Oz 11: The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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could they_do that ? " asked the woozy ."Dragons have long tails, which would get in_the way of_the chariot wheels ."

" and if_the Herkus have conquered the giants," said trot, " they_must_be at_least twice the size of giants .P'raps the Herkus are the biggest people in all the world ! "

" perhaps they_are," assented the wizard in a thoughtful tone of voice ." and perhaps the shepherd didn't know what he_was talking about . let_us travel on toward the west and discover for ourselves what the people of_this country are like ."

it seemed a pleasant enough country, and it_was quite still and peaceful when_they turned their eyes away from_the silently whirling mountains . there were trees here and there and green bushes, while throughout_the thick grass were scattered brilliantly colored flowers . about a mile away was a low hill that hid from_them all the country beyond it, so they realized they_could_not tell much about_the country until they had crossed the hill . the red wagon having been left behind, it_was now necessary to_make other arrangements for traveling . the lion told Dorothy she_could ride upon his back as she had often done before, and_the woozy said he_could easily carry both trot and_the patchwork girl .Betsy still had her mule, Hank, and button- bright and_the wizard could sit together upon_the long, thin back of_the sawhorse, but they took care to soften their seat with a pad of blankets before_they started . thus mounted, the adventurers started for_the hill, which_was reached after a brief journey .

as_they mounted the crest and gazed beyond the hill, they discovered not far away a walled city, from_the towers and spires of_which gay banners were flying . it_was not a very big city, indeed, but its walls were very high and thick, and it appeared that_the people who lived there must_have feared attack by a powerful enemy, else they_would not have surrounded their dwellings with so strong a barrier . there_was no path leading from_the mountains to_the city, and this proved that_the people seldom or never visited the whirling hills, but our friends found the grass soft and agreeable to travel over, and with_the city before them they_could_not well lose their way . when_they drew nearer to_the walls, the breeze carried to_their ears the sound of music-- dim at first, but growing louder as_they advanced .

" that doesn't seem like a very terr'ble place," remarked Dorothy .

" well, it LOOKS all right," replied trot from her seat on_the woozy, " but looks can't always be trusted ."

" my looks can," said Scraps ."I look patchwork, and I_am patchwork, and no one but a blind owl could ever doubt that I'm the patchwork girl ." Saying which, she turned a somersault off the woozy and, alighting on her feet, began wildly dancing about .

" are owls ever blind ? " asked trot .

" always, in_the daytime," said button- bright ." but Scraps can_see with her button eyes both day and night .Isn't it queer ? "

" it's queer that buttons can_see at all," answered trot ." but good gracious ! what's become of_the city ? "

" i_was going to ask that myself," said Dorothy ." it's gone ! "

" it's gone ! "

the animals came to a sudden halt, for_the city had really disappeared, walls and all, and before them lay the clear, unbroken sweep of_the country ." dear me ! " exclaimed the wizard ." this_is rather disagreeable . it_is annoying to travel almost to a place and then find it_is_not there ."

" where can it be, then ? " asked Dorothy ." it cert'nly was there a minute ago ."

" I_can hear the music yet," declared button- bright, and when_they all listened, the strains of music could plainly be heard .

"Oh ! there's the city over at_the left," called Scraps, and turning their eyes, they saw the walls and towers and fluttering banners far to_the left of_them .

" we_must_have lost our way," suggested Dorothy .

" nonsense," said the lion .

"I, and all the other animals, have_been tramping straight toward the city ever_since we first saw it ."

" then how does it happen--"

" never mind," interrupted the wizard, " we_are no farther from_it than we were before . it_is in a different direction, that's all, so let_us hurry and get there before it again escapes us ."

so on they went directly toward the city, which seemed only a couple of miles distant . but when_they had traveled less_than a mile, it suddenly disappeared again . once more they paused, somewhat discouraged, but in a moment the button eyes of Scraps again discovered the city, only this_time it_was just behind them in_the direction from_which they had come ." goodness gracious ! " cried Dorothy ." there's surely something wrong with_that city . do_you s' pose it's on wheels, wizard ? "

" it may not be a city at all," he replied, looking toward it with a speculative glance .

" what could it be, then ? "

" just an illusion ."

" what's that ? " asked trot .

" something you_think you_see and don't see ."

" I_can't believe that," said button- bright ." if_we only saw it, we_might_be mistaken, but if we_can_see it and hear it, too, it must_be there ."

" where ? " asked the patchwork girl .

" somewhere near us," he insisted .

we_will_have to_go back, I suppose," said the woozy with a sigh .

so back they turned and headed for_the walled city until it disappeared again, only to reappear at_the right of_them . they were constantly getting nearer to_it, however, so they kept their faces turned toward it as it flitted here and there to all points of_the compass . presently the lion, who was leading the procession, halted abruptly and cried out, "Ouch ! "

" what's the matter ? " asked Dorothy .

"Ouch -- Ouch ! ~ repeated the lion, and leaped backward so suddenly that Dorothy nearly tumbled from_his back . at_the same time Hank the mule yelled "Ouch ! ""Ouch ! Ouch ! " repeated the lion and leaped backward so suddenly that Dorothy nearly tumbled from_his back . at_the same time, Hank the mule yelled "Ouch ! " almost as loudly as_the lion had done, and he also pranced backward a few paces .

" it's the thistles," said Betsy .

" they prick their legs ."

Hearing this, all looked down, and sure enough the ground was thick with thistles, which covered the plain from_the point where they stood way up_to_the walls of_the mysterious city . no pathways through them could_be seen at all; here the soft grass ended and_the growth of thistles began ." they're the prickliest thistles I ever felt," grumbled the lion ." my legs smart yet from their stings, though I jumped out_of_them as quickly as I_could ."

" here_is a new difficulty," remarked the wizard in a grieved tone ." the city has stopped hopping around, it_is true, but how are we to_get to_it over this mass of prickers ? "

" they_can't hurt me," said the thick- skinned woozy, advancing fearlessly and trampling among_the thistles .

" nor me," said the wooden sawhorse .

" but the lion and_the mule cannot stand the prickers," asserted Dorothy, " and we_can't leave them behind ."

" must we all go back ? " asked trot .

" course not ! " replied button- bright scornfully ." always when there's trouble, there's a way out of it if_you_can find it ."

" i_wish the Scarecrow was here," said Scraps, standing on her head on_the woozy's square back ." his splendid brains would soon show us how to conquer this field of thistles ."

" what's the matter with your brains ? " asked the boy .

" nothing," she said, making aflip-flop into_the thistles and dancing among them without feeling their sharp points ." I_could tell you in half a minute how to_get over the thistles if i_wanted to ."

" tell us, Scraps ! " begged Dorothy .

"I don't want to wear my brains out with overwork," replied the patchwork girl .

"Don't you love Ozma ? and don't you_want to_find her ? " asked Betsy reproachfully .

" yes indeed," said Scraps, walking on her hands as an acrobat does at_the circus .

" well, we_can't find Ozma unless we get past these thistles," declared Dorothy .

Scraps danced around them two_or_three times without reply . then she said, "Don't look at me, you stupid folks . look at those blankets ."

the wizard's face brightened at once .

" why didn't we_think of_those blankets before ? "

" because you haven't magic brains," laughed Scraps ." such brains as_you_have are of_the common sort that grow in your heads, like weeds in a garden .I'm sorry for_you people who_have to_be born in_order_to_be alive ."

but the wizard was not listening to her . he quickly removed the blankets from_the back of_the sawhorse and spread one_of_them upon_the thistles, just next the grass . the thick cloth rendered the prickers harmless, so the wizard walked over this first blanket and spread the second one farther on, in_the direction of_the phantom city ." these blankets," said he, " are for_the lion and_the mule to walk upon . the sawhorse and_the woozy can walk on_the thistles ."

so the lion and_the mule walked over the first blanket and stood upon_the second one until the wizard had picked up the one they had passed over and spread it in front of_them, when_they advanced to_that one and waited while the one behind them was again spread in front ." this_is slow work," said the wizard, " but it_will get us to_the city after a while ."

" the city is a good half mile away yet," announced button- bright .

" and this_is awful hard work for_the wizard," added trot .

" why couldn't the lion ride on_the woozy's back ? " asked Dorothy ." it's a big, flat back, and_the woozy's mighty strong . perhaps the lion wouldn't fall off ."

" you_may try it if_you like," said the woozy to_the lion ." I_can take you to_the city in ajiffy and then come back for Hank ."

"I'm--I'm afraid," said the cowardly lion . he_was twice as big as_the woozy .

" try it," pleaded Dorothy .

" and take a tumble among_the thistles ? " asked the lion reproachfully . but when_the woozy came close to him, the big beast suddenly bounded upon its back and managed to balance himself there, although forced to hold his four legs so close together that he_was in danger of toppling over . the great weight of_the monster lion did_not seem to affect the woozy, who called to_his rider, " hold on tight ! " and ran swiftly over the thistles toward the city . the others stood on_the blanket and watched the strange sight anxiously . of_course, the lion couldn't " hold on tight" because there_was nothing to hold to, and he swayed from side to side as_if likely to_fall off any moment . still, he managed to stick to_the woozy's back until they were close to_the walls of_the city, when he leaped to_the ground . next moment the woozy came dashing back at full speed .

" there's a little strip of ground next the wall where there_are no thistles," he_told them when he had reached the adventurers once more ." now then, friend Hank, see if_you_can ride as_well as_the lion did ."

" take_the others first," proposed the mule . so the sawhorse and_the woozy made a couple of trips over the thistles to_the city walls and carried all the people in safety, Dorothy holding little Toto in her arms . the travelers then sat in a group on a little hillock just outside the wall and looked at_the great blocks of gray stone and waited for_the woozy to bring Hank to_them . the mule was very awkward, and_his legs trembled so badly that more than once they thought he_would tumble off, but finally he reached them in safety, and_the entire party was now reunited . more than that, they had reached the city that had eluded them for so_long and in so strange a manner .

" the gates must_be around the other side," said the wizard ." let_us follow the curve of_the wall until we reach an opening in_it ."

" which_way ? " asked Dorothy .

" we_must guess that," he replied ." suppose we go to_the left . one direction is as good as another ." they formed in marching order and went around the city wall to_the left . it wasn't a big city, as I_have said, but to_go way around it outside the high wall was quite a walk, as_they became aware . but around it our adventurers went without finding any sign of a gateway or other opening . when_they had returned to_the little mound from_which they had started, they dismounted from_the animals and again seated themselves on_the grassy mound .

" it's mighty queer, isn't it ? " asked button- bright .

" there_must_be some way for_the people to_get out and in," declared Dorothy ." do_you s' pose they_have flying machines, wizard ? "

" no," he replied, " for in_that case they_would_be flying all over the land of Oz, and we_know they_have not done that .Flying machines are unknown here . i_think it more likely that_the people use ladders to_get over the walls ."

" it would_be an awful climb over that high stone wall," said Betsy .

" stone, is_it ? " Scraps, who was again dancing wildly around, for she never tired and could never keep still for long .

" course it's stone," answered Betsy scornfully ." can't you_see ? "

" yes," said Scraps, going closer ." I_can_see the wall, but I_can't feel it ." and then, with her arms outstretched, she did a very queer thing . she walked right into_the wall and disappeared

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