Oz 10: Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum
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so draw me to_the top ."

" i_will try to do_that," replied Inga, and he let the bucket down very carefully until he heard the king call out:

"I've got it ! now pull me up -- slowly, my boy, slowly -- so I won't rub against the rough sides ."

Inga began winding up the chain, but king Rinkitink was so fat that he_was very heavy and by_the_time the boy had managed to pull him halfway up the well his strength was gone . he clung to_the crank as long as possible, but suddenly it slipped from_his grasp and_the next minute he heard Rinkitink fall " plump ! " into_the water again .

" that's too bad ! " called Inga, in real distress; " but you were so heavy I couldn't help it ."

" dear me ! " gasped the king, from_the darkness below, as he spluttered and coughed to_get the water out of_his mouth ." why didn't you tell me you were going to let go ? "

"I hadn't time," said Inga, sorrowfully .

" well, I'm not suffering from thirst," declared the king, " for there's enough water inside me to float all the boats of Regos and Coregos or at_least it feels that way . but never mind ! so_long as I'm not actually drowned, what does it matter ? "

" what shall we_do next ? " asked the boy anxiously .

" call someone to help_you," was_the reply .

" there_is no one on_the island but myself," said the boy; "-- excepting you," he added, as an afterthought .

"I'm not on_it -- more's the pity ! -- but in_it," responded Rinkitink ." are the warriors all gone ? "

" yes," said Inga, " and they_have taken my father and mother, and all our people, to_be their slaves," he added, trying in vain to repress a sob .

" so -- so ! " said Rinkitink softly; and then he paused a moment, as_if in thought . finally he_said: " there_are worse things than slavery, but I never imagined a well could_be one_of_them . tell me, Inga, could you let down some food to_me ? I'm nearly starved, and if_you_could manage to send me down some food I'd be well fed -- hoo, hoo, heek, keek, eek ! -- well fed . do you_see the joke, Inga ? "

" do_not ask me to enjoy a joke just now, your majesty," begged Inga in a sad voice; " but if_you_will_be patient i_will try to_find something for_you to eat ."

he ran back to_the ruins of_the palace and began searching for bits of food with_which to satisfy the hunger of_the king, when to_his surprise he observed the goat, Bilbil, wandering among_the marble blocks .

" what ! " cried Inga ."Didn't the warriors get you, either ? "

" if_they had," calmly replied Bilbil, "I shouldn't be here ."

" but how did you escape ? " asked the boy .

" easily enough .I kept my mouth shut and stayed away from_the rascals," said the goat ." I_knew that_the soldiers would_not care for a skinny old beast like me, for to_the eye of a stranger I seem good for nothing . had they known I_could talk, and_that my head contained more wisdom than a hundred of_their own noddles, I might_not have escaped so easily ."

" perhaps you_are right," said the boy .

"I suppose they got the old man ? " carelessly remarked Bilbil .

" what old man ? "

"Rinkitink ."

"Oh, no ! his majesty is at_the bottom of_the well," said Inga, " and I don't know how to_get him out again ."

" then let him stay there," suggested the goat .

" that_would_be cruel . I_am_sure, Bilbil, that you_are fond of_the good king, your master, and do_not mean what you say . together, let_us find some way to save poor king Rinkitink . he_is a very jolly companion, and has a heart exceedingly kind and gentle ."

"Oh, well; the old boy isn't so bad, taken altogether," admitted Bilbil, speaking in a more friendly tone ." but his bad jokes and fat laughter tire me dreadfully, at times ."

prince Inga now ran back to_the well, the goat following more leisurely .

" here's Bilbil ! " shouted the boy to_the king ." the enemy didn't get him, it seems ."

" that's lucky for_the enemy," said Rinkitink ." but it's lucky for_me, too, for perhaps the beast can assist me out of_this hole . if_you_can let a rope down the well, I_am_sure that you and Bilbil, pulling together, will_be_able to drag me to_the earth's surface ."

" be patient and we_will make_the attempt," replied Inga encouragingly, and he ran to search . the ruins for a rope . presently he_found one that had_been used by_the warriors in toppling over the towers, which in their haste they had neglected to remove, and with some difficulty he untied the knots and carried the rope to_the mouth of_the well .

Bilbil had lain down to sleep and_the refrain of a merry song came in muffled tones from_the well, proving that Rinkitink was making a patient endeavor to amuse himself .

"I've found a rope ! " Inga called down to him; and then the boy proceeded to_make a loop in one end of_the rope, for_the king to_put his arms through, and_the other end he placed over the drum of_the windlass . he now aroused Bilbil and fastened the rope firmly around the goat's shoulders .

" are_you ready ? " asked the boy, leaning over the well .

" I_am," replied the king .

" and I_am not," growled the goat, " for I_have_not_yet had my nap out . old Rinki will_be safe enough in_the well until I've slept an hour or two longer ."

" but it_is damp in_the well," protested the boy, " and king Rinkitink may catch the rheumatism, so_that he_will_have to ride upon your back wherever he goes ."

Hearing this, Bilbil jumped up at once .

" let's get him out," he_said earnestly .

" hold fast ! " shouted Inga to_the king . then he seized the rope and helped Bilbil to pull . they soon found the task more difficult than they had supposed . once_or_twice the king's weight threatened to drag both the boy and_the goat into_the well, to_keep Rinkitink company . but they pulled sturdily, being aware of_this danger, and at last the king popped out_of_the hole and fell sprawling full length upon_the ground .

for a time he lay panting and breathing hard to_get his breath back, while Inga and Bilbil were likewise worn out from their long strain at_the rope; so the three rested quietly upon_the grass and looked at one another in silence .

finally Bilbil said to_the king: "I'm surprised at you . why were you so foolish as to_fall down that well ? Don't you_know it's a dangerous thing to_do ? you might_have broken your neck in_the fall, or been drowned in_the water ."

"Bilbil," replied the king solemnly, " you're a goat . do_you imagine I fell down the well on purpose ? "

"I imagine nothing," retorted Bilbil ."I only know you were there ."

" there ? Heh-heh-heek-keek-eek ! to_be_sure i_was there," laughed Rinkitink ." there in a dark hole, where there_was no light; there in a watery well, where the wetness soaked me through and through -- keek-eek-eek- eek ! -- through and through ! "

" how did it happen ? " inquired Inga .

" i_was running away from_the enemy," explained the king, " and i_was carelessly looking over my shoulder at_the same time, to_see if_they were chasing me . so I_did_not see the well, but stepped into_it and found myself tumbling down to_the bottom .I struck the water very neatly and began struggling to_keep myself from drowning, but presently I_found that when I stood upon my feet on_the bottom of_the well, that my chin was just above the water . so I stood still and yelled for help; but no one heard me ."

" if_the warriors had heard you," said Bilbil, " they_would_have pulled you out and carried you away to_be a slave . then you_would_have_been obliged to work for aliving, and that_would_be a new experience ."

" work ! " exclaimed Rinkitink ." me work ? Hoo, hoo, heek-keek-eek ! how absurd ! I'm so stout -- not to_say chubby -- not to_say fat -- that I_can hardly walk, and I couldn't earn my salt at hard work . so I'm glad the enemy did_not find me, Bilbil . how_many others escaped ? "

" that I_do_not know," replied the boy, " for I_have_not_yet had time to visit the other parts of_the island . when_you have rested and satisfied your royal hunger, it might_be well for_us to look around and_see what the thieving warriors of Regos and Coregos have left us ."

" an excellent idea," declared Rinkitink ." I_am somewhat feeble from my long confinement in_the well, but I_can ride upon Bilbil's back and we_may as_well start at once ."

Hearing this, Bilbil cast a surly glance at his master but said nothing, since it_was really the goat's business to carry king Rinkitink wherever he desired to_go .

they first searched the ruins of_the palace, and where the kitchen had once been they found a small quantity of food that had_been half hidden by a block of marble . this they carefully placed in asack to preserve it for future use, the little fat king having first eaten as_much as he cared for . this consumed some_time, for Rinkitink had_been exceedingly hungry and liked to eat in a leisurely manner . when he had finished the meal he straddled Bilbil's back and set out to explore the island, prince Inga walking by his side .

they found on every hand ruin and desolation . the houses of_the people had_been pilfered of all valuables and then torn down or burned . not a boat had_been left upon_the shore, nor was there a single person, man or woman or child, remaining upon_the island, save themselves . the only inhabitants of Pingaree now consisted of a fat little king, a boy and a goat .

even Rinkitink, merry hearted as he_was, found it hard to laugh in_the face of_this mighty disaster . even the goat, contrary to its usual habit, refrained from saying anything disagreeable . as for_the poor boy whose home was now a wilderness, the tears came often to_his eyes as he marked the ruin of_his dearly loved island .

when, at nightfall, they reached the lower end of Pingaree and found it swept as bare as_the rest, Inga's grief was almost more than he_could bear . everything had_been swept from_him -- parents, home and country -- in so brief a time that his bewilderment was equal to_his sorrow .

since no house remained standing, in_which they_might sleep, the three wanderers crept beneath the overhanging branches of acassa tree and curled themselves up as comfortably as possible . so tired and exhausted were they by_the day's anxieties and griefs that their troubles soon faded into_the mists of dreamland . beast and king and boy slumbered peacefully together until wakened by_the singing of_the birds which greeted the dawn of a new day .

chapter Five

the three Pearls

when king Rinkitink and prince Inga had bathed themselves in_the sea and eaten a simple breakfast, they began wondering what they_could do to improve their condition .

" the poor people of Gilgad," said Rinkitink cheerfully, " are little likely ever again to behold their king in_the flesh, for_my boat and my rowers are gone with everything else . let_us face the fact that we_are imprisoned for life upon_this island, and_that our lives will_be short unless we_can secure more to eat than is in_this small sack ."

"I'll not starve, for I_can eat grass," remarked the goat in a pleasant tone -- or a tone as pleasant as Bilbil could assume .

" true, quite true," said the king . then he_seemed thoughtful for a moment and turning to Inga he asked: " do_you_think, prince, that if_the worst comes, we_could eat Bilbil ? "

the goat gave a groan and cast a reproachful look at his master as he_said:

" monster ! would you, indeed, eat your old friend and servant ? "

" not if I_can help it, Bilbil," answered the king pleasantly ." you_would make aremarkably tough morsel, and my teeth are_not as good as_they once were .

while this talk was in progress Inga suddenly remembered the three pearls which his father had hidden under the tiled floor of_the banquet hall . without doubt king Kitticut had_been so suddenly surprised by_the invaders that he had found no opportunity to_get the pearls, for otherwise the fierce warriors would_have_been defeated and driven out of Pingaree . so they_must still be in their hiding place, and Inga believed they_would prove of great assistance to him and_his comrades in_this hour of need . but the palace was a mass of ruins; perhaps he_would_be unable now to_find the place where the pearls were hidden .

he_said nothing of_this to Rinkitink, remembering that his father had charged him to preserve the secret of_the pearls and of_their magic powers . nevertheless, the thought of securing the wonderful treasures of_his ancestors gave the boy new hope .

he stood up and said to_the king:

" let_us return to_the other end of Pingaree . it_is more pleasant than here in_spite of_the desolation of_my father's palace . and there, if anywhere, we_shall discover a way out of_our difficulties ."

this suggestion met with Rinkitink's approval and_the little party at once started upon_the return journey . as_there_was no occasion to delay upon_the way, they reached the big end of_the island about_the middle of_the day and at once began searching the ruins of_the palace .

they found, to_their satisfaction, that one room at_the bottom of atower was still habitable, although the roof was broken in and_the place was somewhat littered with stones . the king was, as he_said, too fat to_do any hard work, so he sat down on a block of marble and watched Inga clear the room of_its rubbish . this done, the boy hunted through_the ruins until he discovered a stool and an armchair that had_not_been broken beyond use . some bedding and a mattress were also found,

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