

" would you mind walking on as_we converse ? " puffed the vegetable man, picking up the box of berries and springing nimbly to_his feet ."I take root if I stand still," he_said apologetically ." it would_be awfully inconvenient to_become rooted to_this spot, and there's no telling what I'd grow into ."

" why don't you wear shoes ? " asked Betsy, trotting along beside the cart and almost forgetting about_the strawberries in her extreme interest .

"I never thought of_that," mused the Vege- table man, looking down ruefully at his huge twisted feet ." do_you s' pose I_could ever find any shoes to fit, miss- miss ? what_is your_name, now ? mine's green, Carter green, but most folks call me Carter ."

" mine's Betsy bobbin, but i_think I'd better go back now or I'll be late for breakfast ." Stopping reluctantly, Betsy reached for her box of berries, and as she had brought no money she slipped a small emerald ring into_the vegetable man's hand . at first he refused to_take it, but as_the little girl insisted and assured him she had dozens more like it, Carter slipped the ring into_the leather pouch he wore round his neck .

"I've a stone something like this," he_told her and, hopping up and down to_keep from taking root, he fumbled in_the pouch till he brought out a large square ruby ." found it in a potato," continued Carter, as Betsy turned it over and over in her hand ." not in any I raised myself, but in one of alot I bought from a gypsy . like it ? " Betsy nodded emphatically, for not even in Ozma's crown itself had she seen a more dazzling jewel . there_was a small R cut in one_of_the flat sides of_the gem and_the ruby itself blazed and sparkled in_the sunshine and fairly made Betsy blink .

" but I wonder what the R stands for ? " she murmured softly .

"Raspberries, I guess, chuckled the vegetable man, putting the ruby back into his pouch ."Raspberries, rhubarb or radishes . have a radish, my dear_miss Betsy ? "

"Oh, no thank_you, and I really must go now ." Holding the strawberries carefully, Betsy smiled up into_the pleasant face of Mr Carter green . he_was so curious and exciting she hated to leave him, but Dorothy and Ozma would surely think her lost, so with a little skip she turned about ."Don't forget the shoes," she reminded him gaily ." goodbye ! good-gra-cious ! "

" hold tight, Betsy ! hold tight ! celery and cinnamon ! what's the matter here ? " Seizing his cart with one hand and_the little girl with_the other, the vegetable man teetered backward and forward in_the road . and no wonder ! it had suddenly ripped itself loose and was rushing along at such a rate that trees and fences simply whizzed past .Betsy's hat blew off at_the first curve and strawberries, beets and bananas flew out in every direction .

"I- was- afraid of- this ! " panted the Veg-etable man ."I- should- have- taken- the - regular- road ! "

"Isn't this areg-u-lar- road ! " called Betsy, hanging on to Carter with both hands ." what's- it doing ? "

"Winding ! " shrieked the vegetable man, trying to_keep the rest of_his vegetables from bouncing out_of_the cart ." it's-a-winding- road-Betsy ! shut- your eyes, quick ! " Betsy was glad enough to obey, for_the road was going round like a top, round and round like a merry- go- round, in and out of trees, past lakes and forests, till the whole world tilted topsy-turvey . then as suddenly as it had started to wind, it stopped, and when Betsy opened her eyes she was sitting on a small sand dune entirely surrounded by cabbages .a short distance away lay the vegetable man, still clutching his cart . while Betsy was still trying to catch her breath, Carter jumped up and shading his eyes looked in all directions .

" well, it's gone," he exclaimed ruefully and he_was perfectly right . there_was no sign of a road anywhere . it had cruelly gone off and left them in a wilderness of sand and scorched desert grass .

" why, I never knew there_was awinding road near the emerald city ? " Betsy jumped up indignantly ." where did it come from ? "

" never can tell," sighed the vegetable man, beginning to collect his cabbages ." they just come and go, these winding roads of Oz; pass themselves off as regular roads till they catch a few travellers and you never can tell where they_will take you ."

" well, I don't think much of_this place," groaned Betsy, rubbing her elbow, which had_been severely skinned during the journey over the winding road .

" then let's go some other place," proposed the vegetable man cheerfully . all the straw-berries and bananas had spilled out_of_the cart, but there were plenty of cabbages and apples left and he_was busily rearranging these all the time he_was talking to Betsy ." have a cabbage ? " he invited pleasantly ." nothing like cabbages for a ship- wreck ."

" it_was something like a ship- wreck," mused Betsy thoughtfully ." but I'd rather have an apple, if_you don't mind . do_you_think we'll ever find the way back to_the emerald city, Mr green ? "

Carter nodded so vigorously his celery tops waved for moments afterward and, handing Betsy an apple, he pointed off toward the south .

" it's somewhere in_that direction, and if_you_are ready we'd better start ." Carter looked a little anxiously at his feet to_see if he_was taking root, but the ground was too dry and sandy ."I don't believe even i_would grow in_this kind of soil," he muttered uneasily ." it's hot enough to scorch a fellow . wish I had a pair of shoes right now . come, let's move on ! "

Lifting Betsy on top of_the cabbages, the vegetable man grasped the handles of_his cart and started on a run across the sandy wasteland . it_was not unpleasant, rattling along in_the queer little cart and_the morning was so brisk and fine Betsy soon began to enjoy herself ." won't Dorothy and Ozma be surprised when I come rolling up_to_the castle in_this," she chuckled merrily to herself, " and won't they stare when I introduce the vegetable man ! why, he's almost as int'resting as Tik Tok and more fun .I wonder if everybody who eats too many vegetables grows celery tops and corn ears ? Oh Mr green ! Mr green ! " but the cart wheels were going round with_such a squeak, grind and rattle that he_did_not hear her and Betsy sensibly decided to save this important question for another time .

she had just finished her second apple when_the vegetable man stopped with a jerk .a rude sign stuck up in_the limb of a crooked tree had caught his attention ." quick sand," said the sign, " go slow ! "

"Oh spinach ! " exclaimed the vegetable man, wiping his face on a stray salad leaf ."Oh spinach ! "

" do_you 'spose it's very quick sand ? " asked Betsy, leaning far over the side of_the cart .

" we'll soon find that out ." Taking an apple, Carter flung it as far as he_could . but horrors ! no sooner had it touched the sand than it disappeared as suddenly as one drop of dew on afrying pan .

" it's a good thing you stopped," shuddered Betsy, " or we'd have_been swallowed up .

" down," corrected Carter gloomily ."Looks like pretty quick sand to_me, Betsy . guess we'll have to_turn back ." Mournfully, Carter began bringing the cart about . the way they had come was so rough and uneven that he hated the thought of travelling over it again ." but that won't take us to_the emerald city," objected Betsy, beginning to grow a little anxious ." maybe we_could find a path if_we looked carefully enough ."

Jumping out_of_the cart, Betsy climbed a small dune . but as far as_the eye could reach there_was nothing but sand . sand, sand, sand, shimmering dizzily in_the sunlight, with not a tree, path or even a blade of grass to break the monotony . with a sigh, Betsy started down the dune . she had gone about half- way, when a big, newspaper- wrapped package made her pause . it_was covered with a queer writing that she_could_not understand, but looked so interesting she hastily shook it open . imagine her astonishment when a huge pair of sandals tumbled out . they were cut from white leather, had silver buckles and were almost large enough for a giant .

" why, I believe they'd fit Carter," murmured Betsy in pleased surprise ." how lucky I_found them ." Gathering the sandals up in her arms, she ran down to_the vegetable man . he_was almost as pleased as she was, for_the trip across the dry desert had already begun to curl up his toes and, while she climbed back into_the cart, he sat down to_try them on . they were a bit long, but just the right width and as he fastened the first one he noticed two words cut into_the buckle .

" quick Sandals," murmured Carter under his breath ." now what may that mean ? " but he_was in_such a hurry to_be off, he_did_not stop to puzzle it out and drawing on_the other sandal, jumped excitedly to_his feet ." now I won't be taking root ! " he cried joyfully ." now-A strange look came into his mild blue eyes, and next instant he had sprung into_the air like a jack rabbit ." help ! " screamed the vegetable man ." spinach ! Tomatoes ! Turnips and Cress ! " and while Betsy stared at him in dismay and growing alarm, he sprang twice as high as he had in_the first place, seized the handles of_the cart and started on a gallop for_the quick sand .

"Oh stop ! Oh stop ! " wailed the little girl frantically ." stop, Carter, stop ! " but he paid not the smallest attention to her . now they were on_the quick sand itself and Betsy, with a scream, buried her face in_the cabbages . but the rattle and bump of_the cart continued and, concluding that she_could_not_be swallowed up yet, she ventured to raise her head . what she saw this_time was so_much worse that she had_not even courage to cry " stop ! " they had crossed the quick sand and were right on_the edge of_the deadly desert .Betsy well knew the look of_this dread wilderness that surrounds the fairyland of Oz and she knew also that contact with its burning sands meant instant destruction . she tried to signal to_the vegetable man, but the cart was bumping and bouncing so terribly, it_was all she_could do to_keep from falling out . Carter himself was running as_if his life depended upon it, his celery tops waving wildly and_his corn ears rustling in_the wind . with achoked sob, poor little Betsy shut her eyes and dropped face down among_the vegetables .

chapter 5

Prisoners in rash

BETSY never had_been destroyed in her life, so she was not at all sure how it would feel .a hot dry wind whistled through her hair, and above the rumble of_the wheels she_could hear the sharp gasps of Carter green . then everything stopped at once, the cart, the burning wind and_the hoarse breathing of_the vegetable man .

" he's destroyed," cried Betsy despairingly, " and now it's my turn ." Closing her eyes and trying hard to_be brave, Betsy waited for destruction . but nothing at all happened and after a few terrible moments, she sat up and peered timidly around her . on a pink mile stone, beside the cart, sat the vegetable man, staring across the deadly desert .Following his startled gaze, Betsy saw two white objects, skipping merrily toward the sky line . it was_the sandals . just as she had made sure of it, they disappeared in a final spurt of speed and sand .

" why, how did they get off ? " stammered Betsy, blinking with astonishment .

" took themselves," groaned the vegetable man, rubbing his shins, " and glad I_am that_they did . but they've brought us safely across the quick sand and deadly desert and here we_are ! "

" yes," agreed Betsy resignedly, " here we_are, but where are we ? I didn't know they were quick sandals . did they really run away with_you ? " Carter nodded and rose stiffly to_his feet .

" I_must say Betsy," grunted the vegetable man, "I prefer to run myself and not be carried off by afrisky pair of shoes . after_this I'll do my own kicking, my own stopping and my own starting, thank_you ! and we'd better start right away or everything will_be spoiled ." he looked anxiously into_the cart and, jumping out, Betsy began to help him dust and rearrange the vegetables . they had_been sadly jolted about by_the trip .

as it_was impossible to_go back across the desert without the quick sandals, they sensibly decided to_go forward . there were two roads, stretching invitingly ahead and after a short debate they took the left one .

" this reminds me a little of_the rose kingdom," mused Betsy, as_they walked along

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