Oz 13: The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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then, satisfied it could_not escape, he_told trot to_come out_of_the water again and dry her wet shoes and stockings in_the sun .

" are_you sure he_can't get away ? " she asked .

"I'd bet acookie on_it," said Cap'n bill, so trot came ashore and took off her shoes and stockings and laid them on_the log to dry, while the sailor- man resumed his work on_the raft .

the Kalidah, realizing after many struggles that_it could_not escape, now became quiet, but it said in a harsh, snarling voice:

"I suppose you_think you're clever, to pin me to_the ground in_this manner . but when my friends, the other Kalidahs, come here, they'll tear you to pieces for treating me this_way ."

"P'raps," remarked Cap'n bill, coolly, as he chopped at_the logs, " an' p'raps not . when are your folks comin' here ? "

"I don't know," admitted the Kalidah ." but when_they do come, you_can't escape them ."

" if_they hold off long enough, I'll have my raft ready," said Cap'n bill .

" what_are you going to_do with a raft ? " inquired the beast .

" we're goin' over to_that island, to_get the magic flower ."

the huge beast looked at him in surprise a moment, and then it began to laugh . the laugh was a good_deal like a roar, and it had a cruel and derisive sound, but it_was a laugh nevertheless .

" good ! " said the Kalidah ." good ! very_good ! I'm glad you're going to_get the magic flower . but what_will you_do with it ? "

" we're going to_take it to Ozma, as a present on her birthday ."

the Kalidah laughed again; then it became sober ." if_you get to_the land on_your raft before my people can catch you," it said, " you_will_be safe from_us . we_can swim like ducks, so the girl couldn't have escaped me by getting into_the water; but Kalidahs don't go to_that island over there ."

" why_not ? " asked trot .

the beast was silent .

" tell us the reason," urged Cap'n bill .

" well, it's the isle of_the magic flower," answered the Kalidah, " and we don't care much for magic . if_you hadn't had a magic leg, instead of a meat one, you couldn't have knocked me over so easily and stuck this wooden pin through me ."

"I've been to_the magic isle," said the glass Cat, " and I've watched the magic flower bloom, and I'm sure it's too pretty to_be left in_that lonely place where only beasts prowl around it and no else sees it . so we're going to_take it away to_the emerald city ."

"I don't care," the beast replied in a surly tone ." we Kalidahs would_be just as contented if there wasn't a flower in_our forest . what good are the things anyhow ? "

"Don't you like pretty things ? " asked trot .

" no ."

" you ought to admire my pink brains, anyhow," declared the glass Cat ." they're beautiful and you_can see 'em work ."

the beast only growled in reply, and Cap'n bill, having now cut all his logs to a proper size, began to roll them to_the water's edge and fasten them together .

10 . stuck fast

the day was nearly gone when, at last, the raft was ready .

" it ain't so very big," said the old sailor, " but I don't weigh much, an' you, trot, don't weigh half as_much as I_do, an' the glass pussy don't count ."

" but it's safe, isn't it ? " inquired the girl .

" yes; it's good enough to carry us to_the island an' back again, an' that's about all we_can expect of it ."

Saying this, Cap'n bill pushed the raft into_the water, and when it_was afloat, stepped upon it and held out his hand to trot, who quickly followed him . the glass Cat boarded the raft last of all .

the sailor had cut a long pole, and had also whittled a flat paddle, and with_these he easily propelled the raft across the river . as_they approached the island, the wonderful flower became more plainly visible, and_they quickly decided that_the glass Cat had_not praised it too highly . the colors of_the flowers that bloomed in quick succession were strikingly bright and beautiful, and_the shapes of_the blossoms were varied and curious . indeed, they_did_not resemble ordinary flowers at all .

so intently did trot and Cap'n bill gaze upon_the golden flower- pot that held the magic flower that_they scarcely noticed the island itself until the raft beached upon its sands . but then the girl exclaimed: " how funny it_is, Cap'n bill, that nothing else grows here excep' the magic flower ."

then the sailor glanced at_the island and saw that_it_was all bare ground, without a weed, a stone or a blade of grass . trot, eager to examine the flower closer, sprang from_the raft and ran up the bank until she reached the golden flower- pot . then she stood beside it motionless and filled with wonder .Cap'n bill joined her, coming more leisurely, and he, too, stood in silent admiration for a time .

"Ozma will like this," remarked the glass Cat, sitting down to watch the shifting hues of_the flowers ."I'm sure she won't have as fine a birthday present from anyone else ."

" do_you 'spose it's very heavy, Cap'n ? and can we get it home without breaking it ? " asked trot anxiously .

" well, I've lifted many bigger things than that," he replied; " but let's see what it weighs ."

he tried to_take a step forward, but could_not lift his meat foot from_the ground . his wooden leg seemed free enough, but the other would_not budge .

"I seem stuck, trot," he_said, with a perplexed look at his foot ." it ain't mud, an' it ain't glue, but somethin's holdin' me down ."

the girl attempted to lift her own feet, to_go nearer to her friend, but the ground held them as fast as it held Cap'n bill's foot . she tried to slide them, or to twist them around, but it_was no use; she_could_not move either foot a hair's breadth .

" this_is funny ! " she exclaimed ." what do_you 'spose has happened to_us, Cap'n bill ? "

"I'm tryin' to_make out," he answered ." take off your shoes, trot .P'raps it's the leather soles that's stuck to_the ground ."

she leaned down and unlaced her shoes, but found she_could_not pull her feet out_of_them . the glass Cat, which_was walking around as naturally as ever, now said:

" your foot has got roots to_it, Cap'n, and I_can_see the roots going into_the ground, where they spread out in all directions . it's the same way with trot . that's why you_can't move . the roots hold you fast ."

Cap'n bill was rather fat and couldn't see his own feet very_well, but he squatted down and examined trot's feet and decided that_the glass Cat was right .

" this_is hard luck," he declared, in a voice that showed he_was uneasy at_the discovery ." we're pris'ners, trot, on_this funny island, an' I'd like to_know how we're ever goin' to_get loose, so's we_can get home again ."

" now I_know why the Kalidah laughed at us," said the girl, " and why he_said none_of_the beasts ever came to_this island . the horrid creature knew we'd be caught, and wouldn't warn us ."

in_the meantime, the Kalidah, although pinned fast to_the earth by Cap'n bill's stake, was facing the island, and now the ugly expression which passed over its face when it defied and sneered at Cap'n bill and trot, had changed to one of amusement and curiosity . when it saw the adventurers had actually reached the island and were standing beside the magic flower, it heaved a breath of satisfaction--a long, deep breath that swelled its deep chest until the beast could feel the stake that held him move a little, as_if withdrawing itself from_the ground .

"Ah ha ! " murmured the Kalidah, "a little more of this_will set me free and allow me to escape ! "

so he began breathing as hard as he_could, puffing out his chest as_much as possible with each indrawing breath, and by doing this he managed to raise the stake with each powerful breath, until at last the Kalidah--using the muscles of_his four legs as_well as his deep breaths-- found itself free of_the sandy soil . the stake was sticking right through him, however, so he_found a rock deeply set in_the bank and pressed the sharp point of_the stake upon_the surface of_this rock until he had driven it clear through his body . then, by getting the stake tangled among some thorny bushes, and wiggling his body, he managed to draw it out altogether .

" there ! " he exclaimed, " except for_those two holes in me, I'm as good as ever; but I_must admit that that old wooden-legged fellow saved both himself and_the girl by making me a prisoner ."

now the Kalidahs, although the most disagreeable creatures in_the land of Oz, were nevertheless magical inhabitants of a magical fairyland, and in their natures a certain amount of good was mingled with_the evil . this_one was not very revengeful, and now that his late foes were in danger of perishing, his anger against them faded away .

" our own Kalidah king," he reflected, " has certain magical powers of_his own . perhaps he_knows how to_fill up these two holes in my body ."

so without paying any more attention to trot and Cap'n bill than they were paying to him, he entered the forest and trotted along a secret path that led to_the hidden lair of all the Kalidahs .

while the Kalidah was making good its escape Cap'n bill took his pipe from_his pocket and filled it with tobacco and lighted it . then, as he puffed out the smoke, he tried to_think what could_be_done .

" the glass Cat seems all right," he_said, " an' my wooden leg didn't take roots and grow, either . so it's only flesh that gets caught ."

" it's magic that does it, Cap'n ! "

" I_know, trot, and_that's what sticks me . we're livin' in a magic country, but neither of us knows any magic an' so we_can't help ourselves ."

"Couldn't the wizard of Oz help_us-- or Glinda the good ? " asked the little girl .

"Ah, now we're beginnin' to reason," he answered ."I'd probably thought o' that, myself, in a minute more . by good luck the glass Cat is free, an' so it can run back to_the emerald city an' tell the wizard about our fix, an' ask him to_come an' help_us get loose ."

" will_you go ? " trot asked the cat, speaking very earnestly .

"I'm no messenger, to_be sent here and there," asserted the curious animal in a sulky tone of voice .

" well," said Cap'n bill, " you've got to_go home, anyhow, ' cause you don't want to stay here, I take it . and, when_you get home, it wouldn't worry you much to_tell the wizard what's happened to_us ."

" that's true," said the cat, sitting on its haunches and lazily washing its face with one glass paw ."I don't mind telling the wizard-- when I get home ."

" won't you go now ? " pleaded trot ." we don't want to stay here any longer than we_can help, and everybody in Oz will_be interested in you, and call you a hero, and say nice things about you because you helped your friends out of trouble ."

that was_the best way to manage the glass Cat, which_was so vain that_it loved to_be praised .

"I'm going home right away," said the creature, " and I'll tell the wizard to_come and help_you ."

Saying this, it walked down to_the water and disappeared under the surface . not being able to manage the raft alone, the glass Cat walked on_the bottom of_the river as it had done when it visited the island before, and soon they saw it appear on_the farther bank and trot into_the forest, where it_was quickly lost to sight among_the trees .

then trot heaved a deep sigh .

"Cap'n," said she, " we're in a bad fix . there's nothing here to eat, and we_can't even lie down to sleep . unless the glass Cat hurries, and_the wizard hurries, I don't know what's going to_become of us ! "

11 . the Beasts of_the forest of Gugu

that was a wonderful gathering of wild animals in_the forest of Gugu next sunrise .Rango, the gray Ape, had even called his monkey sentinels away from_the forest edge, and every beast, little and big, was in_the great clearing where meetings were held on occasions of great importance .

in_the center of_the clearing stood a great shelving rock, having a flat, inclined surface, and on_this sat the stately leopard Gugu, who was king of_the forest . on_the ground beneath him squatted Bru the bear, Loo the unicorn, and Rango the gray Ape, the king's three Counselors, and in front of_them stood the two strange beasts who had called themselves LI-Mon-Eags, but were really the transformations of Ruggedo the Nome, and Kiki Aru the Hyup .

then came the beasts--rows and rows and rows of_them ! the smallest beasts were nearest the king's rock throne; then there were wolves and foxes, lynxes and hyenas, and_the like; behind them were gathered the monkey tribes, who were hard to_keep in_order because they teased the other animals and were full of mischievous tricks . back of_the monkeys were the pumas, jaguars, tigers and lions, and their kind; next the bears, all sizes and colors; after them bisons, wild asses, zebras and unicorns; farther on_the rhinoceri and hippopotami, and at_the far edge of_the forest, close to_the trees that shut in_the clearing, was a row of thick- skinned elephants, still as statues but with eyes bright and intelligent .

many_other kinds of beasts, too numerous to mention, were there, and some were unlike any beasts we see

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