Oz 07: The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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." any more ? "

" plenty," replied Ojo . so he sat down on a stump and fed the woozy bread and cheese for_a_long_time; for, no matter how_much the boy broke off, the loaf and_the slice remained just as big .

" that'll do," said the woozy, at last; "I'm quite full . I_hope the strange food won't give_me indigestion ."

" I_hope not," said Ojo ." it's what I eat ."

" well, I_must say I'm much obliged, and I'm glad you came," announced the beast ." is_there anything I_can do in return for your kindness ? "

" yes," said Ojo earnestly, " you_have it in your power to_do me a great favor, if_you_will ."

" what_is it ? " asked the woozy ." name the favor and_I_will grant it ."

"I-- i_want three hairs from_the tip of your tail," said Ojo, with some hesitation .

" three hairs ! why, that's all I_have-- on my tail or anywhere else," exclaimed the beast .

" I_know; but i_want them very_much ."

" they_are my sole ornaments, my prettiest feature," said the woozy, uneasily ." if I_give up those three hairs I--I'm just a blockhead ."

" yet I_must_have them," insisted the boy, firmly, and he then told the woozy all about_the accident to Unc Nunkie and Margolotte, and how the three hairs were to_be a part of_the magic charm that_would restore them to life . the beast listened with attention and when Ojo had finished the recital it said, with a sigh:

"I always keep my word, for I pride myself on being square . so you_may_have the three hairs, and welcome . i_think, under such circumstances, it would_be selfish in me to refuse you ."

" thank_you ! thank_you very_much," cried the boy, joyfully ." may I pull out the hairs now ? "

" any_time you like," answered the woozy .

so Ojo went up_to_the queer creature and taking hold of one_of_the hairs began to pull . he pulled harder . he pulled with all his might; but the hair remained fast .

" what's the trouble ? " asked the woozy, which Ojo had dragged here and there all around the clearing in_his endeavor to pull out the hair .

" it won't come," said the boy, panting .

" i_was afraid of_that," declared the beast ." you'll have to pull harder ."

"I'll help_you," exclaimed Scraps, coming to_the boy's side ." you pull the hair, and I'll pull you, and together we ought to_get it out easily ."

" wait ajiffy," called the woozy, and then it went to a tree and hugged it with its front paws, so_that its body couldn't be dragged around by_the pull ." all ready, now . go ahead ! "

Ojo grasped the hair with both hands and pulled with all his strength, while Scraps seized the boy around his waist and added her strength to_his . but the hair wouldn't budge . instead, it slipped out of Ojo's hands and he and Scraps both rolled upon_the ground in a heap and never stopped until they bumped against the rocky cave .

" give it up," advised the glass Cat, as_the boy arose and assisted the patchwork girl to her feet ."A dozen strong men couldn't pull out those hairs .I believe they're clinched on_the under side of_the woozy's thick skin ."

" then what shall I_do ? " asked the boy, despairingly ." if on_our return I fail to_take these three hairs to_the crooked magician, the other things I_have come to seek will_be of no use at all, and we_cannot restore Unc Nunkie and Margolotte to life ."

" they're goners, I guess," said the patchwork girl .

" never mind," added the cat ." I_can't see that old Unc and Margolotte are worth all this trouble, anyhow ."

but Ojo did_not feel that way . he_was so disheartened that he sat down upon a stump and began to cry .

the woozy looked at_the boy thoughtfully .

" why don't you take me with_you ? " asked the beast ." then, when at last you get to_the magician's house, he_can surely find some way to pull out those three hairs ."

Ojo was overjoyed at_this suggestion .

" that's it ! " he cried, wiping away the tears and springing to_his feet with a smile ." if I take_the three hairs to_the magician, it won't matter if_they_are still in your body ."

" it can't matter in_the least," agreed the woozy .

" come on, then," said the boy, picking up his basket; " let_us start at once . I_have several_other things to_find, you_know ."

but the glass Cat gave a little laugh and inquired in her scornful way:

" how do_you intend to_get the beast out of_this forest ? "

that puzzled them all for a time .

" let_us go to_the fence, and then we_may find a way," suggested Scraps . so they walked through_the forest to_the fence, reaching it at a point exactly opposite that where they had entered the enclosure .

" how did you get in ? " asked the woozy .

" we climbed over," answered Ojo .

" I_can't do_that," said the beast ."I'm a very swift runner, for I_can overtake a honey- bee as it flies; and I_can jump very high, which_is the reason they made such a tall fence to_keep me in . but I_can't climb at all, and I'm too big to squeeze between_the bars of_the fence ."

Ojo tried to_think what to_do .

" can_you dig ? " he asked .

" no," answered the woozy, " for I_have no claws . my feet are quite flat on_the bottom of_them . nor can I gnaw away the boards, as I_have no teeth ."

" you're not such a terrible creature, after all," remarked Scraps .

" you haven't heard me growl, or you wouldn't say that," declared the woozy ." when I growl, the sound echoes like thunder all through_the valleys and woodlands, and children tremble with fear, and women cover their heads with their aprons, and big men run and hide .I suppose there_is nothing in_the_world so terrible to listen to as_the growl of a woozy ."

" please don't growl, then," begged Ojo, earnestly .

" there_is no danger of_my growling, for I_am not angry . only when angry do I utter my fearful, ear-splitting, soul-shuddering growl . also, when I_am angry, my eyes flash fire, whether I growl or not ."

" real fire ? " asked Ojo .

" of_course, real fire . do_you suppose they'd flash imitation fire ? " inquired the woozy, in an injured tone .

" in_that case, I've solved the riddle," cried Scraps, dancing with glee ." those fence-boards are made of wood, and if_the woozy stands close to_the fence and lets his eyes flash fire, they_might set fire to_the fence and burn it up . then he_could walk away with_us easily, being free ."

"Ah, I_have never thought of_that plan, or I would_have_been free long_ago," said the woozy ." but I_cannot flash fire from my eyes unless I_am very angry ."

" can't you get angry ' bout something, please ? " asked Ojo .

"I'll try . you just say 'Krizzle-Kroo' to_me ."

" will that make you angry ? " inquired the boy .

" terribly angry ."

" what does it mean ? " asked Scraps .

"I don't know; that's what makes me so angry," replied the woozy .

he then stood close to_the fence, with_his head near one_of_the boards, and Scraps called out "Krizzle-Kroo ! " then Ojo said "Krizzle-Kroo ! " and_the glass Cat said "Krizzle-Kroo ! " the woozy began to tremble with anger and small Sparks darted from_his eyes .Seeing this, they all cried "Krizzle-Kroo ! " together, and_that made the beast's eyes flash fire so fiercely that_the fence- board caught the Sparks and began to smoke . then it burst into flame, and_the woozy stepped back and said triumphantly:

"Aha ! that did the business, all right . it_was a happy thought for_you to yell all together, for_that made me as angry as I_have ever been . fine Sparks, weren't they ? "

"Reg'lar fireworks," replied Scraps, admiringly .

in a few_moments the board had burned to a distance of several feet, leaving an opening big enough for_them all to_pass through .Ojo broke some branches from a tree and with_them whipped the fire until it_was extinguished .

" we don't want to burn the whole fence down," said he, " for_the flames would attract the attention of_the Munchkin farmers, who_would then come and capture the woozy again .I guess they'll be rather surprised when_they find he's escaped ."

" so they_will," declared the woozy, chuckling gleefully ." when_they find I'm gone the farmers will_be badly scared, for they'll expect me to eat up their honey-bees, as I_did before ."

" that reminds me," said the boy, " that you_must promise not to eat honey-bees while you_are in_our company ."

" none at all ? "

" not a bee . you_would get us all into trouble, and we_can't afford to_have any more trouble than is necessary .I'll feed you all the bread and cheese you_want, and that_must satisfy you ."

" all right; I'll promise," said the woozy, cheerfully ." and when I promise anything you_can depend on_it, ' cause I'm square ."

"I don't see what difference that makes," observed the patchwork girl, as_they found the path and continued their journey ." the shape doesn't make a thing honest, does it ? "

" of_course it does," returned the woozy, very decidedly ." no one could trust that crooked magician, for instance, just because he_is crooked; but a square woozy couldn't do anything crooked if he_wanted to ."

" I_am neither square nor crooked," said Scraps, looking down at her plump body .

" no; you're round, so you're liable to_do anything," asserted the woozy ." do_not blame me, miss gorgeous, if I regard you with suspicion . many a satin ribbon has a cotton back ."

Scraps didn't understand this, but she had an uneasy misgiving that she had a cotton back herself . it would settle down, at times, and make her squat and dumpy, and then she had to roll herself in_the road until her body stretched out again .

chapter Ten

shaggy man to_the rescue

they had_not gone very far before bungle, who had run on ahead, came bounding back to_say that_the road of yellow bricks was just before them . at once they hurried forward to_see what this famous road looked like .

it_was a broad road, but not straight, for_it wandered over hill and dale and picked out the easiest places to_go . all its length and breadth was paved with smooth bricks of a bright yellow color, so it_was smooth and level except in a few places where the bricks had crumbled or been removed, leaving holes that might cause the unwary to stumble .

"I wonder," said Ojo, looking up and down the road, " which_way to_go ."

" where are_you bound for ? " asked the woozy .

" the emerald city," he replied .

" then go west," said the woozy ." I_know this road pretty well, for I've chased many a honey- bee over it ."

" have_you ever been to_the emerald city ? " asked Scraps .

" no . I_am very shy by nature, as_you_may_have noticed, so I haven't mingled much in society ."

" are_you afraid of men ? " inquired the patchwork girl .

" me ? with my heart-rending growl-- my horrible, shudderful growl ? i_should say not . I_am not afraid of anything," declared the woozy .

" i_wish I could_say the same," sighed Ojo ."I don't think we_need be afraid when we get to_the emerald city, for Unc Nunkie has told me that Ozma, our girl ruler, is very lovely and kind, and tries to help everyone who_is in trouble . but they say there_are many dangers lurking on_the road to_the great fairy city, and so we_must_be very careful ."

" I_hope nothing will break me," said the glass Cat, in a nervous voice ."I'm a little brittle, you_know, and can't stand many hard knocks ."

" if anything should fade the colors of_my lovely patches it would break my heart," said the patchwork girl .

"I'm not sure you_have a heart," Ojo reminded her .

" then it would break my cotton," persisted Scraps ." do_you_think they_are all fast colors, Ojo ? " she asked anxiously .

" they seem fast enough when_you run," he replied; and then, looking ahead of_them, he exclaimed: "Oh, what lovely trees ! "

they were certainly pretty to look upon and_the travelers hurried forward to observe them more closely .

" why, they_are_not trees at all," said Scraps; " they_are just monstrous plants ."

that_is what they really were: masses of great broad leaves which rose from_the ground far into_the air, until they towered twice as high as_the top of_the patchwork girl's head, who was a little taller than Ojo . the plants formed rows on both sides of_the road and from each plant rose a dozen or more of_the big broad leaves, which swayed continually from side to side, although no wind was blowing . but the most curious thing about_the swaying leaves was their color . they seemed to_have a general groundwork of blue, but here and there other colors glinted at times through_the blue-- gorgeous yellows, turning to pink, purple, orange and scarlet, mingled with more sober browns and grays-- each appearing as a blotch or stripe anywhere on a leaf and then disappearing, to_be replaced by some other color of a different shape . the changeful coloring of_the great leaves was very beautiful, but it_was bewildering, as_well, and_the novelty of_the scene drew our travelers close to_the line of plants, where they stood watching them with rapt interest .

suddenly a leaf bent lower than usual and touched the patchwork girl . swiftly it enveloped her in its embrace, covering her completely in its thick folds, and then it swayed back upon its stem .

" why, she's gone ! " gasped Ojo, in amazement, and listening carefully he thought he_could hear the muffled screams of Scraps coming from_the center of_the folded leaf . but, before he_could think what he ought

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