Oz 20: The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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along under the flowering trees ." everything is pink, Carter, have_you noticed, even the clouds ."

" why there's a pink castle ! " cried Carter, with an excited wave ." maybe we_can sell the king of_this country some cabbages and maybe he_can tell us the way back to_the emerald city ."

" perhaps we'd better try some_of_the cottages first," suggested Betsy uneasily . in her many adventures she had discovered that kings were_not always safe nor agreeable persons to deal with .

" no ! no ! " insisted Carter, "Kings make_the best customers, Betsy . compliment and flatter 'em and sell 'em the whole cart load, that's my way . jump in and I'll run you right up_to_the castle ."

Lifting her gaily into_the cart, he started briskly down the pink lane calling, "Cabbages ! fresh cabbages ! " at_the top of_his vegetable voice . the lane led straight into a bright pink city and Betsy soon grew so interested in its tall turbaned citizens and queer cottages and shops that she forgot to worry about_the king . she remembered afterward the scared glances of some_of_the townsmen, as_they went rattling by, but at_the_time neither she nor Carter noticed anything amiss and_the vegetable man never stopped till he reached the pink palace itself . as Carter paused under a balcony and began lustily calling his wares, a window just below was flung up violently and aturbaned head wagged warningly over the sill .

" go away ! go away ! " quavered an old man, in a frightened voice ." the pasha is in a terrible temper . go away ! go away, rash mortals, I beg of you ! "

but the vegetable man only laughed ." wait till he's seen my cabbages," called Carter, holding one up proudly ." wait-" and they_did_not have long to wait, let me tell you, for at_that precise moment the pasha of rash rushed out upon_the balcony- the pasha, himself, and Ippty, chief scribe of_the realm, for Betsy and_the vegetable man had, as_you_have probably guessed already, run straight into that peppery country .

" good morning ! " cried Carter, pleasantly, in no wise alarmed by_the fearful frown of_the rash ruler ." permit me to observe that your highness is beautiful as a banana and fragrant as an onion . and I_am here to_serve_you . let me serve your majesty with a fresh young cauliflower, a bunch of beets or this handsome cabbage ! " Carter held up the cabbage coaxingly .

"A cabbage ! a cabbage ! " choked Irashi, turning perfectly pink with passion ." how dare you offer me a cabbage ? " so angry that further speech was impossible, he turned furiously to Ippty, waving his arms and sputtering like a motor cycle .

" begone, pernicious peddlers," ordered the chief scribe, pointing his fountain pen finger sternly at_the two travellers ." begone at once from rash ."

three drops of ink fell upon Betsy's upturned nose and, thoroughly alarmed, the little girl sprang out_of_the cart and tried to pull Carter away .

" hurry up ! hurry up ! " she begged breath-lessly, " let's run ." but already the vegetable man had tarried too long and was firmly rooted to_the spot . and while he tugged wildly at one foot and then the other and Betsy jumped up and down with fright and impatience, Ippty leaned over the balcony .a closer inspection of_the vegetable man proved so astonishing to_the chief scribe that he nearly fell over the railing .

" he has corn ears ! " yelled Ippty shrilly, " and a turnip nose . look ! look at_the monstrous creature ! " thus urged, Irashi, himself, peered over the railing .Perceiving in a moment what had happened to Carter, he began to stamp and shriek with anger .

" how dare you plant your feet in my best flower beds," howled Irashi ." call out the Guards ! throw them to_the tiger . salt ! vinegar ! mustard ! pepper ! " at each shriek a rash guardsman dashed out_of_the palace, and before Carter could jerk himself loose he and Betsy were overpowered .

" he_can't help taking root," protested Betsy indignantly ." he's a vegetable man ."

"Aha ! now we_are getting to_the root of_the matter," snickered Ippty harshly ." and what right has a vegetable man in rash, young lady ? "

" root him up ! throw him to_the tiger . vegetable man ! vegetable man, indeed ! " roared Irashi, stamping one foot and then the other .

" tiger ! " groaned Carter ." how perfectly carnivorous . of_course," he added turning quickly to Betsy ." it wouldn't hurt me, for I_have no feelings, but it_will ruin my business . spare me ! " he cried, waving his arms imploringly up at_the balcony ." and if_you_cannot spare me, spare my potatoes, my cabbages and fresh young beets . and spare this lovely little lady from Oz ! "

" we'll spare you, all right," wheezed Irashi grimly .

" he'd make excellent soup, your highness ! " suggested Ippty, glancing down sideways at_the vegetable man, but Irashi shook his head .

" no ! no ! the tiger shall_have him," declared Irashi stubbornly ." it'll be a nice change for him Ippty, a little green with_his dinner ." Irashi was so pleased with_his joke that he winked down at Betsy . but the little girl stamped her foot angrily .

" you'd better let_us go, or Ozma of Oz will capture your whole kingdom . we're important people back in Oz ! " shouted Betsy defiantly .

" perhaps the girl is right," ventured Fizzen- pop, who had stolen anxiously out upon_the balcony ." what harm have they done ? let them go, I beg ! " " no ! " with a determined wag of_his turban, Irashi signaled to_the guard and flounced back into_the palace .

"Don't cry, Betsy," begged the vegetable man . the Guards had at last jerked him loose and were marching the two across the gardens ." this tiger will probably eat me first and I'm so tough he'll choke to death and you_can run away .

" well, i_wish I had never found those quick sandals," wailed the little girl ." it was_the quick sandals that brought us here, Carter, and I don't believe Ozma knows about_this dreadful country at all .Couldn't you please let_us go Mr pepper ? " she begged tearfully of_the guard . the tall rasher looked down at her doubtfully, but salt, who had hold of Carter, and was just behind, shook his turban violently .

" if_we fail to obey the pasha, we, ourselves, will_be thrown to_this tiger," sputtered salt grimly .

" that's right," chimed in vinegar and mustard, who were bringing up the procession with_the vegetable man's cart ." let's hurry through with it ! " and turning a deaf ear to_the pleas of_the prisoners, the rash Guardsmen rushed them across the lawn, up the steep steps and threw them over the prison wall . then, without one backward glance, they marched off to_the palace .

too breathless to run, Betsy picked herself up and looked fearfully around for_the tiger .Ugh ! there he_was and growling frightfully, for_the vegetable cart and all the vegetables had hit him on_the head .Slashing right and left and shaking himself so violently, that potatoes, beets and apples flew in every direction, he rose and started toward her . this, after all the other frightful happenings of_the morning, was too_much and covering her face, Betsy burst into tears . but if Betsy was frightened, the hungry tiger was perfectly petrified .

"Betsy ! Betsy ! " panted the astonished beast ." how in Oz did you get here ? " and rubbing his soft nose against her cheek, he began to dry her tears with_his tongue . at_the first sound of_that familiar voice, Betsy's eyes flew open and next instant she had both arms round the hungry tiger's neck, hugging him for dear life .

" Carter ! Carter ! " called the little girl excitedly, "Don't be scared . it's the hungry tiger, the hungry tiger of Oz ! " she fairly sang out the name, in her relief and happiness . the vegetable man had dropped head first into_the tiger's tub of water . at Betsy's cries, he_made a valiant attempt to rise, but when he_saw her actually embracing the tiger he_was so startled and horrified that he fell back with a splash .

" hungry tiger ! " gurgled Carter, bobbing up and down like a Cork, " hungry tiger ! then so_much the worse for_us ! "

chapter 6

the scarlet prince

" would you mind not using my drinking cup for a bath," observed the hungry tiger mildly, as Carter continued to gurgle and splash about in_the tub .Laughing with relief, Betsy seized the vegetable man's hands and pulled him out_of_the water .

"Don't be scared," whispered Betsy comfort- ably ." this tiger's a friend of_mine and he wouldn't hurt anybody ! "

" then what's he doing here ? " asked Carter accusingly ." is_this parsnippy pasha his friend, too ? " the hungry tiger winced guiltily at Betsy's kind little speech, but resolved that she should never know he had willingly come to rash "I'm his prisoner," he explained in a hollow voice ( and, indeed, he_was terribly hollow by_this_time .) "I'm a prisoner like yourselves ." in husky roar, he_told of_his trip by hurry- cane to Irashi's kingdom and of_his imprisonment in_the rash courtyard .

" so this light fingered Ippty brought you here," mused Carter wonderingly ." but why ? "

" to eat the rash Prisoners," answered the hungry tiger faintly .

" and have_you eaten any ? " Betsy regarded her old friend anxiously .

" well, not yet," admitted the hungry tiger, rolling his eyes mournfully at_the little girl ." not yet ! "

" have a cabbage," quavered Carter, waving toward the overturned vegetable cart ." have a cauliflower or a nice bunch of beets ." the hungry tiger was a perfect stranger to him, and Carter could_not feel the same confidence in_the beast that Betsy seemed to_feel .

" more vegetables," groaned the tiger, sniffing the air sadly ." well, I suppose they_are better than nothing . but tell me Betsy, how in Oz did you ever get here and who," he blinked rapidly at_the strange figure of Carter green, " who is_this person ? "

with a little chuckle, Betsy introduced the vegetable man, then as quickly as she_could told of_their amazing adventures with_the winding road and quick sandals and of Carter's unfortunate experience in_the pasha's garden .

"Isn't there some way out of here ? " asked the little girl, looking around nervously ."Oh ! what's that ? " a dismal wail, issuing from_the stones beneath her feet, made Betsy leap into_the air .

" it's that singer again," growled the hungry tiger and, lashing his tail a little, he put his nose close to_the crevice in_the blocks ." less noise down there," he roared warningly .

"I always sing when I'm hungry," answered the singer ."Oh, I'm so hungry ! "

" hand me a tomato or something," rumbled the hungry tiger ." quick ! " the vegetable man made haste to obey, bringing several tomatoes and a dozen apples as_well . looking up at_the wall to_see that he_was not observed, the hungry tiger pushed them hurriedly through_the crevice . as_the last apple disappeared, a moist song, punctuated with sobs, came sighing upward .

"Oh beautiful tiger, I love you so, to_you, snif snuffle, my life I owe . and I'll devote it to songs of praise and sing, snif, snif, to_you, all of_my days ! "

" mercy ! " gasped Betsy bobbin . the hungry tiger was so embarrassed by_the sad singer's ditty that, for_a_few_minutes, he couldn't roar a word . then, as Carter and Betsy continued to look at him inquiringly, he explained how he had hidden the rash singer instead of eating him .

" see ! " cried Betsy, turning proudly to_the vegetable man ." i_told you he wouldn't hurt anyone ! i_think you're just the dearest splen-didest tiger I ever- ."

"Sh ! " cautioned the hungry tiger ." here comes another prisoner . quick, now, pretend you're afraid of me ! " Betsy and_the vegetable man had just time to crouch back against the wall, when_the guards dropped another rasher into_the courtyard .

" it's a barber," whispered Betsy, in an interested voice, and she was right, for clutched in one hand the prisoner had a mug full of suds and in_the other agleaming razor .

" what frightful luck," moaned the hungry tiger ." if_it had only been a bandit or a robber I_could_have eaten him without a qualm, but a barber, ugh, he smells of bay rum . stop that racket, fellow, and let me think ! "

and certainly, the poor tiger had plenty to occupy his thoughts, for if things went on in_this fashion the underground cavern would soon be full and then what would happen ? and how ever was he to_get little Betsy bobbin safely back to Oz ? Paying no attention to_the terrified squeals of_the barber, the hungry tiger began to pace restlessly up and down the courtyard, till Betsy, feeling sorry for_the frightened little man, ran out and assured him he_was in no danger of being eaten .

it_was a long_time before_the barber stopped shivering, but at last, tboroughly convinced, he hurried impetuously after_the tiger ." let me trim your beautiful whiskers," he begged tremulously .

"Trim mine," invited Carter, as_the hungry tiger impatiently shook his head . the vegetable man's rootlike beard had sprouted a foot since morning, so, trembling with relief and gratitude, the rash barber stood upon_the edge of_the tub and trimmed it most skillfully, trying at_the same time to bring Carter's celery top hair into some kind of order . when_the vegetable man, in answer to_the barber's questions, had told a bit about himself and Betsy, the barber related how he had accidently cut the cheek of Irashi, while shaving him .

" just a tiny scratch," explained the barber, " and for_that i_was condemned to die ."

" but why do you_have such a bad king ? " exclaimed Betsy, impatiently ." why don't you put him out and elect another ? "

" we've tried," sighed the barber dolefully, " but Irashi has_the army in_his power, and with Ippty's

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