Oz 07: The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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strong and brave . when_that is accomplished he_is no longer a prisoner, but a good and loyal citizen and everyone is glad that he_is now strong enough to resist doing wrong . you_see, it_is kindness that makes one strong and brave; and so we_are kind to our prisoners ."

Ojo thought this over very carefully ."I had an idea," said he, " that prisoners were always treated harshly, to punish them ."

" that_would_be dreadful ! " cried Tollydiggle ."Isn't one punished enough in knowing he has_done wrong ? Don't you wish, Ojo, with all your heart, that you had_not_been disobedient and broken a law of Oz ? "

"I--I hate to_be different from other people," he admitted .

" yes; one likes to_be respected as highly as his neighbors are," said the woman ." when_you_are tried and found guilty, you_will_be obliged to_make amends, in some way .I don't know just what Ozma will do to_you, because this_is_the first time one of us has broken a law; but you_may_be_sure she will_be just and merciful . here in_the emerald city people are too happy and contented ever to_do wrong; but perhaps you came from some faraway corner of_our land, and having no love for Ozma carelessly broke one of her Laws ."

" yes," said Ojo, "I've lived all my life in_the heart of a lonely forest, where I_saw no one but dear Unc Nunkie ."

" i_thought so," said Tollydiggle ." but now we_have talked enough, so let_us play a game until bedtime ."

chapter Sixteen

princess Dorothy

Dorothy gale was sitting in one of her rooms in_the royal palace, while curled up at her feet was a little black dog with a shaggy coat and very bright eyes . she wore a plain white frock, without any jewels or other ornaments except an emerald- green hair- ribbon, for Dorothy was a simple little girl and had_not_been in_the least spoiled by_the magnificence surrounding her . once the child had lived on_the Kansas prairies, but she seemed marked for adventure, for she had made several trips to_the land of Oz before she came to live there for good . her very best friend was_the beautiful Ozma of Oz, who loved Dorothy so_well that she kept her in her own palace, so as to_be near her . the girl's uncle Henry and aunt Em-- the only relatives she had in_the_world-- had also been brought here by Ozma and given a pleasant home . Dorothy knew almost everybody in Oz, and it_was she who had discovered the Scarecrow, the tin woodman and_the cowardly lion, as_well as Tik-Tok the clockwork man . her life was very pleasant now, and although she had_been made a princess of Oz by her friend Ozma she did_not care much to_be a princess and remained as sweet as when she had_been plain Dorothy gale of Kansas .

Dorothy was reading in a book this evening when Jellia Jamb, the favorite servant- maid of_the palace, came to_say that_the shaggy man wanted to_see her .

" all right," said Dorothy; " tell him to_come right up ."

" but he has some queer creatures with_him-- some_of_the queerest I've ever laid eyes on," reported Jellia .

" never mind; let 'em all come up," replied Dorothy .

but when_the door opened to admit not_only the shaggy man, but Scraps, the woozy and_the glass Cat, Dorothy jumped up and looked at her strange visitors in amazement . the patchwork girl was_the most curious of all and Dorothy was uncertain at first whether Scraps was really alive or only a dream or a nightmare .Toto, her dog, slowly uncurled himself and going to_the patchwork girl sniffed at her inquiringly; but soon he lay down again, as_if to_say he had no interest in_such an irregular creation .

" you're a new one to_me," Dorothy said reflectively, addressing the patchwork girl ." I_can't imagine where you've come from ."

" who, me ? " asked Scraps, looking around the pretty room instead of at_the girl ."Oh, I_came from a bed- quilt, I guess . that's what they say, anyhow . some call it a crazy- quilt and some a patchwork quilt . but my name is Scraps-- and now you_know all about me ."

" not quite all," returned Dorothy with a smile ." i_wish you'd tell me how you came to_be alive ."

" that's an easy job," said Scraps, sitting upon a big upholstered chair and making the springs bounce her up and down ."Margolotte wanted a slave, so she made me out of an old bed- quilt she didn't use . cotton stuffing, suspender- button eyes, red velvet tongue, pearl beads for teeth . the crooked magician made a powder of life, sprinkled me with it and-- here I_am . perhaps you've noticed my different colors .a very refined and educated gentleman named the Scarecrow, whom I met, told me I_am the most beautiful creature in all Oz, and I believe it ."

"Oh ! have_you met our Scarecrow, then ? " asked Dorothy, a little puzzled to understand the brief history related .

" yes; isn't he jolly ? "

" the Scarecrow has many good qualities," replied Dorothy ." but I'm sorry to hear all this ' bout the crooked magician .Ozma'll be mad as hops when she hears he's been doing magic again . she told him not to ."

" he only practices magic for_the benefit of_his own family," explained bungle, who was keeping at a respectful distance from_the little black dog .

" dear me," said Dorothy; "I hadn't noticed you before . are_you glass, or what ? "

"I'm glass, and transparent, too, which_is more than can_be said of some folks," answered the cat ." also I_have some lovely pink brains; you_can see 'em work ."

"Oh; is_that so ? come over here and let me see ."

the glass Cat hesitated, eyeing the dog .

" send that beast away and_I_will," she said .

" beast ! why, that's my dog Toto, an' he's the kindest dog in all the world .Toto knows a good_many things, too; ' most as_much as I_do, I guess ."

" why doesn't he say anything ? " asked bungle .

" he_can't talk, not being a fairy dog," explained Dorothy ." he's just a common United_States dog; but that's a good_deal; and I understand him, and he understands me, just as_well as_if he_could talk ."

Toto, at_this, got up and rubbed his head softly against Dorothy's hand, which she held out to him, and he looked up into her face as_if he had understood every word she had said .

" this cat, Toto," she said to him, " is made of glass, so you mustn't bother it, or chase it, any more than you_do my pink kitten . it's prob'ly brittle and might break if_it bumped against anything ."

" woof ! " said Toto, and_that meant he understood .

the glass Cat was so proud of her pink brains that she ventured to_come close to Dorothy, in_order_that the girl might " see 'em work ." this_was really interesting, but when Dorothy patted the cat she found the glass cold and hard and unresponsive, so she decided at once that bungle would never do for a pet .

" what do_you_know about_the crooked magician who lives on_the mountain ? " asked Dorothy .

" he_made me," replied the cat; " so I_know all about him . the patchwork girl is new-- three or four days old-- but I've lived with Dr .Pipt for years; and, though I don't much care for him, i_will say that he has always refused to work magic for any of_the people who come to_his house . he thinks there's no harm in doing magic things for_his own family, and he_made me out of glass because the meat cats drink too_much milk . he also made Scraps come to life so she_could do_the housework for_his wife Margolotte ."

" then why did you both leave him ? " asked Dorothy .

" i_think you'd better let me explain that," interrupted the shaggy man, and then he_told Dorothy all of Ojo's story and how Unc Nunkie and Margolotte had accidentally been turned to marble by_the liquid of petrifaction . then he related how the boy had started out in search of_the things needed to make_the magic charm, which would restore the unfortunates to life, and how he had found the woozy and taken him along because he_could_not pull the three hairs out of_its tail . Dorothy listened to all this with much interest, and thought that so_far Ojo had acted very_well . but when_the shaggy man told her of_the Munchkin boy's arrest by_the soldier with_the green Whiskers, because he_was accused of wilfully breaking a law of Oz, the little girl was greatly shocked .

" what do_you s' pose he's done ? " she asked .

" I_fear he has picked asix-leaved clover," answered the shaggy man, sadly ." I_did_not see him do_it, and I warned him that to_do_so was against the law; but perhaps that_is what he_did, nevertheless ."

"I'm sorry ' bout that," said Dorothy gravely, " for now there_will_be no one to help his poor uncle and Margolotte 'cept this patchwork girl, the woozy and_the glass Cat ."

"Don't mention it," said Scraps ." that's no affair of_mine .Margolotte and Unc Nunkie are perfect strangers to_me, for_the moment I_came to life they came to marble ."

" I_see," remarked Dorothy with a sigh of regret; " the woman forgot to_give_you a heart ."

"I'm glad she did," retorted the patchwork girl ."A heart must_be a great annoyance to one . it makes a person feel sad or sorry or devoted or sympathetic-- all of_which sensations interfere with one's happiness ."

" I_have a heart," murmured the glass Cat ." it's made of a ruby; but I don't imagine I_shall let it bother me about helping Unc Nunkie and Margolotte ."

" that's a pretty hard heart of yours," said Dorothy ." and_the woozy, of_course--"

" why, as for_me," observed the woozy, who was reclining on_the floor with_his legs doubled under him, so_that he looked much like a square box, " I_have never seen those unfortunate people you_are speaking of, and yet I_am sorry for_them, having at times been unfortunate myself . when i_was shut up in_that forest I longed for some one to help me, and by and by Ojo came and did help me . so I'm willing to help his uncle .I'm only a stupid beast, Dorothy, but I_can't help that, and if_you'll tell me what to_do to help Ojo and_his uncle, I'll gladly do_it ."

Dorothy walked over and patted the woozy on_his square head .

" you're not pretty," she said, " but I like you . what_are you able to_do; anything ' special ? "

" I_can make my eyes flash fire-- real fire-- when I'm angry . when anyone says: 'Krizzle-Kroo' to_me I get angry, and then my eyes flash fire ."

"I don't see as fireworks could help Ojo's uncle," remarked Dorothy ." can_you do anything else ? "

"I-- i_thought I had a very terrifying growl," said the woozy, with hesitation; " but perhaps i_was mistaken ."

" yes," said the shaggy man, " you were certainly wrong about_that ." then he turned to Dorothy and added: " what_will become of_the Munchkin boy ? "

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head thoughtfully ."Ozma will see him ' bout it, of_course, and then she'll punish him . but how, I don't know, ' cause no one ever has_been punished in Oz since I_knew anything about_the place . too bad, shaggy man, isn't it ? "

while they were talking Scraps had_been roaming around the room and looking at all the pretty things it contained . she had carried Ojo's basket in her hand, until now, when she decided to_see what_was inside it . she found the bread and cheese, which she had no use for, and_the bundle of charms, which were curious but quite a mystery to her . then, turning these over, she came upon_the six-leaved clover which the boy had plucked .

Scraps was quick-witted, and although she had no heart she recognized the fact that Ojo was her first friend . she knew at once that because the boy had taken the clover he had_been imprisoned, and she understood that Ojo had given her the basket so they_would not find the clover in_his possession and_have proof of_his crime . so, turning her head to_see that no one noticed her, she took the clover from_the basket and dropped it into a golden vase that stood on Dorothy's table . then she came forward and said to Dorothy:

"I wouldn't care to help Ojo's uncle, but i_will help Ojo . he_did_not break the law-- no one can prove he_did-- and_that green- whiskered soldier had no right to arrest him ."

"Ozma ordered the boy's arrest," said Dorothy, " and of_course she knew what she was doing . but if_you_can prove Ojo is innocent they_will set him free at once ."

" they'll have to_prove him guilty, won't they ? '' asked Scraps .

"I s' pose so ."

" well, they_can't do_that," declared the patchwork girl .

as it_was nearly time for Dorothy to dine with Ozma, which she did every evening, she rang for a servant and ordered the woozy taken to a nice room and given plenty of_such food as he liked best .

" that's honey-bees," said the woozy .

" you_can't eat honey-bees, but you'll be given something just as nice," Dorothy told him . then she had the glass Cat taken to another room for_the night and_the patchwork girl she kept in one of her own rooms, for she was much interested in_the strange creature and wanted to_talk with her again and try to understand her better .

chapter Seventeen

Ozma and her friends

the shaggy man had a room of_his own in_the royal palace, so there he went to_change his shaggy suit of clothes for

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