Oz 05: The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17]
spoiled April 9th .

she then went to_the next stone, which read:

here Lies the mortal part of jack PUMPKINHEAD which spoiled October 2nd .

on_the third stone were carved these words:

here Lies the mortal part of jack PUMPKINHEAD which spoiled January 24th .

" poor jack ! " sighed Dorothy ."I'm sorry he had to die in three parts, for I hoped to_see him again ."

" so you shall," declared the tin woodman, " since he_is still alive . come with me to_his house, for jack is now a farmer and lives in_this very pumpkin field ."

they walked over to a monstrous big, hollow pumpkin which had a door and windows cut through_the rind . there_was astovepipe running through_the stem, and six steps had_been built leading up_to_the front door .

they walked up to_this door and looked in . seated on a bench was a man clothed in a spotted shirt, a red vest, and faded blue trousers, whose body was merely sticks of wood, jointed clumsily together . on_his neck was set a round, yellow pumpkin, with a face carved on_it such as a boy often carves on a jack- lantern .

this queer man was engaged in snapping slippery pumpkin-seeds with_his wooden fingers, trying to hit a target on_the other side of_the room with_them . he_did_not know he had visitors until Dorothy exclaimed:

" why, it's jack Pumpkinhead himself ! "

he turned and saw them, and at once came forward to greet the little Kansas girl and nick chopper, and to_be introduced to_their new friends .

button- bright was at first rather shy with_the quaint Pumpkinhead, but jack's face was so jolly and smiling-- being carved that way-- that_the boy soon grew to like him .

" i_thought a while ago that you were buried in three parts," said Dorothy, " but now I_see you're just the same as ever ."

" not quite the same, my dear, for_my mouth is a little more one- sided than it used to_be; but pretty nearly the same .I've a new head, and this_is_the fourth one I've owned since Ozma first made me and brought me to life by sprinkling me with_the magic powder ."

" what became of_the other heads, jack ? "

" they spoiled and I buried them, for they were_not even fit for pies . each_time Ozma has carved me a new head just like the old one, and as my body is by far the largest part of me, I_am still jack Pumpkinhead, no matter how often I change my upper end . once we had a dreadful time to_find another pumpkin, as_they were out of season, and so i_was obliged to wear my old head a little longer than was strictly healthy . but after_this sad experience I resolved to raise pumpkins myself, so as never to_be caught again without one handy; and now I_have this fine field that you_see before_you . some grow pretty big-- too big to_be used for heads-- so I dug out this_one and use it for a house ."

"Isn't it damp ? " asked Dorothy .

" not very . there isn't much left but the shell, you_see, and it_will last a long_time yet ."

" i_think you_are brighter than you used to_be, jack," said the tin woodman ." your last head was a stupid one ."

" the seeds in this_one are better," was_the reply .

" are_you going to Ozma's party ? " asked Dorothy .

" yes," said he, "I wouldn't miss it for anything .Ozma's my parent, you_know, because she built my body and carved my pumpkin head .I'll follow you to_the emerald city to- morrow, where we_shall meet again . I_can't go to- day, because I_have to plant fresh pumpkin-seeds and water the young vines . but give my love to Ozma, and tell her I'll be there in_time for_the jubilation ."

" we_will," she promised; and then they all left him and resumed their journey .

17 . the royal chariot Arrives

the neat yellow houses of_the Winkies were now to_be seen standing here and there along the roadway, giving the country a more cheerful and civilized look . they were farm-houses, though, and set far apart; for in_the land of Oz there were no towns or villages except the magnificent emerald city in its center .

Hedges of evergreen or of yellow roses bordered the broad highway and_the farms showed the care of_their industrious inhabitants . the nearer the travelers came to_the great city the more prosperous the country became, and_they crossed many bridges over the sparkling streams and rivulets that watered the lands .

as_they walked leisurely along the shaggy man said to_the tin woodman:

" what sort of a magic powder was_it that made your friend the Pumpkinhead live ? "

" it_was called the powder of life," was_the answer; " and it_was invented by a crooked sorcerer who lived in_the mountains of_the north country .a witch named Mombi got some_of_this powder from_the crooked sorcerer and took it home with her .Ozma lived with_the witch then, for it_was before she became our princess, while Mombi had transformed her into_the shape of a boy . well, while Mombi was gone to_the crooked sorcerer's, the boy made this pumpkin- headed man to amuse himself, and also with_the hope of frightening the witch with it when she returned . but Mombi was not scared, and she sprinkled the Pumpkinhead with her magic powder of life, to_see if_the powder would work .Ozma was watching, and saw the Pumpkinhead come to life; so_that night she took the pepper- box containing the powder and ran away with it and with jack, in search of adventures .

" next_day they found a wooden saw- horse standing by_the roadside, and sprinkled it with_the powder . it came to life at once, and jack Pumpkinhead rode the saw- horse to_the emerald city ."

" what became of_the saw- horse, afterward ? " asked the shaggy man, much interested in_this story .

"Oh, it's alive yet, and you_will probably meet it presently in_the emerald city .Afterward, Ozma used the last of_the powder to bring the Flying Gump to life; but as_soon_as it had carried her away from her enemies the Gump was taken apart, so it doesn't exist any more ."

" it's too bad the powder of life was all used up," remarked the shaggy man; " it would_be a handy thing to_have around ."

" I_am not so sure of_that, sir," answered the tin woodman ."A while ago the crooked sorcerer who invented the magic powder fell down a precipice and was killed . all his possessions went to a relative-- an old woman named Dyna, who lives in_the emerald city . she went to_the mountains where the sorcerer had lived and brought away everything she thought of value . among them was a small bottle of_the powder of life; but of_course Dyna didn't know it_was a magic powder, at all . it happened she had once had a big blue bear for a pet; but the bear choked to death on afishbone one day, and she loved it so dearly that Dyna made arug of_its skin, leaving the head and four paws on_the hide . she kept the rug on_the floor of her front parlor ."

"I've seen rugs like that," said the shaggy man, nodding, " but never one made from a blue bear ."

" well," continued the tin woodman, " the old woman had an idea that_the powder in_the bottle must_be moth- powder, because it smelled something like moth- powder; so one day she sprinkled it on her bear rug to_keep the moths out of it . she said, looking lovingly at_the skin: ' i_wish my dear bear were alive again ! ' to her horror, the bear rug at once came to life, having been sprinkled with_the magic powder; and now this live bear rug is a great trial to her, and makes her alot of trouble ."

" why ? " asked the shaggy man .

" well, it stands up on its four feet and walks all around, and gets in_the way; and_that spoils it for arug . it can't speak, although it_is alive; for, while its head might say words, it has no breath in a solid body to push the words out of_its mouth . it's a very slimpsy affair altogether, that bear rug, and_the old woman is sorry it came to life . every day she has_to scold it, and make it lie down flat on_the parlor floor to_be walked upon; but sometimes when she goes to market the rug will hump up its back skin, and stand on its four feet, and trot along after her ."

" i_should think Dyna would like that," said Dorothy .

" well, she doesn't; because every_one knows it isn't a real bear, but just a hollow skin, and so of no actual use in_the_world except for arug," answered the tin woodman ." therefore I believe it_is a good thing that all the magic powder of life is now used up, as it can not cause any more trouble ."

" perhaps you're right," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully .

at noon they stopped at a farmhouse, where it delighted the farmer and_his wife to_be_able to_give them a good luncheon . the farm people knew Dorothy, having seen her when she was in_the country before, and_they treated the little girl with as_much respect as_they_did the emperor, because she was a friend of_the powerful princess Ozma .

they had_not proceeded far after leaving this farm- house before coming to a high bridge over a broad river . this river, the tin woodman informed them, was_the boundary between_the country of_the Winkies and_the territory of_the emerald city . the city itself was still a long way off, but all around it_was a green meadow as pretty as a well- kept lawn, and in_this were neither houses nor farms to spoil the beauty of_the scene .

from_the top of_the high bridge they_could see far away the magnificent spires and splendid domes of_the superb city, sparkling like brilliant jewels as_they towered above the emerald walls . the shaggy man drew a deep breath of awe and amazement, for never had he dreamed that such a grand and beautiful place could exist-- even in_the fairyland of Oz .

Polly was so pleased that her violet eyes sparkled like amethysts, and she danced away from her companions across the bridge and into a group of feathery trees lining both the roadsides . these trees she stopped to look at with pleasure and surprise, for their leaves were shaped like ostrich plumes, their feather edges beautifully curled; and all the plumes were tinted in_the same dainty rainbow hues that appeared in polychrome's own pretty gauze gown .

" father ought to_see these trees," she murmured; " they_are almost as lovely as his own rainbows ."

then she gave a start of terror, for beneath the trees came stalking two great beasts, either one big enough to crush the little daughter of_the rainbow with one blow of_his paws, or to eat her up with one snap of_his enormous jaws . one was a tawny lion, as tall as a horse, nearly; the other a striped tiger almost the same size .

Polly was too frightened to scream or to stir; she stood still with awildly beating heart until Dorothy rushed past her and with a glad cry threw her arms around the huge lion's neck, hugging and kissing the beast with evident joy .

"Oh, I'm so glad_to_see you again ! " cried the little Kansas girl ." and_the hungry tiger, too ! how fine you're both looking . are_you well and happy ? "

" we certainly are, Dorothy," answered the lion, in a deep voice that sounded pleasant and kind; " and we_are greatly pleased that you_have come to Ozma's party . it's going to_be a grand affair, I promise you ."

" there_will_be lots of fat babies at_the celebration, I hear," remarked the hungry tiger, yawning so_that his mouth opened dreadfully wide and showed all his big, sharp teeth; " but of_course I_can't eat any of 'em ."

" is your conscience still in good order ? " asked Dorothy, anxiously .

" yes; it rules me like a tyrant," answered the tiger, sorrowfully ." I_can imagine nothing more unpleasant than to own a conscience," and he winked slyly at his friend the lion .

" you're fooling me ! " said Dorothy, with a laugh ."I don't b'lieve you'd eat a baby if_you lost your conscience . come here, Polly," she called, " and be introduced to my friends ."

Polly advanced rather shyly .

" you_have some queer friends, Dorothy," she said .

" the queerness doesn't matter so_long as_they're friends," was_the answer ." this_is_the cowardly lion, who isn't a coward at all, but just thinks he_is . the wizard gave him some courage once, and he has part of it left ."

the lion bowed with great dignity to Polly .

" you_are very lovely, my dear," said he ." I_hope we_shall_be friends when we_are better acquainted ."

" and this_is_the hungry tiger," continued Dorothy ." he_says he longs to eat fat babies; but the truth is he_is never hungry at all, ' cause he gets plenty to eat; and I don't s' pose he'd hurt anybody even if he_was hungry ."

" hush, Dorothy," whispered the tiger; " you'll ruin my reputation if you_are_not more discreet . it isn't what we_are, but what folks think we_are, that counts in_this world . and come to_think of

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17]