Oz 05: The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
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the road to Oz

in_which is related how Dorothy gale of Kansas, the shaggy man, button bright, and polychrome the rainbow's daughter met on an enchanted road and followed it all the way to_the marvelous land of Oz .

by L . frank Baum

" royal historian of Oz"

Contents

-- to my Readers--
1 . the way to Butterfield
2 . Dorothy Meets button- bright
3 .a queer village
4 . king Dox
5 . the rainbow's daughter
6 . the city of Beasts
7 . the shaggy man's transformation
8 . the Musicker
9 .Facing the Scoodlers
10 .Escaping the soup-Kettle
11 .Johnny Dooit Does it
12 . the deadly desert Crossed
13 . the truth pond
14 .Tik-Tok and Billina
15 . the emperor's tin castle
16 . visiting the pumpkin- field
17 . the royal chariot Arrives
18 . the emerald city
19 . the shaggy man's welcome
20 . princess Ozma of Oz
21 . Dorothy Receives the Guests
22 . important Arrivals
23 . the grand banquet
24 . the birthday celebration

to my Readers

well, my dears, here_is what you_have asked for: another "Oz book" about Dorothy's strange adventures .Toto is in_this story, because you_wanted him to_be there, and many_other characters which you_will recognize are in_the story, too . indeed, the wishes of_my little correspondents have_been considered as carefully as possible, and if_the story is_not exactly as_you_would_have written it yourselves, you_must remember that a story has_to be a story before it can_be written down, and_the writer cannot change it much without spoiling it .

in_the preface to " Dorothy and_the wizard of Oz" I_said i_would like to write some stories that were_not "Oz" stories, because i_thought I had written about Oz long enough; but since that volume was published I_have_been fairly deluged with letters from children imploring me to " write more about Dorothy," and " more about Oz," and since I write only to_please the children I_shall try to respect their wishes .

there_are some new characters in_this book that ought to win your live .I'm very fond of_the shaggy man myself, and i_think you_will like him, too . as for polychrome-- the rainbow's daughter-- and stupid little button- bright, they seem to_have brought a new element of fun into these Oz stories, and I_am_glad I discovered them . yet I_am anxious to_have_you write and tell me how you like them .

since_this book was written I_have received some very remarkable News from_the land of Oz, which_has greatly astonished me .I believe it_will astonish you, too, my dears, when_you hear it . but it_is such a long and exciting story that_it must_be saved for another book-- and perhaps that book will_be the last story that_will ever be told about_the land of Oz .

L . frank BAUM

Coronado, 1909 .

1 . the way to Butterfield

" please, miss," said the shaggy man, " can_you tell me the road to Butterfield ? "

Dorothy looked him over . yes, he_was shaggy, all right, but there_was a twinkle in_his eye that seemed pleasant .

"Oh yes," she replied; " I_can tell you . but it isn't this road at all ."

" no ? "

" you cross the ten- acre lot, follow the lane to_the highway, go north to_the five branches, and take-- let me see--"

" to_be_sure, miss; see as far as Butterfield, if_you like," said the shaggy man .

" you take_the branch next the willow stump, I b'lieve; or else the branch by_the gopher holes; or else--"

" won't any of 'em do, miss ? "

"' course not, shaggy man . you_must take_the right road to_get to Butterfield ."

" and_is that_the one by_the gopher stump, or--"

" dear me ! " cried Dorothy ." I_shall_have to show you the way, you're so stupid . wait a minute till I run in_the house and get my sunbonnet ."

the shaggy man waited . he had an oat- straw in_his mouth, which he chewed slowly as_if it tasted good; but it didn't . there_was an apple- tree beside the house, and some apples had fallen to_the ground . the shaggy man thought they_would taste better than_the oat- straw, so he walked over to_get some .a little black dog with bright brown eyes dashed out_of_the farm- house and ran madly toward the shaggy man, who had already picked up three apples and put them in one_of_the big wide pockets of_his shaggy coat . the little dog barked and made a dive for_the shaggy man's leg; but he grabbed the dog by_the neck and put it in_his big pocket along with_the apples . he_took more apples, afterward, for many were on_the ground; and each_one that he tossed into his pocket hit the little dog somewhere upon_the head or back, and made him growl . the little dog's name was Toto, and he_was sorry he had_been put in_the shaggy man's pocket .

pretty soon Dorothy came out_of_the house with her sunbonnet, and she called out:

" come on, shaggy man, if_you_want me to show you the road to Butterfield ." she climbed the fence into_the ten- acre lot and he followed her, walking slowly and stumbling over the little hillocks in_the pasture as_if he_was thinking of something else and did_not notice them .

" my, but you're clumsy ! " said the little girl ." are your feet tired ? "

" no, miss; it's my whiskers; they tire very easily in_this warm weather," said he ." i_wish it would snow, don't you ? "

"' course not, shaggy man," replied Dorothy, giving him a severe look ." if_it snowed in August it would spoil the corn and_the oats and_the wheat; and then uncle Henry wouldn't have any crops; and that_would make him poor; and--"

" never mind," said the shaggy man ." it won't snow, I guess . is_this the lane ? "

" yes," replied Dorothy, climbing another fence; "I'll go as far as_the highway with_you ."

"Thankee, miss; you're very kind for your size, I'm sure," said he gratefully .

" it isn't everyone who knows the road to Butterfield," Dorothy remarked as she tripped along the lane; " but I've driven there many a time with uncle Henry, and so I b'lieve I_could find it blindfolded ."

"Don't do_that, miss," said the shaggy man earnestly; " you_might make a mistake ."

"I won't," she answered, laughing ." here's the highway . now it's the second-- no, the third turn to_the left-- or else it's the fourth . let's see . the first one is by_the elm tree, and_the second is by_the gopher holes; and then--"

" then what ? " he inquired, putting his hands in_his coat pockets .Toto grabbed a finger and bit it; the shaggy man took his hand out of_that pocket quickly, and said "Oh ! "

Dorothy did_not notice . she was shading her eyes from_the sun with her arm, looking anxiously down the road .

" come on," she commanded ." it's only a little way farther, so I_may as_well show you ."

after a while, they came to_the place where five roads branched in different directions; Dorothy pointed to one, and said:

" that's it, shaggy man ."

"I'm much obliged, miss," he_said, and started along another road .

" not that one ! " she cried; " you're going wrong ."

he stopped .

" i_thought you said that other was_the road to Butterfield," said he, running his fingers through his shaggy whiskers in a puzzled way .

" so it_is ."

" but I don't want to_go to Butterfield, miss ."

" you don't ? "

" of_course not . i_wanted you to show me the road, so I shouldn't go there by mistake ."

"Oh ! where do_you_want to_go, then ? "

"I'm not particular, miss ."

this answer astonished the little girl; and it made her provoked, too, to_think she had taken all this trouble for nothing .

" there_are a good_many roads here," observed the shaggy man, turning slowly around, like a human windmill ."Seems to_me a person could go ' most anywhere, from_this place ."

Dorothy turned around too, and gazed in surprise . there were a good_many roads; more than she had ever seen before . she tried to count them, knowing there ought_to_be five, but when she had counted seventeen she grew bewildered and stopped, for_the roads were as_many as_the spokes of a wheel and ran in every direction from_the place where they stood; so if she kept on counting she was likely to count some_of_the roads twice .

" dear me ! " she exclaimed ." there used to_be only five roads, highway and all . and now-- why, where's the highway, shaggy man ? "

" can't say, miss," he responded, sitting down upon_the ground as_if tired with standing ."Wasn't it here a minute ago ? "

" i_thought so," she answered, greatly perplexed ." and I_saw the gopher holes, too, and_the dead stump; but they're not here now . these roads are all strange-- and what alot of_them there_are ! where do_you suppose they all go to ? "

"Roads," observed the shaggy man, "don't go anywhere . they stay in one place, so folks can walk on them ."

he put his hand in_his side- pocket and drew out an apple-- quick, before Toto could bite him again . the little dog got his head out this_time and said " bow-wow ! " so loudly that_it made Dorothy jump .

"O, Toto ! " she cried; " where did you come from ? "

"I brought him along," said the shaggy man .

" what for ? " she asked .

" to guard these apples in my pocket, miss, so no one would steal them ."

with one hand the shaggy man held the apple, which he began eating, while with_the other hand he pulled Toto out of_his pocket and dropped him to_the ground . of_course Toto made for Dorothy at once, barking joyfully at his release from_the dark pocket . when_the child had patted his head lovingly, he sat down before her, his red tongue hanging out one side of_his mouth, and looked up into her face with_his bright brown eyes, as_if asking her what they should do next .

Dorothy didn't know . she looked around her anxiously for some familiar landmark; but everything was strange . between_the branches of_the many roads were green meadows and a few shrubs and trees, but she couldn't see anywhere the farm- house from_which she had just come, or anything she had ever seen before-- except the shaggy man and Toto . besides this, she had turned around and around so_many_times trying to_find out where she was, that now she couldn't even tell which direction the farm- house ought_to_be in; and this began to worry her and make her feel anxious .

"I'm 'fraid, shaggy man," she said, with a sigh, " that we're lost ! "

" that's nothing to_be afraid of," he replied, throwing away the core of_his apple and beginning to eat another one ." each of_these roads must lead somewhere, or it wouldn't be here . so what does it matter ? "

" i_want to_go home again," she said .

" well, why don't you ? " said he .

"I don't know which road to_take ."

" that_is too bad," he_said, shaking his shaggy head gravely ." i_wish I_could help_you; but I_can't .I'm a stranger in_these parts ."

"Seems as_if I were, too," she said, sitting down beside him ." it's funny .a few_minutes_ago i_was home, and I just came to show you the way to Butterfield--"

" so I shouldn't make a mistake and go there--"

" and now I'm lost myself and don't know how to_get home ! "

" have an apple," suggested the shaggy man, handing her one with pretty red cheeks .

"I'm not hungry," said Dorothy, pushing it away .

" but you_may_be, to- morrow; then you'll be sorry you didn't eat the apple," said he .

" if I_am, I'll eat the apple then," promised Dorothy .

" perhaps there won't be any apple then," he returned, beginning to eat the red-cheeked one himself ."Dogs sometimes can find their way home better than people," he went on; " perhaps your dog can lead you back to_the farm ."

" will_you, Toto ? " asked Dorothy .

Toto wagged his tail vigorously .

" all right," said the girl; " let's go home ."

Toto looked around a minute and dashed up one_of_the roads .

" good-bye, shaggy man," called Dorothy, and ran after Toto . the little dog pranced briskly along for some distance; when he turned around and looked at his mistress questioningly .

"Oh, don't 'spect me to_tell you anything; I don't know the way," she said ." you'll have to_find it yourself ."

but Toto couldn't . he wagged his tail, and sneezed, and shook his ears, and trotted back where they had left the shaggy man . from here he started along another road; then came back and tried another; but each_time he_found the way strange and decided it would_not take them to_the farm- house . finally, when Dorothy had begun to tire with chasing after him, Toto sat down panting beside the shaggy man and gave up .

Dorothy sat down, too, very thoughtful . the little girl had encountered some queer adventures since she came to live at_the farm; but this_was the queerest of_them all . to_get lost in fifteen minutes, so near to her home and in_the unromantic state of Kansas, was an experience that fairly bewildered her .

" will your folks worry ? " asked the shaggy man, his eyes twinkling in a pleasant way .

"I s' pose so," answered Dorothy with a sigh ." uncle Henry says there's always something happening to_me; but I've always come home safe at_the last . so perhaps he'll take comfort and think I'll come home safe this_time ."

"I'm sure you_will," said the shaggy man, smilingly nodding at her ." good little girls never come to any harm, you_know . for_my part, I'm good, too; so nothing ever hurts me ."

Dorothy looked at him curiously . his clothes were shaggy, his boots were shaggy and full of holes, and_his

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