Oz 19: The Lost King of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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ruler hugged Betsy and trot so hard that_they had to squeal for mercy .

" i_should think you'd rather be queen yourself," sniffed Scraps, dropping sulkily from_the chandelier and coming over to stare at_the king's robe ." he'll want to boss you ' round and make you go to bed at eight, wear rubbers and all that other fatherish stuff . let's go home and not bother with_him . who wants a king anyway, I like you ! "

Betsy looked shocked at_the patch work girl's heartless speech, but Ozma, paying no heed to Scraps, began to confer excitedly with_the wizard .

" who sent the quill ? where shall we look first ? what does it mean by_the green book of magic ? " she asked, one question following another so fast the wizard blinked with discomfort .

" if_you take my advice," observed the Scarecrow, rubbing his nose wisely, " you'll return immediately to_the emerald city . once there we_have but to look in_the magic picture to discover the whereabouts of your royal parent ."

among_the many treasures in Ozma's palace is_the magic picture, in_which_you may see anyone you wish by merely expressing the desire to_see them . it also shows the country and exact situation they_are in, so you_can see how sensible the Scarecrow's suggestion really was .

" but what made that terrible racket upstairs ? " demanded Scraps, suddenly remembering her scare .

"Oh that ! " sir Hokus shuffled his feet in embarrassment ."I fell through a trap door into a closet full of tins," explained the knight sheepishly .

" it's a good thing you_did," laughed Betsy bobbin, " for if_you hadn't frightened Scraps we_might never have found the silver chest at all ."

" now that we_have found it," shivered trot, " let's go . it's cold in here ."

" and let's hurry ! " cried Ozma, seizing the Scarecrow affectionately by_the arm ."Oh, I_can scarcely wait to_see my father ."

" why didn't you bring along another wishing pill, wizard ? " sighed Betsy ." we're in morrow, sure enough, but where is morrow ? and how do we get back to_the emerald city, anyway ? " no one could answer Betsy's question, for_it had_been so_long since Ozma had_been in_the old castle she remembered nothing of_its location .

" we'll have to walk, I s' pose," said the Scarecrow, detaching a cobweb from_his ear, " and_the sooner we start, the sooner we'll arrive .

" right, as usual ! " approved the knight, taking the Scarecrow by_the arm ." forward for_the king and for Oz ! "

so, after another short look about, the seven adventurers closed the castle doors and began to_make their way cautiously through_the deserted park .

" if I only knew who sent the feather," murmured Ozma, holding up her lace skirts to_keep them from catching on_the bushes and thorns .

"I'll bet it_was your fairy godmother," said trot, skipping along excitedly .

" well, i_wish the goose had come with_the feather," sighed Betsy bobbin ."I'm hungry as_the hungry tiger ! "

" if_you were stuffed with cotton,

you'd never have to eat .

I'm glad I'm made of patch work

and not of bone and meat ."

sang Scraps, dancing ahead in her ridiculous fashion .

" there's a house ! " called Betsy, tugging the knight suddenly by_the arm and pointing to a small red building .

"Oh ! " cried Ozma, clasping her hands, " perhaps someone lives there who_can tell us about_my father ! "

" he_may_be near and he_may_be farther," giggled Scraps starting to run toward the little red house ." come on everybody ! "

Led by_the patch work girl, the little company hurried toward the little red house . no one was to_be seen at_the windows, and when sir Hokus pounded on_the door there_was no answer .

" we_are wasting time here," said the Scarecrow at last ." let_us be on_our way ." and so the homeward march was resumed .

chapter 10

Dorothy and_the dummy

on_the same bright morning that_the golden goose feather had come flashing down into Ozma's garden in_the emerald city, Dorothy had said goodbye to her old friends in perhaps city and started gaily homeward .

her visit on maybe mountain, where old peer Haps holds court and_the forgetful poet makes verses from morning until night, had_been so interesting and jolly that Dorothy still felt happy and she went skipping down the steep mountain path almost as fast as_the little brook that rushed along at her side . as she skipped along she sang this merry ditty:

" I_saw one day, the last of may,

a foolish and absurd

old yellow fellow calling 'Hello,

I'm a banana bird ! '

"A banana bird ! my eyes grew blurred;

i_took to my toes and heels,

then away he flew with a flap or two,

of_his yellow banana peals ."

" I_must try to remember that for Scraps, Dorothy giggled softly to herself . her head was full of_the forgetful poet's ridiculous rhymes, and she was so busy remembering them and_the many bits of news she had for Ozma that she reached the bottom of_the mountain in almost no time and, without noticing where she was going, turned into an inviting small lane . there_was a sign swinging from a yellow post at_the head of_the lane, but Dorothy never saw it . she knew she was in_the familiar Winkie country, for_the wind mills, flapping lazily in_the morning breeze, were yellow, the houses were yellow and if_that were_not proof enough, the lane was full of daisies and buttercups and edged with golden peach and pear trees .

"I don't believe," sighed Dorothy, hurrying happily along under the lovely branches, "I don't believe there_is any place so interesting as Oz . how pretty this road is ! "

Stooping down, she scooped up a bit of_the sand that made the bed of_the lane sparkle like silver in_the sunlight . it_was silver, to_be perfectly truthful, and with a little smile Dorothy slipped some into her pocket .

" how surprised anyone in Kansas would_be to_find silver dust in_the road," thought the little girl, recalling her old home with a little chuckle of amusement ." no, nothing like this ever happens in America at all, and yet-" Dorothy paused to pick an unusually large buttercup and twirl it absently under her chin, " and yet I sometimes wish I were in America again, just to_see

Wheee-e ! off flew her hat, up flew her heels and in a whirl of silver dust and peach blossoms, off flew Dorothy herself . off, up, away and down again, so swiftly she had_not even time to swallow .

"Thirty miles to Hollywood," said the sign near the huge rock where she sat blinking with shock and astonishment .

" Hollywood ! " panted Dorothy ." why that's in California and California's in_the United_States . but how did I get here ? " there_was no one to answer her question, and as she couldn't answer it herself she jumped up, smoothed out her dress and looked anxiously about .a smooth white road ran evenly ahead, one side sloped down into a deep ravine, on_the other side was a long, uninteresting stretch of meadow . through_the trees at_the bottom of_the ravine, Dorothy caught a glimpse of some houses .

Feeling terribly puzzled and not entirely pleased, she left the road and started down through_the trees . halfway down, she paused to_make sure she was going toward the houses, when_the furious clatter of hoofs on_the road above made her glance up in dismay .a great company of horsemen, armed with pikes, staves, swords and pitch forks were galloping pell mell along the highway .Giving a scream of fright, Dorothy saw them turn and plunge down the ravine . with a smash and a crash they came riding upon her .Gasping in terror, Dorothy sprang behind a big tree and in a whirl of sticks, dust and color the horsemen pounded past . they were dressed in green doublets and hose . they wore wide feathered hats and were_not at all the sort of folk Dorothy expected to_find in America .

with her hand pressed to her heart, Dorothy peered around the tree . as she did so the wild riders reined up short and two of_the most villainous looking snatched a green-cloaked figure from_the saddle and hurled him violently over the cliff . then swinging their horses round, they galloped off as suddenly as_they had come, leaving Dorothy, as she afterwards explained to sir Hokus of Pokes, perfectly petrified . not until the last green doublet flashed out of sight did she dare stir . then breathlessly she tiptoed to_the edge of_the cliff and looked over .

"Oooh- they've killed him ! " gasped Dorothy, in horrified tones . now many another small girl would_have run off at once, but Dorothy had_been in too many strange adventures for_that . instead she ran just as fast as she_could down the steep, stony path to_the bottom of_the ravine . there on_the stones, with_his head in a shallow brook, lay the unfortunate rider . close beside him was a great jewel- studded crown .

"A king ! " marvelled Dorothy, who had met a great_many monarchs in Oz ." but what_is he doing here ? and why ? "

Holding her breath, she leaned over and touched the quiet figure . then, taking her courage in both hands, she seized him by_the arms and dragged him out_of_the brook . he_came so suddenly and unexpectedly that Dorothy fell over backwards . more mystified than ever, she picked herself up .

" mercy ! " stuttered the little girl, turning him over gingerly ." he's not alive at all; he's stuffed . why he's only a dummy ."

half relieved and half disappointed, she gazed into_the bland face of_the fallen king . it_was ahandsomely painted face, which even the brook mud could_not entirely spoil, and it_was topped by a splendid silver wig . but what on earth did it all mean ? if Dorothy had_been in Oz she might_have found it more understandable, for strange things are always happening in Oz . but in America ! Dorothy could_not puzzle it out .Sitting down on a fallen tree she stared at_the dummy in perfect astonishment . how had she come here herself ? how was she to_get back to_the emerald city ? who were the wild green riders, and why had they flung the dummy over the cliff ?

" i_wish," sighed Dorothy at last, looking pensively at_the long green figure stretched so solemnly at her feet, " i_wish you were alive and then maybe

" maybe what ? " wheezed the dummy, raising his head about an inch and blinking at her curiously ." say, who pulled me out_of_the brook ? "

Dorothy gave a little scream and then, recovering herself and swallowing hard, answered breathlessly, " I_did ! "

" well, I'm supposed to_be dead," puffed the dummy reproachfully ." try to_get that through your hair, can't you ? I've just been thrown over the cliff by_the revolutionists . you shouldn't have rescued me, little girl . it_will spoil the picture . is_there a camera man anywhere about ? "

" camera ? " gasped Dorothy faintly, "Oh, I don't know ." it had_been a long_time since Dorothy had_been in America, and there had_been very few moving pictures in those old days on_the Kansas farm . but trot, who had come to Oz from San_Francisco, had told Dorothy alot about_the screen stars and moving picture stunts . as she recalled trot's stories, Dorothy clapped her hands .Smiling at_the dummy she said, " I_know ! you're amoving picture dummy, aren't you ? "

" right the first time," said the dummy, as he raised his head another inch and smiled approvingly at Dorothy ."I take all the risks," he explained complacently ."I fall for_the stars . now this star was a foolish old king, but the last star I fell for was ashooting star-a cow- boy, you_know . i_was thrown from a horse under astampeding herd of steers," he mused dreamily, " and had to_be entirely remade .

" but you had better run along now, little girl .I'm supposed to_be dead . it doesn't hurt," he observed graciously, as Dorothy continued to stare at him in amazement ."I've died a hundred times and know all about_it . run along now, like a good child ." Lowering his head, he settled down resignedly in_the mud and stared stolidly up at_the sky .

" well, of_course if_you prefer to_be dead," began Dorothy a bit stiffly, "I'll go . but why you_should want to lie there in_the mud, when_the sun is shining and everything so nice and interesting, I don't see . you're not dead at all . you're as alive as I_am ! "

the dummy sat bolt upright at Dorothy's words and started to pinch himself curiously ." why so I_am," he puffed, rubbing his nose thoughtfully with_his stuffed and pudgy finger ." sit down again my dear, until I get used to_the idea of it, will_you ? it feels very odd and dangerous ! " he shook one leg, then the other and rose unsteadily to_his feet .

"Hurrah ! " cried Dprothy ." why I believe you_can walk . here, lean on_this ." she thrust a stick into_the dummy's hand and after a few uncertain wobblings, he began to pace briskly up and down, his green velvet cloak slapping merrily at his heels . Dorothy was so interested in_his progress that she almost forgot how ridiculous it_was for a dummy to_be alive, but as he lowered himself carefully to_the log beside her, she began to wonder again how it had all happened .

" were you ever alive before ? " asked Dorothy curiously .

the dummy shook his head ." if talking and walking around like this_is being alive, then I never have," said the dummy positively ." what shall I_do now ? "

" why anything you like," laughed Dorothy, beginning to enjoy herself .

" but a dummy can only do as he's told," sighed the stuffed king doubtfully ." and who_are you my dear ? have_you run off to_go into_the movies ? " he

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