Oz 03: Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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some were small and dark- brown in color; those larger were of a dull tin color; but the really ripe ones were pails of bright tin that shone and glistened beautifully in_the rays of sunshine that touched them .

Dorothy was delighted, and even the yellow hen acknowledged that she was surprised .

the little girl stood on tip- toe and picked one_of_the nicest and biggest lunch-boxes, and then she sat down upon_the ground and eagerly opened it . inside she found, nicely wrapped in white papers, a ham sandwich, a piece of sponge- cake, a pickle, a slice of new cheese and an apple . each thing had a separate stem, and so had to_be picked off the side of_the box; but Dorothy found them all to_be delicious, and she ate every bit of luncheon in_the box before she had finished .

"A lunch isn't zactly breakfast," she said to Billina, who sat beside her curiously watching ." but when one is hungry one can eat even supper in_the morning, and not complain ."

" I_hope your lunch- box was perfectly ripe," observed the yellow hen, in a anxious tone ." so_much sickness is caused by eating green things ."

"Oh, I'm sure it_was ripe," declared Dorothy, " all, that_is, 'cept the pickle, and a pickle just has_to be green, Billina . but everything tasted perfectly splendid, and I'd rather have it than a church picnic . and now i_think I'll pick a dinner- pail, to_have when I get hungry again, and then we'll start out and 'splore the country, and_see where we_are ."

" haven't you any idea what country this_is ? " inquired Billina .

" none at all . but listen: I'm quite_sure it's a fairy country, or such things as lunch-boxes and dinner-pails wouldn't be growing upon trees . besides, Billina, being ahen, you wouldn't be_able to_talk in any civ'lized country, like Kansas, where no fairies live at all ."

" perhaps we're in_the land of Oz," said the hen, thoughtfully .

" no, that_can't be," answered the little girl; because I've been to_the land of Oz, and it's all surrounded by a horrid desert that no one can cross ."

" then how did you get away from there again ? " asked Billina .

"I had a pair of silver shoes, that carried me through_the air; but I lost them," said Dorothy .

"Ah, indeed," remarked the yellow hen, in a tone of unbelief .

"Anyhow," resumed the girl, " there_is no seashore near the land of Oz, so this must surely be some other fairy country ."

while she was speaking she selected a bright and pretty dinner- pail that seemed to_have a stout handle, and picked it from its branch . then, accompanied by_the yellow hen, she walked out_of_the shadow of_the trees toward the sea- shore .

they were part way across the sands when Billina suddenly cried, in a voice of terror:

" what's that ? "

Dorothy turned quickly around, and saw coming out of a path that led from between_the trees the most peculiar person her eyes had ever beheld .

it had the form of a man, except that_it walked, or rather rolled, upon all fours, and its legs were the same length as its arms, giving them the appearance of_the four legs of a beast . yet it_was no beast that Dorothy had discovered, for_the person was clothed most gorgeously in embroidered garments of many colors, and wore a straw hat perched jauntily upon_the side of_its head . but it differed from human beings in_this respect, that instead of hands and feet there grew at_the end of_its arms and legs round wheels, and by_means of_these wheels it rolled very swiftly over the level ground .Afterward Dorothy found that_these odd wheels were of_the same hard substance that_our finger-nails and toe-nails are composed of, and she also learned that creatures of_this strange race were born in_this queer fashion . but when our little girl first caught sight of_the first individual of a race that was destined to cause her alot of trouble, she had an idea that_the brilliantly- clothed personage was on roller-skates, which were attached to_his hands as_well as to_his feet .

" run ! " screamed the yellow hen, fluttering away in great fright ." it's aWheeler ! "

"A Wheeler ? " exclaimed Dorothy ." what can that be ? "

"Don't you remember the warning in_the sand: ' beware the Wheelers' ? run, I tell you-- run ! "

so Dorothy ran, and_the Wheeler gave a sharp, wild cry and came after her in full chase .

looking over her shoulder as she ran, the girl now saw a great procession of Wheelers emerging from_the forest--dozens and dozens of_them-- all clad in splendid, tight-fitting garments and all rolling swiftly toward her and uttering their wild, strange cries .

" they're sure to catch us ! " panted the girl, who was still carrying the heavy dinner- pail she had picked ." I_can't run much farther, Billina ."

" climb up this hill,-- quick ! " said the hen; and Dorothy found she was very near to_the heap of loose and jagged rocks they had passed on their way to_the forest . the yellow hen was even now fluttering among_the rocks, and Dorothy followed as best she_could, half climbing and half tumbling up the rough and rugged steep .

she was none too soon, for_the foremost Wheeler reached the hill a moment after her; but while the girl scrambled up the rocks the creature stopped short with howls of rage and disappointment .

Dorothy now heard the yellow hen laughing, in her cackling, henny way .

"Don't hurry, my dear," cried Billina ." they_can't follow us among_these rocks, so we're safe enough now ."

Dorothy stopped at once and sat down upon a broad boulder, for she was all out of breath .

the rest of_the Wheelers had now reached the foot of_the hill, but it_was evident that their wheels would_not roll upon_the rough and jagged rocks, and therefore they were helpless to_follow Dorothy and_the hen to where they had taken refuge . but they circled all around the little hill, so the child and Billina were fast prisoners and could_not come down without being captured .

then the creatures shook their front wheels at Dorothy in athreatening manner, and it seemed they were able to_speak as_well as to_make their dreadful outcries, for several of_them shouted:

" we'll get you in_time, never fear ! and when we_do get you, we'll tear you into little bits ! "

" why are_you so cruel to_me ? " asked Dorothy ."I'm a stranger in your country, and have_done you no harm ."

" no harm ! " cried one who seemed to_be their leader ." did you not pick our lunch-boxes and dinner-pails ? have_you not a stolen dinner- pail still in your hand ? "

"I only picked one of each," she answered ." i_was hungry, and I didn't know the trees were yours ."

" that_is no excuse," retorted the leader, who was clothed in a most gorgeous suit ." it_is_the law here that whoever picks a dinner- pail without our permission must die immediately ."

"Don't you believe him," said Billina ."I'm sure the trees do_not belong to_these awful creatures . they_are fit for any mischief, and it's my opinion they_would try to kill us just the same if_you hadn't picked a dinner- pail ."

" i_think so, too," agreed Dorothy ." but what shall we_do now ? "

" stay where we_are," advised the yellow hen ." we_are safe from_the Wheelers until we starve to death, anyhow; and before_that_time comes a good_many things can happen ."

4 .Tiktok the machine man

after an hour or so most of_the band of Wheelers rolled back into_the forest, leaving only three of_their number to guard the hill . these curled themselves up like big dogs and pretended to_go to sleep on_the sands; but neither Dorothy nor Billina were fooled by_this trick, so they remained in security among_the rocks and paid no attention to_their cunning enemies .

finally the hen, fluttering over the mound, exclaimed: " why, here's a path ! "

so Dorothy at once clambered to where Billina sat, and there, sure enough, was a smooth path cut between_the rocks . it seemed to wind around the mound from top to bottom, like a Cork- screw, twisting here and there between_the rough boulders but always remaining level and easy to walk upon .

indeed, Dorothy wondered at first why the Wheelers did_not roll up this path; but when she followed it to_the foot of_the mound she found that several big pieces of rock had_been placed directly across the end of_the way, thus preventing any_one outside from seeing it and also preventing the Wheelers from using it to climb up the mound .

then Dorothy walked back up the path, and followed it until she came to_the very top of_the hill, where a solitary round rock stood that was bigger than any of_the others surrounding it . the path came to an end just beside this great rock, and for a moment it puzzled the girl to_know why the path had_been made at all . but the hen, who had_been gravely following her around and was now perched upon a point of rock behind Dorothy, suddenly remarked:

" it looks something like a door, doesn't it ? "

" what looks like a door ? " enquired the child .

" why, that crack in_the rock, just facing you," replied Billina, whose little round eyes were very sharp and seemed to_see everything ." it runs up one side and down the other, and across the top and_the bottom ."

" what does ? "

" why, the crack . so i_think it must_be a door of rock, although I_do_not_see any hinges ."

"Oh, yes," said Dorothy, now observing for_the first time the crack in_the rock ." and isn't this a key- hole, Billina ? " pointing to a round, deep hole at one side of_the door .

" of_course . if_we only had the key, now, we_could unlock it and_see what is_there," replied the yellow hen ." may_be it's a treasure chamber full of diamonds and rubies, or heaps of shining gold, or--"

" that reminds me," said Dorothy, " of_the golden key I picked up on_the shore . do_you_think that_it would fit this key- hole, Billina ? "

" try it and_see," suggested the hen .

so Dorothy searched in_the pocket of her dress and found the golden key . and when she had put it into_the hole of_the rock, and turned it, a sudden sharp snap was heard; then, with a solemn creak that made the shivers run down the child's back, the face of_the rock fell outward, like a door on hinges, and revealed a small dark chamber just inside .

" good gracious ! " cried Dorothy, shrinking back as far as_the narrow path would let her .

for, standing within_the narrow chamber of rock, was_the form of a man-- or, at_least, it seemed like a man, in_the dim light . he_was only about as tall as Dorothy herself, and_his body was round as a ball and made out of burnished copper . also his head and limbs were copper, and these were jointed or hinged to_his body in a peculiar way, with metal caps over the joints, like the armor worn by knights in days of old . he stood perfectly still, and where the light struck upon his form it glittered as_if made of pure gold .

"Don't be frightened," called Billina, from her perch ." it isn't alive ."

" I_see it isn't," replied the girl, drawing a long breath .

" it_is only made out of copper, like the old kettle in_the barn- yard at home," continued the hen, turning her head first to one side and then to_the other, so_that both her little round eyes could examine the object .

" once," said Dorothy, " I_knew a man made out of tin, who was a woodman named nick chopper . but he_was as alive as_we_are, ' cause he_was born a real man, and got his tin body a little at_a_time-- first a leg and then a finger and then an ear-- for_the reason that he had so_many accidents with_his axe, and cut himself up in a very careless manner ."

"Oh," said the hen, with a sniff, as_if she did_not believe the story .

" but this copper man," continued Dorothy, looking at it with big eyes, " is_not alive at all, and I wonder what it was_made for, and why it_was locked up in_this queer place ."

" that_is a mystery," remarked the hen, twisting her head to arrange her wing-feathers with her bill .

Dorothy stepped inside the little room to_get a back view of_the copper man, and in_this_way discovered a printed card that hung between his shoulders, it being suspended from a small copper Peg at_the back of_his neck . she unfastened this card and returned to_the path, where the light was better, and sat herself down upon a slab of rock to read the printing .

" what does it say ? " asked the hen, curiously .

Dorothy read the card aloud, spelling out the big words with some difficulty; and this_is what she read:

+----------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | smith & tinker'S | | patent double- action, extra- responsive, | | thought-Creating, perfect-Talking | | mechanical man | | fitted with_our special Clock- work attachment .| | thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does everything but live .| | manufactured only at our Works at Evna, land of Ev .| | all infringements will_be promptly prosecuted according to law .| | | +----------------------------------------------------------------+

" how queer ! " said the yellow hen ." do_you_think that_is all true, my dear ? "

"I don't know," answered Dorothy, who had more to read ." listen to_this, Billina:"

+--------------------------------------------------+ | | | DIRECTIONS for USING: | | for THINKING:-- wind the Clock- work man under his | | left arm, ( marked no .1 .) | | for SPEAKING:-- wind the Clock- work man under his | | right arm, ( marked no .2 .) | | for WALKING and action:-- wind Clock- work in_the | | middle of_his back, ( marked no .3 .) | | N .B .-- this mechanism is guaranteed to work | | perfectly for

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