Oz 08: Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum
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place but underground ."

" that being the case," said Kaliko, " i_will let you stay here as long as_you behave yourself; but, if_you try to act badly again, I_shall drive you out, as Tititi-Hoochoo has commanded, and you'll have to wander ."

" never fear .I'll behave," promised Ruggedo ." it_is hard work being a king, and harder still to_be a good king . but now that I_am a common nome I_am_sure I_can lead a blameless life ."

they were all pleased to hear this and to_know that Ruggedo had really reformed .

" I_hope he'll keep his word," whispered Betsy to shaggy; " but if he gets bad again we_will_be far away from_the Nome kingdom and Kaliko will_have to ' tend to_the old nome himself ."

polychrome had_been a little restless during_the_last hour or two . the lovely daughter of_the rainbow knew that she had now done all in her power to assist her earth friends, and so she began to long for her sky home .

" i_think," she said, after listening intently, " that_it_is beginning to rain . the rain king is my uncle, you_know, and perhaps he has read my thoughts and_is going to help me . anyway I_must take a look at_the sky and make sure ."

so she jumped up and ran through_the passage to_the outer entrance, and_they all followed after her and grouped themselves on a ledge of_the mountain- side . sure enough, dark clouds had filled the sky and a slow, drizzling rain had set in .

" it can't last for long," said shaggy, looking upward, " and when it stops we_shall lose the sweet little fairy we_have learned to love . alas," he continued, after a moment, " the clouds are already breaking in_the west, and-- see ! --isn't that_the rainbow coming ? "

Betsy didn't look at_the sky; she looked at polychrome, whose happy, smiling face surely foretold the coming of her father to_take her to_the cloud Palaces .a moment later a gleam of sunshine flooded the mountain and a gorgeous rainbow appeared .

with a cry of gladness polychrome sprang upon a point of rock and held out her arms . straightway the rainbow descended until its end was at her very feet, when with a graceful leap she sprang upon it and was at once clasped in_the arms of her radiant sisters, the Daughters of_the rainbow . but polychrome released herself to lean over the edge of_the glowing arch and nod, and smile and throw a dozen kisses to her late comrades .

" good-bye ! " she called, and_they all shouted " good-bye ! " in return and waved their hands to_their pretty friend .

slowly the magnificent bow lifted and melted into_the sky, until the eyes of_the earnest watchers saw only fleecy clouds flitting across the blue .

"I'm dreadful sorry to_see polychrome go," said Betsy, who felt like crying; " but I s' pose she'll be a good_deal happier with her sisters in_the sky palaces ."

" to_be_sure," returned shaggy, nodding gravely ." it's her home, you_know, and those poor wanderers who, like ourselves, have no home, can realize what that means to her ."

" once," said Betsy, "I, too, had a home . now, I've only-- only-- dear old Hank ! "

she twined her arms around her shaggy friend who was not human, and he_said: "Hee-haw ! " in a tone that showed he understood her mood . and_the shaggy friend who was human stroked the child's head tenderly and said: " you're wrong about_that, Betsy, dear . i_will never desert you ."

" nor I ! " exclaimed shaggy's brother, in earnest tones .

the little girl looked up at them gratefully, and her eyes smiled through their tears .

" all right," she said ." it's raining again, so let's go back into_the cavern ."

rather soberly, for all loved polychrome and would miss her, they reentered the dominions of_the Nome king .

chapter Twenty-Four

Dorothy is delighted

" well," said queen Ann, when all were again seated in Kaliko's royal cavern, "I wonder what we_shall do next . if I_could find my way back to Oogaboo I'd take my army home at once, for I'm sick and tired of_these dreadful hardships ."

"Don't you_want to conquer the world ? " asked Betsy .

" no; I've changed my mind about_that," admitted the queen ." the world is too big for_one person to conquer and i_was happier with my own people in Oogaboo . i_wish--Oh, how earnestly i_wish-- that i_was back there this minute ! "

" so do I ! " yelled every officer in a fervent tone .

now, it_is time for_the reader to_know that in_the far- away land of Oz the lovely ruler, Ozma, had_been following the adventures of her shaggy man, and Tik-Tok, and all the others they had met . day by day Ozma, with_the wonderful wizard of Oz seated beside her, had gazed upon a magic picture in a radium frame, which occupied one side of_the ruler's cosy boudoir in_the palace of_the emerald city . the singular thing about_this magic picture was_that it showed whatever scene Ozma wished to_see, with_the figures all in motion, just as it_was taking place . so Ozma and_the wizard had watched every action of_the adventurers from_the time shaggy had met shipwrecked Betsy and Hank in_the rose kingdom, at_which_time the rose princess, a distant cousin of Ozma, had_been exiled by her heartless subjects .

when Ann and her people so earnestly wished to return to Oogaboo, Ozma was sorry for_them and remembered that Oogaboo was a corner of_the land of Oz . she turned to her attendant and asked:

" can not your magic take these unhappy people to_their old home, wizard ? "

" it can, your highness," replied the little wizard .

" i_think the poor queen has suffered enough in her misguided effort to conquer the world," said Ozma, smiling at_the absurdity of_the undertaking, " so no_doubt she will hereafter be contented in her own little kingdom . please send her there, wizard, and with her the officers and Files ."

" how about_the rose princess ? " asked the wizard .

" send her to Oogaboo with Files," answered Ozma ." they_have become such good friends that I_am_sure it would make them unhappy to separate them ."

" very_well," said the wizard, and without any fuss or mystery whatever he performed a magical rite that was simple and effective . therefore those seated in_the Nome king's cavern were both startled and amazed when all the people of Oogaboo suddenly disappeared from_the room, and with_them the rose princess . at first they_could_not understand it at all; but presently shaggy suspected the truth, and believing that Ozma was now taking an interest in_the party he drew from_his pocket a tiny instrument which he placed against his ear .

Ozma, observing this action in her magic picture, at once caught up a similar instrument from a table beside her and held it to her own ear . the two instruments recorded the same delicate vibrations of sound and formed a wireless telephone, an invention of_the wizard . those separated by any distance were thus enabled to converse together with perfect ease and without any wire connection .

" do_you hear me, shaggy man ? " asked Ozma .

" yes, your highness," he replied .

" I_have sent the people of Oogaboo back to_their own little valley," announced the ruler of Oz; " so do_not worry over their disappearance ."

" that was very kind of you," said shaggy ." but your highness must permit me to report that my own mission here_is now ended . I_have found my lost brother, and he_is now beside me, freed from_the enchantment of ugliness which Ruggedo cast upon him .Tik-Tok has served me and my comrades faithfully, as_you requested him to_do, and I_hope_you_will now transport the clockwork man back to your fairyland of Oz ."

" i_will do_that," replied Ozma ." but how about yourself, shaggy ? "

" I_have_been very happy in Oz," he_said, " but my duty to others forces me to exile myself from_that delightful land . I_must take care of_my new- found brother, for_one_thing, and I_have a new comrade in a dear little girl named Betsy bobbin, who has no home to_go to, and no other friends but me and a small donkey named Hank . I_have promised Betsy never to desert her as long as she needs a friend, and so I_must give up the delights of_the land of Oz forever ."

he_said this with a sigh of regret, and Ozma made no reply but laid the tiny instrument on her table, thus cutting off all further communication with_the shaggy man . but the lovely ruler of Oz still watched her magic picture, with a thoughtful expression upon her face, and_the little wizard of Oz watched Ozma and smiled softly to himself .

in_the cavern of_the Nome king shaggy replaced the wireless telephone in_his pocket and turning to Betsy said in as cheerful a voice as he_could muster:

" well, little comrade, what shall we_do next ? "

"I don't know, I'm sure," she answered with a puzzled face ."I'm kind of sorry our adventures are over, for I enjoyed them, and now that queen Ann and her people are gone, and polychrome is gone, and-- dear me ! -- where's Tik-Tok, shaggy ? "

" he also has disappeared," said shaggy, looking around the cavern and nodding wisely ." by_this_time he_is in Ozma's palace in_the land of Oz, which_is his home ."

"Isn't it your home, too ? " asked Betsy .

" it used to_be, my dear; but now my home is wherever you and my brother are . we_are wanderers, you_know, but if_we stick together I_am_sure we_shall_have a good_time ."

" then," said the girl, " let_us get out of_this stuffy, underground cavern and go in search of new adventures .I'm sure it has stopped raining ."

"I'm ready," said shaggy, and then they bade good-bye to king Kaliko, and thanked him for_his assistance, and went out to_the mouth of_the passage .

the sky was now clear and a brilliant blue in color; the sun shone brightly and even this rugged, rocky country seemed delightful after their confinement underground . there were but four of_them now--Betsy and Hank, and shaggy and_his brother-- and_the little party made their way down the mountain and followed a faint path that led toward the southwest .

during this_time Ozma had_been holding a conference with_the wizard, and later with Tik- Tok, whom the magic of_the wizard had quickly transported to Ozma's palace .Tik-Tok had only words of praise for Betsy bobbin, " who," he_said, " is al- most as nice as Dor-o- thy her- self ."

" let_us send for Dorothy," said Ozma, and summoning her favorite maid, who was named Jellia Jamb, she asked her to request princess Dorothy to attend her at once . so a few_moments later Dorothy entered Ozma's room and greeted her and_the wizard and Tik-Tok with_the same gentle smile and simple manner that had won for_the little girl the love of everyone she met .

" did you want_to_see me, Ozma ? " she asked .

" yes, dear . I_am puzzled how to act, and i_want your advice ."

"I don't b'lieve it's worth much," replied Dorothy, " but I'll do_the best I_can . what_is it all about, Ozma ? "

" you all know," said the girl ruler, addressing her three friends, " what a serious thing it_is to admit any mortals into_this fairyland of Oz . it_is true I_have invited several mortals to_make their home here, and all of_them have proved true and loyal subjects . indeed, no one of you three was a native of Oz . Dorothy and_the wizard came here from_the United_States, and Tik-Tok came from_the land of Ev . but of_course he_is_not a mortal . shaggy is another American, and he is_the cause of all my worry, for_our dear shaggy will not return here and desert the new friends he has found in_his recent adventures, because he believes they need his services ."

" shaggy man was always kind-hearted," remarked Dorothy ." but who_are these new friends he has found ? "

" one is his brother, who for many years has_been a prisoner of_the Nome king, our old enemy Ruggedo . this brother seems a kindly, honest fellow, but he has_done nothing to entitle him to a home in_the land of Oz ."

" who else ? " asked Dorothy .

" I_have told you about Betsy bobbin, the little girl who was shipwrecked-- in much the same way you once were-- and has since been following the shaggy man in_his search for_his lost brother . you remember her, do_you not ? "

"Oh, yes ! " exclaimed Dorothy ."I've often watched her and Hank in_the magic picture, you_know . she's a dear little girl, and old Hank is a darling ! where are they now ? "

" look and_see," replied Ozma with a smile at her friend's enthusiasm .

Dorothy turned to_the picture, which showed Betsy and Hank, with shaggy and_his brother, trudging along the rocky paths of a barren country .

"Seems to_me," she said, musingly, " that_they're a good way from any place to sleep, or any nice things to eat ."

" you_are right," said Tik-Tok ." I_have_been in_that coun- try, and it_is awil-der-ness ."

" it_is_the country of_the nomes," explained the wizard, " who_are so mischievous that no one cares to live near them .I'm afraid shaggy and_his friends will endure many hardships before_they get out of_that rocky place, unless--"

he turned to Ozma and smiled .

" unless I ask_you to transport them all here ? " she asked .

" yes, your highness ."

" could your magic do_that ? " inquired Dorothy .

" i_think so," said the wizard .

" well," said Dorothy, " as far as Betsy and Hank are concerned, I'd like to_have them here in Oz . it would_be such fun to_have a girl playmate of_my own age, you_see . and Hank is such a dear little mule ! "

Ozma laughed at_the wistful expression in_the girl's eyes, and then she drew Dorothy to her and kissed her

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