Oz 07: The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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it's a long way back," declared Dorothy .

" so it_is," remarked the Scarecrow, " and it means a tedious climb over those sharp rocks if_we_can't use this passage . i_think it_will_be best to run by_the giant's cave as fast as_we_can go .Mister Yoop seems_to_be asleep just now ."

but the giant wasn't asleep . he suddenly appeared at_the front of_his cavern, seized the iron bars in_his great hairy hands and shook them until they rattled in their sockets .Yoop was so tall that_our friends had to tip their heads way back to look into his face, and_they noticed he_was dressed all in pink velvet, with silver buttons and braid . the giant's boots were of pink leather and had tassels on them and_his hat was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich feather, carefully curled .

"Yo-ho ! " he_said in a deep bass voice; "I smell dinner ."

" i_think you_are mistaken," replied the Scarecrow ." there_is no orange marmalade around here ."

"Ah, but I eat other things," asserted Mister Yoop ." that_is, I eat them when I_can get them . but this_is a lonely place, and no good meat has passed by my cave for many years; so I'm hungry ."

" haven't you eaten anything in many years ? " asked Dorothy .

" nothing except six ants and a monkey . i_thought the monkey would taste like meat people, but the flavor was different . I_hope_you_will taste better, for_you seem plump and tender ."

"Oh, I'm not going to_be eaten," said Dorothy .

" why_not ? "

" I_shall keep out of your way," she answered .

" how heartless ! " wailed the giant, shaking the bars again ." consider how_many years it_is since I've eaten a single plump little girl ! they tell me meat is going up, but if I_can manage to catch you I'm sure it_will soon be going down . and I'll catch you if I_can ."

with_this the giant pushed his big arms, which looked like tree-trunks ( except that tree- trunks don't wear pink velvet) between_the iron bars, and_the arms were so_long that_they touched the opposite wall of_the rock passage . then he extended them as far as he_could reach toward our travelers and found he_could almost touch the Scarecrow-- but not quite .

" come a little nearer, please," begged the giant .

"I'm aScarecrow ."

"A Scarecrow ? Ugh ! I don't care a straw for ascarecrow . who is_that bright- colored delicacy behind you ? "

" me ? " asked Scraps ."I'm a patchwork girl, and I'm stuffed with cotton ."

" dear me," sighed the giant in adisapointed tone; " that reduces my dinner from four to two-- and_the dog .I'll save the dog for dessert ."

Toto growled, keeping a good distance away .

" back up," said the Scarecrow to_those behind him ." let_us go back a little way and talk this over ."

so they turned and went around the bend in_the passage, where they were out of sight of_the cave and Mister Yoop could_not hear them .

" my idea," began the Scarecrow, when_they had halted, " is to_make a dash past the cave, going on a run ."

" he'd grab us," said Dorothy .

" well, he_can't grab but one at_a_time, and I'll go first . as_soon_as he grabs me the rest of you_can slip past him, out of_his reach, and he_will soon let me go because I_am not fit to eat ."

they decided to_try this plan and Dorothy took Toto in her arms, so as_to protect him . she followed just after_the Scarecrow . then came Ojo, with Scraps the last of_the four . their hearts beat a little faster than usual as_they again approached the giant's cave, this_time moving swiftly forward .

it turned out about_the way the Scarecrow had planned .Mister Yoop was quite astonished to_see them come flying toward him, and thrusting his arms between_the bars he seized the Scarecrow in a firm grip . in_the next instant he realized, from_the way the straw crunched between his fingers, that he had captured the non- eatable man, but during that instant of delay Dorothy and Ojo had slipped by_the giant and were out of reach .Uttering a howl of rage the monster threw the Scarecrow after them with one hand and grabbed Scraps with_the other .

the poor Scarecrow went whirling through_the air and so cleverly was he aimed that he struck Ojo's back and sent the boy tumbling head over heels, and he tripped Dorothy and sent her, also, sprawling upon_the ground .Toto flew out_of_the little girl's arms and landed some distance ahead, and all were so dazed that_it_was a moment before_they could scramble to_their feet again . when_they did so they turned to look toward the giant's cave, and at_that moment the ferocious Mister Yoop threw the patchwork girl at them .

down went all three again, in a heap, with Scraps on top . the giant roared so terribly that for a time they were afraid he had broken loose; but he hadn't . so they sat in_the road and looked at one another in a rather bewildered way, and then began to_feel glad .

" we_did it ! " exclaimed the Scarecrow, with satisfaction ." and now we_are free to_go on_our way ."

"Mister Yoop is very impolite," declared Scraps ." he jarred me terribly . it's lucky my stitches are so fine and strong, for otherwise such harsh treatment might rip me up the back ."

" allow me to apologize for_the giant," said the Scarecrow, raising the patchwork girl to her feet and dusting her skirt with_his stuffed hands ."Mister Yoop is a perfect stranger to_me, but I_fear, from_the rude manner in_which he has acted, that he_is no gentleman ."

Dorothy and Ojo laughed at_this statement and Toto barked as_if he understood the joke, after which they all felt better and resumed the journey in high spirits .

" of_course," said the little girl, when_they had walked a way along the passage, " it_was lucky for_us the giant was caged; for, if he had happened to_be loose, he-- he--"

" perhaps, in_that case, he wouldn't be hungry any more," said Ojo gravely .

chapter Twenty- one

Hip hopper the champion

they_must_have had good courage to climb all those rocks, for after getting out_of_the canyon they encountered more rock hills to_be surmounted .Toto could jump from one rock to another quite easily, but the others had to creep and climb with care, so_that after a whole day of_such work Dorothy and Ojo found themselves very tired .

as_they gazed upward at_the great mass of tumbled rocks that covered the steep incline, Dorothy gave a little groan and said:

" that's going to_be ater'ble hard climb, Scarecrow . i_wish we_could find the dark well without so_much trouble ."

" suppose," said Ojo, " you wait here and let me do_the climbing, for_it's on my account we're searching for_the dark well . then, if I don't find anything, I'll come back and join you ."

" no," replied the little girl, shaking her head positively, " we'll all go together, for_that way we_can help each_other . if_you went alone, something might happen to_you, Ojo ."

so they began the climb and found it indeed difficult, for a way . but presently, in creeping over the big crags, they found a path at their feet which wound in and out among_the masses of rock and was quite smooth and easy to walk upon . as_the path gradually ascended the mountain, although in a roundabout way, they decided to_follow it .

" this must_be the road to_the country of_the Hoppers," said the Scarecrow .

" who_are the Hoppers ? " asked Dorothy .

" some people jack Pumpkinhead told me about," he replied .

"I didn't hear him," replied the girl .

" no; you were asleep," explained the Scarecrow ." but he_told Scraps and me that_the Hoppers and_the Horners live on_this mountain ."

" he_said in_the mountain," declared Scraps; " but of_course he meant on_it ."

"Didn't he say what the Hoppers and Horners were like ? " inquired Dorothy .

" no; he only said they were two separate nations, and_that the Horners were the most important ."

" well, if_we go to_their country we'll find out all about 'em," said the girl ." but I've never heard Ozma mention those people, so they_can't be very_important ."

" is_this mountain in_the land of Oz ? " asked Scraps .

" course it_is," answered Dorothy ." it's in_the south country of_the Quadlings . when one comes to_the edge of Oz, in any direction, there_is nothing more to_be seen at all . once you_could_see sandy desert all around Oz; but now it's diff' rent, and no other people can_see us, any more than we_can_see them ."

" if_the mountain is under Ozma's rule, why doesn't she know about_the Hoppers and_the Horners ? " Ojo asked .

" why, it's a fairyland," explained Dorothy, " and lots of queer people live in places so tucked away that_those in_the emerald city never even hear of 'em . in_the middle of_the country it's diff' rent, but when_you get around the edges you're sure to run into strange little corners that surprise you . I_know, for I've traveled in Oz a good_deal, and so has_the Scarecrow ."

" yes," admitted the straw man, "I've been considerable of a traveler, in my_time, and I like to explore strange places . I_find I learn much more by traveling than by staying at home ."

during this conversation they had_been walking up the steep pathway and now found themselves well up on_the mountain . they_could see nothing around them, for_the rocks beside their path were higher than their heads . nor could they see far in front of_them, because the path was so crooked . but suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and there_was no place to_go . ahead was a big rock lying against the side of_the mountain, and this blocked the way completely .

" there wouldn't be a path, though, if_it didn't go somewhere," said the Scarecrow, wrinkling his forehead in deep thought .

" this_is somewhere, isn't it ? " asked the patchwork girl, laughing at_the bewildered looks of_the others .

" the path is locked, the way is blocked, yet here we've innocently flocked; and now we're here it's rather queer there's no front door that_can_be knocked ."

" please don't, Scraps," said Ojo ." you make me nervous ."

" well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little rest, for_that's adrea'ful steep path ."

as she spoke she leaned against the edge of_the big rock that stood in their way . to her surprise it slowly swung backward and showed behind it a dark hole that looked like the mouth of a tunnel .

" why, here's where the path goes to ! " she exclaimed .

" so it_is," answered the Scarecrow ." but the question is, do we_want to_go where the path does ? "

" it's underground; right inside the mountain," said Ojo, peering into_the dark hole ." perhaps there's a well there; and, if_there_is, it's sure to_be a dark one ."

" why, that's true enough ! " cried Dorothy with eagerness ." let's go in, Scarecrow; ' cause, if others have_gone, we're pretty safe to_go, too ."

Toto looked in and barked, but he_did_not venture to enter until the Scarecrow had bravely gone first .Scraps followed closely after_the straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped inside the tunnel . as_soon_as all of_them had passed the big rock, it slowly turned and filled up the opening again; but now they were no longer in_the dark, for a soft, rosy light enabled them to_see around them quite distinctly .

it_was only a passage, wide enough for two of_them to walk abreast-- with Toto in between_them-- and it had a high, arched roof . they_could_not see where the light which flooded the place so pleasantly came from, for there were no lamps anywhere visible . the passage ran straight for a little way and then made a bend to_the right and another sharp turn to_the left, after which it went straight again . but there were no side passages, so they_could_not lose their way .

after proceeding some distance, Toto, who had gone on ahead, began to bark loudly . they ran around a bend to_see what_was the matter and found a man sitting on_the floor of_the passage and leaning his back against the wall . he had probably been asleep before Toto's barks aroused him, for he_was now rubbing his eyes and staring at_the little dog with all his might .

there_was something about_this man that Toto objected to, and when he slowly rose to_his foot they saw what it_was . he had but one leg, set just below the middle of_his round, fat body; but it_was a stout leg and had a broad, flat foot at_the bottom of it, on_which the man seemed to stand very_well . he had never had but this_one leg, which looked something like a pedestal, and when Toto ran up and made a grab at_the man's ankle he hopped first one_way and then another in a very active manner, looking so frightened that Scraps laughed aloud .

Toto was usually a well behaved dog, but this_time he_was angry and snapped at_the man's leg again and again . this filled the poor fellow with fear, and in hopping out of Toto's reach he suddenly lost his balance and tumbled heel over head upon_the floor . when he sat up he kicked Toto on_the nose and made the dog howl angrily, but Dorothy now ran forward and caught Toto's collar, holding him back .

" do_you surrender ? " she asked the man .

" who ? me ? " asked the hopper .

" yes; you," said the little girl .

"Am I captured ? " he inquired .

" of_course . my dog has captured you," she said .

" well," replied the man, " if I'm captured I_must surrender, for_it's the proper thing to_do .I like to_do everything proper, for_it saves one alot of trouble ."

" it does, indeed," said Dorothy

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