Oz 08: Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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it leads to ."

chapter Seven

polychrome's pitiful plight

the rain king got too_much water in_his basin and spilled some over the brim . that made it rain in a certain part of_the country--a real hard shower, for a time-- and sent the rainbow scampering to_the place to show the gorgeous colors of_his glorious bow as_soon_as_the mist of rain had passed and_the sky was clear .

the coming of_the rainbow is always a joyous event to earth folk, yet few have ever seen it close by . usually the rainbow is so_far distant that you_can observe its splendid hues but dimly, and_that is why we seldom catch sight of_the dancing Daughters of_the rainbow .

in_the barren country where the rain had just fallen there appeared to_be no human beings at all; but the rainbow appeared, just the same, and dancing gayly upon its arch were the rainbow's Daughters, led by_the fairylike polychrome, who_is so dainty and beautiful that no girl has ever quite equalled her in loveliness .

polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down the arch of_the bow to_the ground, daring her sisters to_follow her .Laughing and gleeful, they also touched the ground with their twinkling feet; but all the Daughters of_the rainbow knew that_this was a dangerous pastime, so they quickly climbed upon their bow again .

all but polychrome . though the sweetest and merriest of_them all, she was likewise the most reckless . moreover, it_was an unusual sensation to pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes . before she realized it the bow had lifted and disappeared in_the billowy blue sky, and here was polychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her gauzy draperies floating about her like brilliant cobwebs and not a soul-- fairy or mortal-- to help her regain her lost bow !

" dear me ! " she exclaimed, a frown passing across her pretty face, "I'm caught again . this_is_the second time my carelessness has left me on earth while my sisters returned to our sky Palaces . the first time I enjoyed some pleasant adventures, but this_is a lonely, forsaken country and I_shall_be very unhappy until my rainbow comes again and I_can climb aboard . let me think what_is best to_be_done ."

she crouched low upon_the flat rock, drew her draperies about her and bowed her head .

it_was in_this position that Betsy bobbin spied polychrome as she came along the stony path, followed by Hank, the princess and shaggy . at once the girl ran up_to_the radiant daughter of_the rainbow and exclaimed:

"Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature ! "

polychrome raised her golden head . there were tears in her blue eyes .

"I'm the most miserable girl in_the whole world ! " she sobbed .

the others gathered around her .

" tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the princess .

"I--I've lost my bow ! " wailed polychrome .

" take me, my dear," said shaggy man in a sympathetic tone, thinking she meant "beau" instead of " bow ."

"I don't want you ! " cried polychrome, stamping her foot imperiously; " i_want my rainbow ."

"Oh; that's different," said shaggy ." but try to forget it . when i_was young I used to cry for_the rainbow myself, but I couldn't have it .Looks as if_you couldn't have it, either; so please don't cry ."

polychrome looked at him reproachfully .

"I don't like you," she said .

" no ? " replied shaggy, drawing the love magnet from_his pocket; " not a little bit ? -- just awee speck of a like ? "

" yes, yes ! " said polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy as she gazed at_the enchanted talisman; "I love you, shaggy man ! "

" of_course you_do," said he calmly; " but I don't take any credit for_it . it's the love magnet's powerful charm . but you seem quite alone and friendless, little rainbow .Don't you_want to join our party until you find your father and sisters again ? "

" where are_you going ? " she asked .

" we don't just know that," said Betsy, taking her hand; " but we're trying to_find shaggy's long- lost brother, who has_been captured by_the terrible metal monarch . won't you come with_us, and help_us ? "

polychrome looked from one to another of_the queer party of travelers and abewitching smile suddenly lighted her face .

"A donkey, a mortal maid, a rose princess and a shaggy man ! " she exclaimed ." surely you_need help, if_you intend to_face Ruggedo ."

" do_you_know him, then ? " inquired Betsy .

" no, indeed .Ruggedo's caverns are beneath the earth's surface, where no rainbow can ever penetrate . but I've heard of_the metal monarch . he_is also called the Nome king, you_know, and he has_made trouble for a good_many people --mortals and fairies-- in_his time," said polychrome .

" do_you fear him, then ? " asked the princess, anxiously .

" no one can harm a daughter of_the rainbow," said polychrome proudly ."I'm a sky fairy ."

" then," said Betsy, quickly, " you_will_be_able to_tell us the way to Ruggedo's cavern ."

" no," returned polychrome, shaking her head, " that_is one_thing I_cannot do . but i_will gladly go with_you and help_you search for_the place ."

this promise delighted all the wanderers and after_the shaggy man had found the path again they began moving along it in a more happy mood . the rainbow's daughter danced lightly over the rocky trail, no longer sad, but with her beautiful features wreathed in smiles . shaggy came next, walking steadily and now_and_then supporting the rose princess, who followed him .Betsy and Hank brought up the rear, and if she tired with walking the girl got upon Hank's back and let the stout little donkey carry her for a while .

at nightfall they came to some trees that grew beside a tiny brook and here they made camp and rested until morning . then away they tramped, finding berries and fruits here and there which satisfied the hunger of Betsy, shaggy and Hank, so that_they were well content with their lot .

it surprised Betsy to_see the rose princess partake of_their food, for she considered her a fairy; but when she mentioned this to polychrome, the rainbow's daughter explained that when Ozga was driven out of her rose kingdom she ceased to_be a fairy and would never again be more than amere mortal . polychrome, however, was a fairy wherever she happened to_be, and if she sipped a few dewdrops by moonlight for refreshment no one ever saw her do_it .

as_they continued their wandering journey, direction meant very little to_them, for they were hopelessly lost in_this strange country . shaggy said it would_be best to_go toward the mountains, as_the natural entrance to Ruggedo's underground cavern was likely to_be hidden in some rocky, deserted place; but mountains seemed all around them except in_the one direction that_they had come from, which led to_the rose kingdom and_the sea . therefore it mattered little which_way they traveled .

by and by they espied a faint trail that looked like a path and after following this for some_time they reached acrossroads . here were many paths, leading in various directions, and there_was a signpost so old that there were now no words upon_the sign . at one side was an old well, with a chain windlass for drawing water, yet there_was no house or other building anywhere in sight .

while the party halted, puzzled which_way to_proceed, the mule approached the well and tried to look into_it .

" he's thirsty," said Betsy .

" it's a dry well," remarked shaggy ." probably there_has_been no water in_it for many years . but, come; let_us decide which_way to travel ."

no one seemed able to decide that . they sat down in a group and tried to consider which road might_be the best to_take .Hank, however, could_not keep away from_the well and finally he reared up on_his hind legs, got his head over the edge and uttered a loud "Hee-haw ! " Betsy watched her animal friend curiously .

"I wonder if he sees anything down there ? " she said .

at_this, shaggy rose and went over to_the well to investigate, and Betsy went with_him . the princess and polychrome, who had become fast friends, linked arms and sauntered down one_of_the roads, to_find an easy path .

" really," said shaggy, " there does seem_to_be something at_the bottom of_this old well ."

" can't we pull it up, and_see what it_is ? " asked the girl .

there_was no bucket at_the end of_the windlass chain, but there_was a big hook that at one_time was used to hold a bucket . shaggy let down this hook, dragged it around on_the bottom and then pulled it up . an old hoopskirt came with it, and Betsy laughed and threw it away . the thing frightened Hank, who had never seen ahoopskirt before, and he kept a good distance away from_it .

several_other objects the shaggy man captured with_the hook and drew up, but none of_these was important .

" this well seems to_have_been the dump for all the old rubbish in_the country," he_said, letting down the hook once more ."I guess I've captured everything now . no-- the hook has caught again . help me, Betsy ! whatever this thing is, it's heavy ."

she ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much effort a confused mass of copper came in sight .

" good gracious ! " exclaimed shaggy ." here_is a surprise, indeed ! "

" what_is it ? " inquired Betsy, clinging to_the windlass and panting for breath .

for answer the shaggy man grasped the bundle of copper and dumped it upon_the ground, free of_the well . then he turned it over with_his foot, spread it out, and to Betsy's astonishment the thing proved to_be a copper man .

" just as i_thought," said shaggy, looking hard at_the object ." but unless there_are two copper men in_the_world this_is_the most astonishing thing I ever came across ."

at_this moment the rainbow's daughter and_the rose princess approached them, and polychrome said:

" what have_you found, shaggy one ? "

" either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied .

"Oh, here's a sign on_his back ! " cried Betsy, who had knelt down to examine the man ." dear me; how funny ! listen to_this ."

then she read the following words, engraved upon_the copper plates of_the man's body:

smith & tinker'S patent double- action, extra- responsive, thought-Creating, perfect-Talking mechanical man fitted with_our special clockwork attachment . thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does everything but live .

"Isn't he wonderful ! " exclaimed the princess .

" yes; but here's more," said Betsy, reading from another engraved plate:

DIRECTIONS for USING:

for THINKING:-- wind the clockwork man under his left arm, ( marked no .1) . for SPEAKING:-- wind the clockwork man under his right arm, ( marked no .2) . for WALKING and action:-- wind clockwork man in_the middle of_his back, ( marked no .3) .

N .B .-- this mechanism is guaranteed to work perfectly for a thousand years .

" if he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said polychrome, " he ought to work yet ."

" of_course," replied shaggy ." let's wind him up ."

in_order to do_this they were obliged to set the copper man upon his feet, in an upright position, and this_was no easy task . he_was inclined to topple over, and had to_be propped again and again . the girls assisted shaggy, and at last Tik- Tok seemed to_be balanced and stood alone upon his broad feet .

" yes," said shaggy, looking at_the copper man carefully, " this must_be, indeed, my old friend Tik-Tok, whom I left ticking merrily in_the land of Oz . but how he_came to_this lonely place, and got into that old well, is surely a mystery ."

" if_we wind him, perhaps he_will tell us," suggested Betsy ." here's the key, hanging to a hook on_his back . what part of him shall I wind up first ? "

" his thoughts, of_course," said polychrome, " for_it requires thought to_speak or move intelligently ."

so Betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little flashes of light began to show in_the top of_his head, which_was proof that he had begun to_think .

" now, then," said shaggy, " wind up his phonograph ."

" what's that ? " she asked .

" why, his talking- machine . his thoughts may_be interesting, but they don't tell us anything ."

so Betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and then from_the interior of_his copper body came in jerky tones the words: " MA-ny thanks ! "

"Hurrah ! " cried shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped Tik-Tok upon_the back in_such a hearty manner that_the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to_the ground in a heap . but the clockwork that enabled him to_speak had_been wound up and he kept saying: " pick- me- up ! pick- me- up ! pick- me- up ! " until they had again raised him and balanced him upon his feet, when he added politely: " MA-ny thanks ! "

" he won't be self-supporting until we wind up his action," remarked shaggy; so Betsy wound it, as tight as she_could-- for_the key turned rather hard-- and then Tik-Tok lifted his feet, marched around in a circle and ended by stopping before_the group and making them all a low bow .

" how in_the_world did you happen to_be in_that well, when I left you safe in Oz ? " inquired shaggy .

" it_is a long sto-ry," replied Tik-Tok, " but I'll tell it in a few words .Af-ter you had gone in search of your broth-er, Oz- MA saw you wan-der- ing in strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her mag-ic pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er in_the Nome king's cavern; so she sent me to_tell you where to_find your broth-er and told me to help_you if I_could . the Sor-cer-ess, Glin- DA the good, trans- port-ed

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