Oz 20: The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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over the wall of_the city .

" stop ! come back ! help ! help ! " shouted Carter green, while Betsy jumped up and down with terror and astonishment . but the pigeons on_the ground continued to peck at_the crumbs and_the pigeon that had carried off the little prince was as gone as yesterday .

" will it eat him ? " cried Betsy tearfully ."Oh Carter, what shall we_do now ? " and with Reddy and_the hungry tiger both gone, things looked dark, indeed . the vegetable man had no idea what to_do nor how to_do_it but, determined to comfort Betsy, he began talking so confidently and cheerfully that she soon dried her tears .

" no harm . can come to Reddy, for he still has_the rash rubies," he reminded her gaily ." and all we_have to_do is wait here till someone opens the door in_the wall . then we'll find the hungry tiger and Reddy and continue our journey to Oz ."

after_the pigeons had flown away, Carter rolled one_of_the giant crumbs over to_the little girl .Breaking off the crust, which_was a bit stale, they found the inside soft and fresh and, while it_was not exactly the breakfast she would_have chosen, Betsy managed to satisfy her hunger . then, sitting down on_the twisted roots of a tulip tree, they waited impatiently for_the doors of immense city to open .

but nothing of_the kind happened, and as_the morning wore away Carter grew terribly uneasy . he_was more anxious about Reddy and_the hungry tiger than he cared to admit . afraid to leave the spot for fear the door would open while they were away, the two stared anxiously at_the wall . but it_was a weary business and more and more Betsy began to wonder why Ozma did_not come to her assistance . there were plenty of crumbs for Betsy's lunch and supper, but as night drew on and still no one came to open the door, Carter decided to_take matters into his own hands . slowly a plan was forming in_the vegetable man's mind, and as_the moon rose up over the tulip trees, he explained it carefully to Betsy bobbin .

" to- night," announced Carter in a firm voice, " i_will plant my feet close to_the walls of_the city . in giant soil I ought to grow very rapidly and by morning should reach the top of_the wall . then i_will bend over and grow downward till I touch the ground on_the other side ."

" but what_will become of me ? " cried Betsy, looking at Carter with frightened eyes .

" you_will grow with me," and_the vegetable man calmly ." i_will take you in my arms and we_will grow up together ."

" then what ? " asked the little girl doubtfully ." how will_you grow down again ? "

"I won't ! " answered the vegetable man resignedly, " but I'm not important, Betsy dear, and shall doubtless make some sort of useful vine or tree ."

"I don't want you to_be a vine," wailed the little girl in dismay ." please don't be a vine and leave me all alone ."

" but we_must think of_the others," Carter pointed out gently ." once inside the city, you_will_find the hungry tiger and Reddy and with_the help of_the rash rubies manage to escape . when_you reach Oz perhaps Ozma will_find a way to_have me transported and transplanted in_the emerald city .I'd like to_be near you, Betsy," sighed the vegetable man wistfully .

in vain Betsy reasoned, argued and coaxed, Carter's mind was fully made up . it grew darker and darker as_they talked, and just as_the lanterns flashed out from_the big wig wall the vegetable man picked her up in_his arms and ran over to_the great barred door .Standing as close to_the wall as he_could squeeze, Carter set Betsy on_his shoulder and resolutely planted his feet in_the soft earth and gazed up into_the darkness .

" now then," chuckled Carter, assuming a jaunty and care- free air to reassure the little girl, "I'm rooting for_you, Betsy dear, and tomorrow we'll grow over the top ."

but at_that instant there_was a loud thump on_the other side of_the wall . with a screech, the door crunched open and a giant foot was thrust through .

"Betsy ! Betsy ! " bellowed a terrible big wig voice ." where are_you, Betsy ? "

Betsy bobbin stared at_the vegetable man, and he stared at_the giant foot . there_was something familiar about_that foot- but what_was it ?

chapter 14

the airman of Oz

BETSY had_been perfectly right in supposing princess Ozma would soon discover her absence from_the castle . Dorothy had gone home with_the tin woodman, so, of_course, knew nothing about_it, but when Betsy did_not appear for breakfast Ozma immediately sent Jellia jam, her small maid- in-waiting, upstairs to search for her .Ozma, herself, hurried out into_the garden, thinking Betsy might_be gathering a breakfast bouquet .Shading her eyes, Ozma looked in every direction, but there_was no sign of Betsy anywhere . she was about to return to_the castle when a loud bump sounded just behind her .Spinning about, Ozma saw the strangest sort of figure, sprawled over her favorite rose bush . it_was four times the size of a regular man, the body something like a tremendous sausage, with a round, balloon- shaped head and pudgy arms and legs . while Ozma was trying to determine what kind of being it_was, the huge creature rose with a bounce and came clumping toward her .

" i_told Zeph there were people at_the bottom of_the air ! " puffed the stranger gleefully ." here_is one now .I'll take it straight back to_the sky for proof ."

Ozma had just time to notice that he wore heavy iron boots, when he bent over and, tucking her under his arm as_if she had_been a package of sugar plums, kicked off one boot and then the other and soared, like a balloon released from its string, straight up toward the sky . it_was all so unexpected and breath-taking for several minutes Ozma was perfectly paralyzed . then, glancing down and seeing her lovely castle fading to amere speck below, she began to squirm and struggle and pound with both hands upon_the arm of her captor .

" take me back ! put me down ! " commanded Ozma, imperiously ." how dare you carry me off like this ? " but her tiny fists made no impression on_the great fellow . he_seemed to_be constructed of some tough silken substance, and from_the way he dented in when she poked him, Ozma concluded he_was filled with air ." like a balloon," thought the princess ."Oh, please ! please stop ! " she called despairingly .

the voice of_the little fairy came wafting faintly up_to_the airman and, with an interested sniff, he_took Ozma from beneath his arm and held her on a level with_his nose . the quick change made her exceedingly dizzy, and while she recovered herself he examined her most attentively . he_was swimming in_the air all the time, with_his feet in a strange climbing motion, and their flight upward never slackened during the conversation that followed .

" what a pretty little creature it_is," mused the airman half aloud . his voice was so kind and_his face so round and jolly that Ozma took heart and began begging him to return her to_the earth .

" I_am a princess," she explained earnestly, " and anything may happen to my kingdom while I_am away . something has happened already ." Breathlessly she began to_tell of_the disappearance of Betsy bobbin and of_the perils that might overtake her in a magic country like Oz . but the airman seemed more interested in Ozma's voice and appearance than in her story .

" why it's talking airish," he chuckled with a pleased grin ." and what splendid proof a princess will_be when I deliver my lecture next_month before_the cloud country gentlemen . fellow Airmen ! I_shall say, it has long been a matter of dispute . as_to whether any life exists in_the lower levels of_the air, but now the question is settled for all time . the earth is undoubtedly populated by small fragile Princesses like this ." here he paused and held Ozma up as_if displaying her to an imaginary audience .

"Oh ! Oh ! please stop and listen to_me ! " entreated Ozma . then she gave a great gasp, for without warning the sky darkened and in their swift flight they barely escaped the gleaming point of a star .

"Don't be alarmed," murmured the airman, feeling the little fairy tremble in_his grasp ." night has fallen . the higher we go, the faster time flies . it_will_be daylight in a few_moments . that's one_of_the advantages of high living," he continued comfortably ." one grows up so quickly and time flies so fast we never are bored . see, it_is to- morrow already ! "

" to- morrow ! " wailed Ozma, blinking in_the sudden sunlight that came flooding through_the clouds ." how dreadful ! Oh dear, Mr balloon man, do take me back to my castle ."

"Atmos is my name," announced the airman a bit stiffly, "Atmos Fere . I_am askyman, and I_could_not take you back even if i_wanted to, for I_have left my diving boots on_the earth . you'll grow used to_it up here," he assured her, and turning on_his back began to float lazily toward a long purple cloud, still holding Ozma aloft so he_could more easily observe her .

"A most interesting specimen," he muttered over and over, squinting at_the little fairy approvingly .

"I'm not a specimen, I'm a princess ! " declared Ozma indignantly ." I_do_not wish to live in_the sky .Oh, dear ! Oh, my ! what_will become of Oz while I_am away ? "

" now you're unreasonable," sighed Atmos reproachfully ." what_will become of_my lecture if I let you go ? do_you_think for_one instant any air body would believe me when i_told them there were living creatures at_the bottom of_the air ? I_must_have proof and you_are my proof, little princess . you_should feel honored to_have_been discovered by a well- known explorer . you_shall_have an air castle all to yourself and_the lecture will only take a few years of your time .Hello, it's night again ! "

and sure enough it_was .Shivering in_the darkness, Ozma began to fully realize the awful perils of her position . it might_be years before she saw her old friends and_the lovely emerald city again .

being a fairy, Ozma knew that she herself would_not grow older, but what might_not happen in Oz during her long absence ? Clasping her hands desperately, the little princess tried to_think of some way to help herself, and as_the sun came flashing through_the clouds again a dreadful plan popped into her head .

Atmos was still talking ." after_the lecture, there_will_be a dinner," droned the airman sleepily, " that_will take about seven years, i_should say, though I've known sky banquets to last as long as ten ."

"Ten ? " moaned Ozma, with a little shudder, and steeled by_the thought of aten- year banquet, she drew an emerald pin from her dress and thrust it quickly into_the airman's side . then covering her face with both hands, she began to cry softly, for_this tender-hearted little fairy had never hurt anyone in her whole gentle life and could_not bear to even think of what she had done . for several seconds the airman's calm conversation continued . then all at once he_gave a great gulp .

" princess ! " gasped the airman in a faint voice, "I seem_to_be losing my breath ! "

Ozma felt a rush of cold air past her ears, and next instant they were tumbling earthward, over and over, and over, down through clouds and mists and great blue stretches of empty air . how she managed, during that long, dizzy fall; to_keep hold of_the airman's limp arm, she never knew, herself . but hold on she did and after what seemed to_be hours and hours, they landed together in a feathery field of wheat . the sudden plunge downward had kept all the air from escaping from_the airman, but as Ozma rolled over and saw his pitiable condition, she began to weep anew . his legs and body were perfectly limp and_the air was issuing from_his right arm with a shrill whistling sound .

" save me ! " panted Atmos, rolling his eyes wildly from side to side ." save me ! can't you_see I'm expiring ? "

" but what can I_do ? " sobbed Ozma, in a panic .

" tie something round my neck," directed the airman desperately ." keep the air in my head ."

Snatching the ribbon from her curls; Ozma hastened to_do as he suggested, shivering a little as she pulled the ribbon tight .

"I'd like to_know how this happened," moaned Atmos, as_the little fairy tied the ribbon in a neat bow under his poor, wrinkled chin .

" it_was my fault," confessed Ozma, covering her face so she_could_not see him ."I stuck you with a pin . you wouldn't let me go and I couldn't leave Oz for all those years .Oh, dear ! Oh, dear ! I'm so sorry ! " and remorseful tears began to trickle through her fingers and drop on_the airman's nose .

" punctured- by-a- princess ! " puffed Atmos, as_if he_could get the idea through his head at all ." well, who_would_have thought it ? she looked so harmless, and sweet, too . i_think i_should_be the one to cry," he observed presently, and as_the little fairy's sobs grew more and more violent, he lifted his head and regarded her with positive alarm .

"Don't cry like that," begged Atmos uncom-fortably ." it didn't hurt, you_know, and I_have expired in_the cause of high skyence . that's a great honor, besides I should_not have carried you off .Don't cry," he begged, trying frantically to

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