The mountain before them was
shaped like a cone and was
so tall that its point was
lost in the clouds. Directly
facing the place where Jim
had stopped was an arched opening
leading to a broad stairway.
The stairs were cut in the
rock inside the mountain, and
they were broad and not very
steep, because they circled
around like a cork-screw, and
at the arched opening where
the flight began the circle
was quite big. At the foot
of the stairs was a sign reading:
WARNING. These steps lead
to the Land of the Gargoyles.
DANGER! KEEP OUT.
"I wonder how Jim is ever
going to draw the buggy up
so many stairs," said Dorothy,
gravely.
"No trouble at all," declared
the horse, with a contemptuous
neigh. "Still, I don't care
to drag any passengers. You'll
all have to walk."
"Suppose the stairs get steeper?" suggested
Zeb, doubtfully.
"Then you'll have to boost
the buggy-wheels, that's all," answered
Jim.
"We'll try it, anyway," said
the Wizard. "It's the only
way to get out of the Valley
of Voe."
So they began to ascend the
stairs, Dorothy and the Wizard
first, Jim next, drawing the
buggy, and then Zeb to watch
that nothing happened to the
harness.
The light was dim, and soon
they mounted into total darkness,
so that the Wizard was obliged
to get out his lanterns to
light the way. But this enabled
them to proceed steadily until
they came to a landing where
there was a rift in the side
of the mountain that let in
both light and air. Looking
through this opening they could
see the Valley of Voe lying
far below them, the cottages
seeming like toy houses from
that distance.
After resting a few moments
they resumed their climb, and
still the stairs were broad
and low enough for Jim to draw
the buggy easily after him.
The old horse panted a little,
and had to stop often to get
his breath. At such times they
were all glad to wait for him,
for continually climbing up
stairs is sure to make one's
legs ache.
They wound about, always
going upward, for some time.
The lights from the lanterns
dimly showed the way, but it
was a gloomy journey, and they
were pleased when a broad streak
of light ahead assured them
they were coming to a second
landing.
Here one side of the mountain
had a great hole in it, like
the mouth of a cavern, and
the stairs stopped at the near
edge of the floor and commenced
ascending again at the opposite
edge.
The opening in the mountain
was on the side opposite to
the Valley of Voe, and our
travellers looked out upon
a strange scene. Below them
was a vast space, at the bottom
of which was a black sea with
rolling billows, through which
little tongues of flame constantly
shot up. Just above them, and
almost on a level with their
platform, were banks of rolling
clouds which constantly shifted
position and changed color.
The blues and greys were very
beautiful, and Dorothy noticed
that on the cloud banks sat
or reclined fleecy, shadowy
forms of beautiful beings who
must have been the Cloud Fairies.
Mortals who stand upon the
earth and look up at the sky
cannot often distinguish these
forms, but our friends were
now so near to the clouds that
they observed the dainty fairies
very clearly.
"Are they real?" asked
Zeb, in an awed voice.
"Of course," replied Dorothy,
softly. "They are the Cloud
Fairies."
"They seem like open-work," remarked
the boy, gazing intently. "If
I should squeeze one, there
wouldn't be anything left of
it."
In the open space between
the clouds and the black, bubbling
sea far beneath, could be seen
an occasional strange bird
winging its way swiftly through
the air. These birds were of
enormous size, and reminded
Zeb of the rocs he had read
about in the Arabian Nights.
They had fierce eyes and sharp
talons and beaks, and the children
hoped none of them would venture
into the cavern.
"Well, I declare!" suddenly
exclaimed the little Wizard. "What
in the world is this?"
They turned around and found
a man standing on the floor
in the center of the cave,
who bowed very politely when
he saw he had attracted their
attention. He was a very old
man, bent nearly double; but
the queerest thing about him
was his white hair and beard.
These were so long that they
reached to his feet, and both
the hair and the beard were
carefully plaited into many
braids, and the end of each
braid fastened with a bow of
colored ribbon.
"Where did you come from?" asked
Dorothy, wonderingly.
"No place at all," answered
the man with the braids; "that
is, not recently. Once I lived
on top the earth, but for many
years I have had my factory
in this spot--half way up Pyramid
Mountain."
"Are we only half way up?" enquired
the boy, in a discouraged tone.
"I believe so, my lad," replied
the braided man. "But as I
have never been in either direction,
down or up, since I arrived,
I cannot be positive whether
it is exactly half way or not."
"Have you a factory in this
place?" asked the Wizard, who
had been examining the strange
personage carefully.
"To be sure," said the other. "I
am a great inventor, you must
know, and I manufacture my
products in this lonely spot."
"What are your products?" enquired
the Wizard.
"Well, I
make Assorted Flutters for
flags and bunting, and
a superior grade of Rustles
for ladies' silk gowns."
"I thought so," said the
Wizard, with a sigh. "May we
examine some of these articles?"
"Yes, indeed; come into my
shop, please," and the braided
man turned and led the way
into a smaller cave, where
he evidently lived. Here, on
a broad shelf, were several
card-board boxes of various
sizes, each tied with cotton
cord.
"This," said the man, taking
up a box and handling it gently, "contains
twelve dozen rustles--enough
to last any lady a year. Will
you buy it, my dear?" he asked,
addressing Dorothy.
"My gown isn't silk," she
said, smiling.
"Never mind. When you open
the box the rustles will escape,
whether you are wearing a silk
dress or not," said the man,
seriously. Then he picked up
another box. "In this," he
continued, "are many assorted
flutters. They are invaluable
to make flags flutter on a
still day, when there is no
wind. You, sir," turning to
the Wizard, "ought to have
this assortment. Once you have
tried my goods I am sure you
will never be without them."
"I have no money with me," said
the Wizard, evasively.
"I do not want money," returned
the braided man, "for I could
not spend it in this deserted
place if I had it. But I would
like very much a blue hair-ribbon.
You will notice my braids are
tied with yellow, pink, brown,
red, green, white and black;
but I have no blue ribbons."
"I'll get you one!" cried
Dorothy, who was sorry for
the poor man; so she ran back
to the buggy and took from
her suit-case a pretty blue
ribbon. It did her good to
see how the braided man's eyes
sparkled when he received this
treasure.
"You have made me very, very
happy, my dear!" he exclaimed;
and then he insisted on the
Wizard taking the box of flutters
and the little girl accepting
the box of rustles.
"You may need them, some
time," he said, "and there
is really no use in my manufacturing
these things unless somebody
uses them."
"Why did you leave the surface
of the earth?" enquired the
Wizard.
"I could
not help it. It is a sad
story, but if you
will try to restrain your tears
I will tell you about it. On
earth I was a manufacturer
of Imported Holes for American
Swiss Cheese, and I will acknowledge
that I supplied a superior
article, which was in great
demand. Also I made pores for
porous plasters and high-grade
holes for doughnuts and buttons.
Finally I invented a new Adjustable
Post-hole, which I thought
would make my fortune. I manufactured
a large quantity of these post-holes,
and having no room in which
to store them I set them all
end to end and put the top
one in the ground. That made
an extraordinary long hole,
as you may imagine, and reached
far down into the earth; and,
as I leaned over it to try
to see to the bottom, I lost
my balance and tumbled in.
Unfortunately, the hole led
directly into the vast space
you see outside this mountain;
but I managed to catch a point
of rock that projected from
this cavern, and so saved myself
from tumbling headlong into
the black waves beneath, where
the tongues of flame that dart
out would certainly have consumed
me. Here, then, I made my home;
and although it is a lonely
place I amuse myself making
rustles and flutters, and so
get along very nicely."
When the braided man had
completed this strange tale
Dorothy nearly laughed, because
it was all so absurd; but the
Wizard tapped his forehead
significantly, to indicate
that he thought the poor man
was crazy. So they politely
bade him good day, and went
back to the outer cavern to
resume their journey.
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