Oz 05: The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
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and_his hair and whiskers were shaggy . but his smile was sweet and_his eyes were kind .

" why didn't you_want to_go to Butterfield ? " she asked .

" because a man lives there who owes me fifteen cents, and if I went to Butterfield and he_saw me he'd want to_pay me the money .I don't want money, my dear ."

" why_not ? " she inquired .

" money," declared the shaggy man, "makes people proud and haughty .I don't want to_be proud and haughty . all i_want is to_have people love me; and as long as I own the love magnet, everyone I meet is sure to love me dearly ."

" the love magnet ! why, what's that ? "

"I'll show you, if_you won't tell any_one," he answered, in a low, mysterious voice .

" there isn't any_one to_tell, 'cept Toto," said the girl .

the shaggy man searched in one pocket, carefully; and in another pocket; and in a third . at last he drew out a small parcel wrapped in crumpled paper and tied with a cotton string . he unwound the string, opened the parcel, and took out a bit of metal shaped like a horseshoe . it_was dull and brown, and not very pretty .

" this, my dear," said he, impressively, " is_the wonderful love magnet . it_was given me by an Eskimo in_the sandwich Islands-- where there_are no sandwiches at all-- and as long as I carry it every living thing I meet will love me dearly ."

" why didn't the Eskimo keep it ? " she asked, looking at_the magnet with interest .

" he got tired of being loved and longed for some one to hate him . so he_gave me the magnet and_the very next_day a grizzly bear ate him ."

"Wasn't he sorry then ? " she inquired .

" he didn't say," replied the shaggy man, wrapping and tying the love magnet with great care and putting it away in another pocket ." but the bear didn't seem sorry a bit," he added .

" did you_know the bear ? " asked Dorothy .

" yes; we used to play ball together in_the caviar Islands . the bear loved me because I had the love magnet .I couldn't blame him for eating the Eskimo, because it_was his nature to_do_so ."

" once," said Dorothy, " I_knew a hungry tiger who longed to eat fat babies, because it_was his nature to; but he never ate any because he had a conscience ."

" this bear," replied the shaggy man, with a sigh, " had no conscience, you_see ."

the shaggy man sat silent for several minutes, apparently considering the cases of_the bear and_the tiger, while Toto watched him with an air of great interest . the little dog was doubtless thinking of_his ride in_the shaggy man's pocket and planning to_keep out of reach in_the_future .

at last the shaggy man turned and inquired, " what's your_name, little girl ? "

" my name's Dorothy," said she, jumping up again, " but what_are we going to_do ? we_can't stay here forever, you_know ."

" let's take_the seventh road," he suggested ."Seven is a lucky number for little girls named Dorothy ."

" the seventh from where ? "

" from where you begin to count ."

so she counted seven roads, and_the seventh looked just like all the others; but the shaggy man got up from_the ground where he had_been sitting and started down this road as_if sure it was_the best way to_go; and Dorothy and Toto followed him .

2 . Dorothy Meets button- bright

the seventh road was a good road, and curved this_way and_that-- winding through green meadows and fields covered with daisies and buttercups and past groups of shady trees . there were no houses of any sort to_be seen, and for some distance they met with no living creature at all .

Dorothy began to fear they were getting a good way from_the farm- house, since here everything was strange to her; but it would do no good at all to_go back where the other roads all met, because the next one they chose might lead her just as far from home .

she kept on beside the shaggy man, who whistled cheerful tunes to beguile the journey, until by and by they followed a turn in_the road and saw before them a big chestnut tree making a shady spot over the highway . in_the shade sat a little boy dressed in sailor clothes, who was digging a hole in_the earth with a bit of wood . he_must_have been digging some_time, because the hole was already big enough to drop a football into .

Dorothy and Toto and_the shaggy man came to a halt before_the little boy, who kept on digging in a sober and persistent fashion .

" who_are you ? " asked the girl .

he looked up at her calmly . his face was round and chubby and_his eyes were big, blue and earnest .

"I'm button- bright," said he .

" but what's your real name ? " she inquired .

" button- bright ."

" that isn't a really- truly name ! " she exclaimed .

"Isn't it ? " he asked, still digging .

"' course not . it's just a--a thing to_call you by . you_must_have a name ."

" must I ? "

" to_be_sure . what does your mama call you ? "

he paused in_his digging and tried to_think .

"Papa always said i_was bright as a button; so mama always called me button- bright," he_said .

" what_is your papa's name ? "

" just Papa ."

" what else ? "

"Don't know ."

" never mind," said the shaggy man, smiling ." we'll call the boy button- bright, as his mama does . that name is as good as any, and better than some ."

Dorothy watched the boy dig .

" where do_you live ? " she asked .

"Don't know," was_the reply .

" how did you come here ? "

"Don't know," he_said again .

"Don't you_know where you came from ? "

" no," said he .

" why, he_must_be lost," she said to_the shaggy man . she turned to_the boy once more .

" what_are you going to_do ? " she inquired .

" dig," said he .

" but you_can't dig forever; and what_are you going to_do then ? " she persisted .

"Don't know," said the boy .

" but you_must know something," declared Dorothy, getting provoked .

" must I ? " he asked, looking up in surprise .

" of_course you_must ."

" what must I_know ? "

" what's going to_become of you, for_one_thing," she answered .

" do_you_know what's going to_become of me ? " he asked .

" not-- not 'zactly," she admitted .

" do_you_know what's going to_become of you ? " he continued, earnestly .

" I_can't say I_do," replied Dorothy, remembering her present difficulties .

the shaggy man laughed .

" no one knows everything, Dorothy," he_said .

" but button- bright doesn't seem to_know anything," she declared ." do_you, button- bright ? "

he shook his head, which had pretty curls all over it, and replied with perfect calmness:

"Don't know ."

never before had Dorothy met with anyone who_could give her so little information . the boy was evidently lost, and_his people would_be sure to worry about him . he_seemed two_or_three years younger than Dorothy, and was prettily dressed, as_if someone loved him dearly and took much pains to_make him look well . how, then, did he come to_be in_this lonely road ? she wondered .

near button- bright, on_the ground, lay a sailor hat with a gilt anchor on_the band . his sailor trousers were long and wide at_the bottom, and_the broad collar of_his blouse had gold anchors sewed on its corners . the boy was still digging at his hole .

" have_you ever been to sea ? " asked Dorothy .

" to_see what ? " answered button- bright .

"I mean, have_you ever been where there's water ? "

" yes," said button- bright; " there's a well in_our back yard ."

" you don't understand," cried Dorothy ."I mean, have_you ever been on a big ship floating on a big ocean ? "

"Don't know," said he .

" then why do_you wear sailor clothes ? "

"Don't know," he answered, again .

Dorothy was in despair .

" you're just awful stupid, button- bright," she said .

"Am I ? " he asked .

" yes, you_are ."

" why ? " looking up at her with big eyes .

she was going to_say: "Don't know," but stopped herself in_time .

" that's for_you to answer," she replied .

" it's no use asking button- bright questions," said the shaggy man, who had_been eating another apple; " but someone ought to_take care of_the poor little chap, don't you_think ? so he'd better come along with_us ."

Toto had_been looking with great curiosity in_the hole which the boy was digging, and growing more and more excited every_minute, perhaps thinking that button- bright was after some wild animal . the little dog began barking loudly and jumped into_the hole himself, where he began to dig with_his tiny paws, making the earth fly in all directions . it spattered over the boy . Dorothy seized him and raised him to_his feet, brushing his clothes with her hand .

" stop that, Toto ! " she called ." there aren't any mice or woodchucks in_that hole, so don't be foolish ."

Toto stopped, sniffed at_the hole suspiciously, and jumped out of it, wagging his tail as_if he had done something important .

" well," said the shaggy man, " let's start on, or we won't get anywhere before night comes ."

" where do_you expect to_get to ? " asked Dorothy .

"I'm like button- bright .I don't know," answered the shaggy man, with a laugh ." but I've learned from long experience that every road leads somewhere, or there wouldn't be any road; so it's likely that if_we travel long enough, my dear, we_will come to some place or another in_the end . what place it_will_be we_can't even guess at_this moment, but we're sure to_find out when we get there ."

" why, yes," said Dorothy; " that seems reas'n'ble, shaggy man ."

3 .a queer village

button- bright took the shaggy man's hand willingly; for_the shaggy man had the love magnet, you_know, which_was the reason button- bright had loved him at once . they started on, with Dorothy on one side, and Toto on_the other, the little party trudging along more cheerfully than you might_have supposed . the girl was getting used to queer adventures, which interested her very_much . wherever Dorothy went Toto was sure to_go, like Mary's little lamb . button- bright didn't seem a bit afraid or worried because he_was lost, and_the shaggy man had no home, perhaps, and was as happy in one place as in another .

before long they saw ahead of_them a fine big arch spanning the road, and when_they came nearer they found that_the arch was beautifully carved and decorated with rich colors .a row of peacocks with spread tails ran along the top of it, and all the feathers were gorgeously painted . in_the center was a large fox's head, and_the fox wore a shrewd and knowing expression and had large spectacles over its eyes and a small golden crown with shiny points on top of_its head .

while the travelers were looking with curiosity at_this beautiful arch there suddenly marched out of it a company of soldiers-- only the soldiers were all foxes dressed in uniforms . they wore green jackets and yellow pantaloons, and their little round caps and their high boots were a bright red color . also, there_was a big red bow tied about_the middle of each long, bushy tail . each soldier was armed with a wooden sword having an edge of sharp teeth set in a row, and_the sight of_these teeth at first caused Dorothy to shudder .

a captain marched in front of_the company of fox-soldiers, his uniform embroidered with gold braid to_make it handsomer than_the others .

almost before our friends realized it the soldiers had surrounded them on all sides, and_the captain was calling out in a harsh voice:

" surrender ! you_are our prisoners ."

" what's apris'ner ? " asked button- bright .

"A prisoner is a captive," replied the fox- captain, strutting up and down with much dignity .

" what's a captive ? " asked button- bright .

" you're one," said the captain .

that made the shaggy man laugh

" good afternoon, captain," he_said, bowing politely to all the foxes and very low to_their commander ."I trust you_are in good health, and_that your families are all well ? "

the fox- captain looked at_the shaggy man, and_his sharp features grew pleasant and smiling .

" we're pretty well, thank_you, shaggy man," said he; and Dorothy knew that_the love magnet was working and_that all the foxes now loved the shaggy man because of it . but Toto didn't know this, for he began barking angrily and tried to bite the captain's hairy leg where it showed between his red boots and_his yellow pantaloons .

" stop, Toto ! " cried the little girl, seizing the dog in her arms ." these are our friends ."

" why, so we_are ! " remarked the captain in tones of astonishment ." i_thought at first we were enemies, but it seems you_are friends instead . you_must come with me to_see king Dox ."

" who's he ? " asked button- bright, with earnest eyes .

" king Dox of Foxville; the great and wise sovereign who rules over our community ."

" what's sov'rin, and what's c'u'nity ? " inquired button- bright .

"Don't ask so_many questions, little boy ."

" why ? "

"Ah, why indeed ? " exclaimed the captain, looking at button- bright admiringly ." if_you don't ask questions you_will learn nothing . true enough . i_was wrong . you're a very clever little boy, come to_think of it-- very clever indeed . but now, friends,

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