Oz 05: The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
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clear . my breath makes me play like an organ, all day-- that bass note is in my left ear .

" how funny ! " exclaimed Dorothy; " he_says his breath makes the music ."

" that's all nonsense," declared the shaggy man; but now the music began again, and_they all listened carefully .

my lungs are full of reeds like those in organs, therefore I suppose, if I breathe in or out my nose, the reeds are bound to play .

so as I breathe to live, you_know, I squeeze out music as I go; I'm very sorry this_is so-- forgive my piping, pray !

" poor man," said polychrome; " he_can't help it . what a great misfortune it_is ! "

" yes," replied the shaggy man; " we_are only obliged to hear this music a short time, until we leave him and go away; but the poor fellow must listen to himself as long as he lives, and_that is enough to drive him crazy .Don't you_think so ? "

"Don't know," said button- bright .Toto said, " bow-wow ! " and_the others laughed .

" perhaps that's why he lives all alone," suggested Dorothy .

" yes; if he had neighbors, they_might do him an injury," responded the shaggy man .

all this while the little fat musicker was breathing the notes:

Tiddle-tiddle-iddle, oom, pom-pom,

and_they had to_speak loud in_order to hear themselves . the shaggy man said:

" who_are you, sir ? "

the reply came in_the shape of_this sing- song:

I'm allegro DA Capo, a very famous man; just find another, high or low, to match me if_you_can . some people try, but can't, to play and_have to practice every day; but I've been musical always, since first my life began .

" why, I b'lieve he's proud of it," exclaimed Dorothy; " and seems to_me I've heard worse music than he makes ."

" where ? " asked button- bright .

"I've forgotten, just now . but Mr DA Capo is certainly a strange person--isn't he ? -- and p'r'aps he's the only_one of_his kind in all the world ."

this praise seemed to_please the little fat musicker, for he swelled out his chest, looked important and sang as follows:

I wear no band around me, and yet I_am a band ! I_do_not strain to_make my strains but, on_the other hand, my toot is always destitute of flats or other errors; to_see sharp and be natural are for_me but minor terrors .

"I don't quite understand that," said polychrome, with a puzzled look; " but perhaps it's because I'm accustomed only to_the music of_the spheres ."

" what's that ? " asked button- bright .

"Oh, Polly means the atmosphere and hemisphere, I s' pose," explained Dorothy .

"Oh," said button- bright .

" bow-wow ! " said Toto .

but the musicker was still breathing his constant

Oom, pom-pom; Oom pom-pom--

and it seemed to jar on_the shaggy man's nerves .

" stop it, can't you ? " he cried angrily; " or breathe in a whisper; or put a clothes- pin on_your nose . do something, anyhow ! "

but the fat one, with a sad look, sang this answer:

music hath charms, and it may soothe even the savage, they say; so if savage you feel just list to my reel, for sooth to_say that's the real way .

the shaggy man had to laugh at_this, and when he laughed he stretched his donkey mouth wide open . said Dorothy:

"I don't know how good his poetry is, but it seems to fit the notes, so_that's all that_can_be 'xpected ."

"I like it," said button- bright, who was staring hard at_the musicker, his little legs spread wide apart . to_the surprise of_his companions, the boy asked this long question:

" if I swallowed a mouth- organ, what would I be ? "

" an organette," said the shaggy man ." but come, my dears; i_think the best thing we_can do is to_continue on_our journey before button- bright swallows anything . we_must try to_find that land of Oz, you_know ."

Hearing this speech the musicker sang, quickly:

if_you go to_the land of Oz please take me along, because on Ozma's birthday I'm anxious to play the loveliest song ever was .

" no thank_you," said Dorothy; " we prefer to travel alone . but if I_see Ozma I'll tell her you_want to_come to her birthday party ."

" let's be going," urged the shaggy man, anxiously .

Polly was already dancing along the road, far in advance, and_the others turned to_follow her .Toto did_not like the fat musicker and made a grab for_his chubby leg . Dorothy quickly caught up the growling little dog and hurried after her companions, who were walking faster than usual in_order to_get out of hearing . they had to climb a hill, and until they got to_the top they_could_not escape the musicker's monotonous piping:

Oom, pom-pom; oom, pom-pom; Tiddle-iddle-widdle, oom, pom-pom; Oom, pom-pom--pah !

as_they passed the brow of_the hill, however, and descended on_the other side, the sounds gradually died away, whereat they all felt much relieved .

"I'm glad I don't have to live with_the organ- man; aren't you, Polly ? " said Dorothy .

" yes indeed," answered the rainbow's daughter .

" he's nice," declared button- bright, soberly .

" I_hope your princess Ozma won't invite him to her birthday celebration," remarked the shaggy man; " for_the fellow's music would drive her guests all crazy . you've given me an idea, button- bright; I believe the musicker must_have swallowed an accordeon in_his youth ."

" what's 'cordeon ? " asked the boy .

" it's a kind of pleating," explained Dorothy, putting down the dog .

" bow-wow ! " said Toto, and ran away at a mad gallop to chase abumble- bee .

9 .Facing the Scoodlers

the country wasn't so pretty now . before_the travelers appeared a rocky plain covered with hills on_which grew nothing green . they were nearing some low mountains, too, and_the road, which before had_been smooth and pleasant to walk upon, grew rough and uneven .

button- bright's little feet stumbled more than once, and polychrome ceased her dancing because the walking was now so difficult that she had no trouble to_keep warm .

it had become afternoon, yet there wasn't a thing for their luncheon except two apples which the shaggy man had taken from_the breakfast table . he divided these into four pieces and gave a portion to each of_his companions . Dorothy and button- bright were glad to_get theirs; but Polly was satisfied with a small bite, and Toto did_not like apples .

" do_you_know," asked the rainbow's daughter, " if this_is_the right road to_the emerald city ? "

" no, I don't," replied Dorothy, " but it's the only road in_this part of_the country, so we_may as_well go to_the end of it ."

" it looks now as_if it might end pretty soon," remarked the shaggy man; " and what shall we_do if_it does ? "

"Don't know," said button- bright .

" if I had my magic belt," replied Dorothy, thoughtfully, " it could do us alot of good just now ."

" what_is your magic belt ? " asked polychrome .

" it's a thing I captured from_the Nome king one day, and it can do ' most any wonderful thing . but I left it with Ozma, you_know; ' cause magic won't work in Kansas, but only in fairy countries ."

" is_this a fairy country ? " asked button- bright .

" i_should think you'd know," said the little girl, gravely ." if_it wasn't a fairy country you couldn't have a fox head and_the shaggy man couldn't have a donkey head, and_the rainbow's daughter would_be invis'ble ."

" what's that ? " asked the boy .

" you don't seem to_know anything, button- bright .Invis'ble is a thing you_can't see ."

" then Toto's invis'ble," declared the boy, and Dorothy found he_was right .Toto had disappeared from view, but they_could hear him barking furiously among_the heaps of grey rock ahead of_them .

they moved forward a little faster to_see what the dog was barking at, and found perched upon a point of rock by_the roadside a curious creature . it had the form of a man, middle- sized and rather slender and graceful; but as it sat silent and motionless upon_the peak they_could see that its face was black as ink, and it wore a black cloth costume made like a Union suit and fitting tight to its skin . its hands were black, too, and its toes curled down, like a bird's . the creature was black all over except its hair, which_was fine, and yellow, banged in front across the black forehead and cut close at_the sides . the eyes, which were fixed steadily upon_the barking dog, were small and sparkling and looked like the eyes of a weasel .

" what in_the_world do_you s' pose that_is ? " asked Dorothy in a hushed voice, as_the little group of travelers stood watching the strange creature .

"Don't know," said button- bright .

the thing gave a jump and turned half around, sitting in_the same place but with_the other side of_its body facing them . instead of being black, it_was now pure white, with a face like that of a clown in a circus and hair of a brilliant purple . the creature could bend either way, and its white toes now curled the same way the black ones on_the other side had done .

" it has a face both front and back," whispered Dorothy, wonderingly; " only there's no back at all, but two fronts ."

Having made the turn, the being sat motionless as before, while Toto barked louder at_the white man than he had done at_the black one .

" once," said the shaggy man, "I had ajumping jack like that, with two faces ."

" was_it alive ? " asked button- bright .

" no," replied the shaggy man; " it worked on strings and was_made of wood ."

" wonder if_this works with strings," said Dorothy; but polychrome cried " look ! " for another creature just like the first had suddenly appeared sitting on another rock, its black side toward them . the two twisted their heads around and showed a black face on_the white side of one and a white face on_the black side of_the other .

" how curious," said polychrome; " and how loose their heads seem_to_be ! are they friendly to_us, do_you_think ? "

" can't tell, Polly," replied Dorothy ." let's ask 'em ."

the creatures flopped first one_way and then the other, showing black or white by turns; and now another joined them, appearing on another rock . our friends had come to a little hollow in_the hills, and_the place where they now stood was surrounded by jagged peaks of rock, except where the road ran through .

" now there_are four of_them," said the shaggy man .

"Five," declared polychrome .

"Six," said Dorothy .

"Lots of 'em ! " cried button- bright; and so there were-- quite a row of_the two- sided black and white creatures sitting on_the rocks all around .

Toto stopped barking and ran between Dorothy's feet, where he crouched down as_if afraid . the creatures did_not look pleasant or friendly, to_be_sure, and_the shaggy man's donkey face became solemn, indeed .

" ask 'em who they_are, and what they_want," whispered Dorothy; so the shaggy man called out in a loud voice:

" who_are you ? "

"Scoodlers ! " they yelled in chorus, their voices sharp and shrill .

" what do_you_want ? " called the shaggy man .

" you ! " they yelled, pointing their thin fingers at_the group; and_they all flopped around, so they were white, and then all flopped back again, so they were black .

" but what do_you_want us for ? " asked the shaggy man, uneasily .

" soup ! " they all shouted, as_if with one voice .

" goodness me ! " said Dorothy, trembling a little; " the Scoodlers must_be reg'lar cannibals ."

"Don't want to_be soup," protested button- bright, beginning to cry .

" hush, dear," said the little girl, trying to comfort him; " we don't any of us want to_be soup . but don't worry; the shaggy man will take care of us ."

" will he ? " asked polychrome, who did_not like the Scoodlers at all, and kept close to Dorothy .

"I'll try," promised the shaggy man; but he looked worried .

Happening just then to_feel the love magnet in_his pocket, he_said to_the creatures, with more confidence:

"Don't you love me ? "

" yes ! " they shouted, all together .

" then you mustn't harm me, or my friends," said the shaggy man, firmly .

" we love you in soup ! " they yelled, and in a flash turned their white sides to_the front .

" how dreadful ! " said Dorothy ." this_is a time, shaggy man, when_you get loved too_much ."

"Don't want to_be soup ! " wailed button- bright again; and Toto began to whine dismally, as_if he didn't want to_be soup, either .

" the_only_thing to_do," said the shaggy man to_his friends, in a low tone, " is to_get out of_this pocket in_the rocks as_soon_as we_can, and leave the Scoodlers behind us . follow me, my dears, and don't pay any attention to what they_do or say ."

with_this, he began to march along the road to_the opening in_the rocks ahead, and_the others kept close behind him . but the Scoodlers closed up in front, as_if to bar their way, and so the shaggy man stooped down and picked up a loose stone, which he threw at_the creatures to scare them from_the path .

at_this the Scoodlers raised a howl . two of_them picked their heads from their shoulders and hurled them at_the shaggy man with_such force that he fell over in a heap, greatly astonished . the two now ran forward with swift leaps, caught up their heads, and put them on again, after which they sprang back to_their positions on_the rocks .

10 .Escaping the soup-Kettle

the shaggy man got up and felt of himself to_see if he_was hurt; but he_was not . one_of_the heads had struck his breast and_the other his left shoulder; yet though they had knocked him down, the heads were_not hard enough

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