Oz 09: The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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your voice sounds like arefrig'rator," sighed the little girl ."I'm awful sorry for_you, ' cause you were sweet an' nice to_me before this happened . you_can't help it, of_course; but it's a dreadful thing, jus' the same ."

" my heart is frozen to all mortal loves," announced Gloria, calmly ." I_do_not love even myself ."

" that's too bad," said trot, " for, if_you_can't love anybody, you_can't expect anybody to love you ."

" I_do ! " cried Pon ." I_shall always love her ."

" well, you're just a gardener's boy," replied trot, " and I didn't think you ' mounted to much, from_the first . I_can love the old princess Gloria, with a warm heart an' nice manners, but this_one gives me the shivers ."

" it's her icy heart, that's all," said Pon .

" that's enough," insisted trot ."Seeing her heart isn't big enough to skate on, I_can't see that she's of any use to anyone . for_my part, I'm goin' to_try to_find button- bright an' Cap'n bill ."

" i_will go with_you," decided Pon ." it_is evident that Gloria no longer loves me and_that her heart is frozen too stiff for_me to melt it with my own love; therefore I_may as_well help_you to_find your friends ."

as trot started off, Pon cast one more imploring look at_the princess, who returned it with a chilly stare . so he followed after_the little girl .

as for_the princess, she hesitated a moment and then turned in_the same direction the others had taken, but going far more slowly . soon she heard footsteps pattering behind her, and up came Googly-Goo .a little out of breath with running .

" stop, Gloria ! " he cried ." I_have come to_take you back to my mansion, where we_are to_be married ."

she looked at him wonderingly a moment, then tossed her head disdainfully and walked on . but Googly-Goo kept beside her .

" what does this mean ? " he demanded ." haven't you discovered that you no longer love that gardener's boy, who stood in my way ? "

" yes; I_have discovered it," she replied ." my heart is frozen to all mortal loves . I_cannot love you, or Pon, or the cruel king my uncle, or even myself . go your way, Googly-Goo, for i_will wed no one at all ."

he stopped in dismay when he heard this, but in another minute he exclaimed angrily:

" you_must wed me, princess Gloria, whether you_want to or not ! I paid to_have your heart frozen; I also paid the king to permit our marriage . if_you now refuse me it_will mean that I_have_been robbed -- robbed -- robbed of_my precious money and jewels ! "

he almost wept with despair, but she laughed a cold, bitter laugh and passed on .Googly-Goo caught at her arm, as_if to restrain her, but she whirled and dealt him a blow that sent him reeling into a ditch beside the path . here he lay for_a_long_time, half covered by muddy water, dazed with surprise .

finally the old courtier arose, dripping, and climbed from_the ditch . the princess had gone; so, muttering threats of vengeance upon her, upon_the king and upon Blinkie, old Googly-Goo hobbled back to_his mansion to_have the mud removed from_his costly velvet clothes .

chapter Fifteen

trot Meets the Scarecrow

trot and Pon covered many leagues of ground, searching through forests, in fields and in many_of_the little villages of Jinxland, but could find no trace of either Cap'n bill or button- bright . finally they paused beside a cornfield and sat upon a stile to rest .Pon took some apples from_his pocket and gave one to trot . then he began eating another himself, for_this was their time for luncheon . when his apple was finished Pon tossed the core into_the field .

"Tchuk-tchuk ! " said a strange voice ." what do_you_mean by hitting me in_the eye with an apple- core ? "

then rose up the form of_the Scarecrow, who had hidden himself in_the cornfield while he examined Pon and trot and decided whether they were worthy to_be helped .

" excuse me," said Pon ."I didn't know you were there ."

" how did you happen to_be there, anyhow ? " asked trot .

the Scarecrow came forward with awkward steps and stood beside them .

"Ah, you_are the gardener's boy," he_said to Pon . then he turned to trot ." and you_are the little girl who came to Jinxland riding on a big bird, and who has had the misfortune to lose her friend, Cap'n bill, and her chum, button- bright ."

" why, how did you_know all that ? " she inquired .

" I_know alot of things," replied the Scarecrow, winking at her comically ." my brains are the carefully- assorted, double- distilled, high- efficiency sort that_the wizard of Oz makes . he admits, himself, that my brains are the best he ever manufactured ."

" i_think I've heard of you," said trot slowly, as she looked the Scarecrow over with much interest; " but you used to live in_the land of Oz ."

"Oh, I_do now," he replied cheerfully ."I've just come over the mountains from_the Quadling country to_see if I_can_be of any help to_you ."

" who, me ? " asked Pon .

" no, the strangers from_the big world . it seems they need looking after ."

"I'm doing that myself," said Pon, a little ungraciously ." if_you_will pardon me for saying so, I don't see how aScarecrow with painted eyes can look after anyone ."

" if_you don't see that, you_are more blind than_the Scarecrow," asserted trot ." he's a fairy man, Pon, and comes from_the fairyland of Oz, so he_can do ' most anything . I_hope," she added, turning to_the Scarecrow, " you_can find Cap'n bill for_me ."

" i_will try, anyhow," he promised ." but who is_that old woman who_is running toward us and shaking her stick at us ? "

trot and Pon turned around and both uttered an exclamation of fear . the next instant they took to_their heels and ran fast up the path . for it_was old Blinkie, the wicked witch, who had at last traced them to_this place . her anger was so great that she was determined not to abandon the chase of Pon and trot until she had caught and punished them . the Scarecrow understood at once that_the old woman meant harm to_his new friends, so as she drew near he stepped before her . his appearance was so sudden and unexpected that Blinkie ran into him and toppled him over, but she tripped on_his straw body and went rolling in_the path beside him .

the Scarecrow sat up and said: "I beg your pardon ! " but she whacked him with her stick and knocked him flat again . then, furious with rage, the old witch sprang upon her victim and began pulling the straw out of_his body . the poor Scarecrow was helpless to resist and in a few_moments all that was left of him was an empty suit of clothes and a heap of straw beside it .Fortunately, Blinkie did_not harm his head, for_it rolled into a little hollow and escaped her notice .Fearing that Pon and trot would escape her, she quickly resumed the chase and disappeared over the brow of a hill, following the direction in_which she had seen them go .

only a short time elapsed before a gray grasshopper with a wooden leg came hopping along and lit directly on_the upturned face of_the Scarecrow's head .

" pardon me, but you_are resting yourself upon my nose," remarked the Scarecrow

"Oh ! are_you alive ? " asked the grasshopper .

" that_is a question I_have never been able to decide," said the Scarecrow's head ." when my body is properly stuffed I_have animation and can move around as_well as any live person . the brains in_the head you_are now occupying as a throne, are of very superior quality and do alot of very clever thinking . but whether that_is being alive, or not, I_cannot prove to_you; for_one who lives is liable to death, while I_am only liable to destruction ."

"Seems to_me," said the grasshopper, rubbing his nose with_his front legs, " that in your case it doesn't matter -- unless you're destroyed already ."

" I_am not; all I_need is re-stuffing," declared the Scarecrow; " and if Pon and trot escape the witch, and come back here, I_am_sure they_will do me that favor ."

" tell me ! are trot and Pon around here ? " inquired the grasshopper, its small voice trembling with excitement .

the Scarecrow did_not answer at once, for both his eyes were staring straight upward at a beautiful face that was slightly bent over his head . it_was, indeed, princess Gloria, who had wandered to_this spot, very_much surprised when she heard the Scarecrow's head talk and_the tiny gray grasshopper answer it .

" this," said the Scarecrow, still staring at her, " must_be the princess who loves Pon, the gardener's boy ."

"Oh, indeed ! " exclaimed the grasshopper -- who of_course was Cap'n bill -- as he examined the young lady curiously .

" no," said Gloria frigidly, " I_do_not love Pon, or anyone else, for_the wicked witch has frozen my heart ."

" what a shame ! " cried the Scarecrow ." one so lovely should_be able to love . but would you mind, my dear, stuffing that straw into my body again ? "

the dainty princess glanced at_the straw and at_the well- worn blue Munchkin clothes and shrank back in disdain . but she was spared from refusing the Scarecrow's request by_the appearance of trot and Pon, who had hidden in some bushes just over the brow of_the hill and waited until old Blinkie had passed them by . their hiding place was on_the same side as_the witch's blind eye, and she rushed on in_the chase of_the girl and_the youth without being aware that_they had tricked her .

trot was shocked at_the Scarecrow's sad condition and at once began putting the straw back into his body .Pon, at sight of Gloria, again appealed to her to_take pity on him, but the frozen-hearted princess turned coldly away and with a sigh the gardener's boy began to assist trot .

neither of_them at first noticed the small grasshopper, which at their appearance had skipped off the Scarecrow's nose and was now clinging to a wisp of grass beside the path, where he_was not likely to_be stepped upon . not until the Scarecrow had_been neatly restuffed and set upon his feet again -- when he bowed to_his restorers and expressed his thanks -- did the grasshopper move from_his perch . then he leaped lightly into_the path and called out:

" trot -- trot ! look at me .I'm Cap'n bill ! see what the wicked witch has_done to_me ."

the voice was small, to_be_sure, but it reached trot's ears and startled her greatly . she looked intently at_the grasshopper, her eyes wide with fear at first; then she knelt down and, noticing the wooden leg, she began to weep sorrowfully .

"Oh, Cap'n bill -- dear Cap'n bill ! what a cruel thing to_do ! " she sobbed .

"Don't cry, trot," begged the grasshopper ." it didn't hurt any, and it doesn't hurt now . but it's mighty inconvenient an' humiliatin', to_say the least ."

" i_wish," said the girl indignantly, while trying hard to restrain her tears, " that i_was big 'nough an' strong 'nough to_give that horrid witch a good beating . she ought_to_be turned into a toad for doing this to_you, Cap'n bill ! "

" never mind," urged the Scarecrow, in acomforting voice, " such a transformation doesn't last always, and as a general thing there's some way to break the enchantment .I'm sure Glinda could do_it, in ajiffy ."

" who_is Glinda ? " inquired Cap'n bill .

then the Scarecrow told them all about Glinda, not forgetting to mention her beauty and goodness and her wonderful powers of magic . he also explained how the royal sorceress had sent him to Jinxland especially to help the strangers, whom she knew to_be in danger because of_the wiles of_the cruel king and_the wicked witch .

chapter Sixteen

Pon Summons the king to surrender

Gloria had drawn near to_the group to listen to_their talk, and it seemed to interest her in_spite of her frigid manner . they knew, of_course, that_the poor princess could_not help being cold and reserved, so they tried not to blame her .

"I ought_to_have come here a little sooner," said the Scarecrow, regretfully; " but Glinda sent me as_soon_as she discovered you were here and were likely to_get into trouble . and now that we_are all together -- except button- bright, over whom it_is useless to worry -- I propose we hold a council of war, to decide what_is best to_be_done ."

that seemed a wise thing to_do, so they all sat down upon_the grass, including Gloria, and_the grasshopper perched upon trot's shoulder and allowed her to stroke him gently with her hand .

" in_the first place," began the Scarecrow, " this king Krewl is a usurper and has no right to rule this kingdom of Jinxland ."

" that_is true," said Pon, eagerly ." my father was king before him, and I --"

" you_are a gardener's boy," interrupted the Scarecrow ." your father had no right to rule, either, for_the rightful king of_this land was_the father of princess Gloria, and only she_is entitled to sit upon_the throne of Jinxland ."

" good ! " exclaimed trot ." but what'll we_do with king Krewl ? I s' pose he won't give up the throne unless he has_to ."

" no, of_course not," said the Scarecrow ." therefore it_will_be our duty to_make him give up the throne ."

" how ? " asked trot .

" give_me time to_think," was_the reply ." that's

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