The next morning the Soldier
with the Green Whiskers went
to the prison and took Ojo away
to the royal palace, where he
was summoned to appear before
the girl Ruler for judgment.
Again the soldier put upon the
boy the jeweled handcuffs and
white prisoner's robe with the
peaked top and holes for the
eyes. Ojo was so ashamed, both
of his disgrace and the fault
he had committed, that he was
glad to be covered up in this
way, so that people could not
see him or know who he was. He
followed the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers very willingly,
anxious that his fate might be
decided
as soon as possible.
The inhabitants of the Emerald
City were polite people and never
jeered at the unfortunate; but
it was so long since they bad
seen a prisoner that they cast
many curious looks toward the
boy and many of them hurried
away to the royal palace to be
present during the trial.
When Ojo was escorted into
the great Throne Room of the
palace he found hundreds of people
assembled there. In the magnificent
emerald throne, which sparkled
with countless jewels, sat Ozma
of Oz in her Robe of State, which
was embroidered with emeralds
and pearls. On her right, but
a little lower, was Dorothy,
and on her left the Scarecrow.
Still lower, but nearly in front
of Ozma, sat the wonderful Wizard
of Oz and on a small table beside
him was the golden vase from
Dorothy's room, into which Scraps
had dropped the stolen clover.
At Ozma's feet crouched two
enormous beasts, each the largest
and most powerful of its kind.
Although these beasts were quite
free, no one present was alarmed
by them; for the Cowardly Lion
and the Hungry Tiger were well
known and respected in the Emerald
City and they always guarded
the Ruler when she held high
court in the Throne Room. There
was still another beast present,
but this one Dorothy held in
her arms, for it was her constant
companion, the little dog Toto.
Toto knew the Cowardly Lion and
the Hungry Tiger and often played
and romped with them, for they
were good friends.
Seated on ivory chairs before
Ozma, with a clear space between
them and the throne, were many
of the nobility of the Emerald
City, lords and ladies in beautiful
costumes, and officials of the
kingdom in the royal uniforms
of Oz. Behind these courtiers
were others of less importance,
filling the great hall to the
very doors.
At the same moment that the
Soldier with the Green Whiskers
arrived with Ojo, the Shaggy
Man entered from a side door,
escorting the Patchwork Girl,
the Woozy and the Glass Cat.
All these came to the vacant
space before the throne and stood
facing the Ruler.
"Hullo, Ojo," said Scraps; "how
are you?"
"All right," he
replied; but the scene awed
the boy and his
voice trembled a little with
fear. Nothing could awe the Patchwork
Girl, and although the Woozy
was somewhat uneasy in these
splendid surroundings the Glass
Cat was delighted with the sumptuousness
of the court and the impressiveness
of the occasion--pretty big words
but quite expressive.
At a sign from Ozma the soldier
removed Ojo's white robe and
the boy stood face to face with
the girl who was to decide his
punishment. He saw at a glance
how lovely and sweet she was,
and his heart gave a bound of
joy, for he hoped she would be
merciful.
Ozma sat looking at the prisoner
a long time. Then she said gently:
"One of the
Laws of Oz forbids anyone to
pick a six-leaved clover.
You are accused of having broken
this Law, even after you had
been warned not to do so.
Ojo hung his head and while
he hesitated how to reply the
Patchwork Girl stepped forward
and spoke for him.
"All this fuss is about nothing
at all," she said, facing Ozma
unabashed. "You can't prove he
picked the six-leaved clover,
so you've no right to accuse
him of it. Search him, if you
like, but you won't find the
clover; look in his basket and
you'll find it's not there. He
hasn't got it, so I demand that
you set this poor Munchkin boy
free."
The people of Oz listened to
this defiance in amazement and
wondered at the queer Patchwork
Girl who dared talk so boldly
to their Ruler. But Ozma sat
silent and motionless and it
was the little Wizard who answered
Scraps.
"So the clover hasn't been
picked, eh?" he said. "I think
it has. I think the boy hid it
in his basket, and then gave
the basket to you. I also think
you dropped the clover into this
vase, which stood in Princess
Dorothy's room, hoping to get
rid of it so it would not prove
the boy guilty. You're a stranger
here, Miss Patches, and so you
don't know that nothing can be
hidden from our powerful Ruler's
Magic Picture--nor from the watchful
eyes of the humble Wizard of
Oz. Look, all of you!" With these
words he waved his hands toward
the vase on the table, which
Scraps now noticed for the first
time.
From the mouth of the vase
a plant sprouted, slowly growing
before their eyes until it became
a beautiful bush, and on the
topmost branch appeared the six-leaved
clover which Ojo had unfortunately
picked.
The Patchwork
Girl looked at the clover and
said: "Oh, so
you've found it. Very well; prove
he picked it, if you can."
Ozma turned to Ojo.
"Did you pick the six-leaved
clover?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied. "I
knew it was against the Law,
but I
wanted to save Unc Nunkie and
I was afraid if I asked your
consent to pick it you would
refuse me."
"What caused you to think that?" asked
the Ruler.
"Why, it seemed
to me a foolish law, unjust
and unreasonable.
Even now I can see no harm in
picking a six-leaved clover.
And I--I had not seen the Emerald
City, then, nor you, and I thought
a girl who would make such a
silly Law would not be likely
to help anyone in trouble."
Ozma regarded him musingly,
her chin resting upon her hand;
but she was not angry. On the
contrary she smiled a little
at her thoughts and then grew
sober again.
"I suppose a good many laws
seem foolish to those people
who do not understand them," she
said; "but no law is ever made
without some purpose, and that
purpose is usually to protect
all the people and guard their
welfare. As you are a stranger,
I will explain this Law which
to you seems so foolish. Years
ago there were many Witches and
Magicians in the Land of Oz,
and one of the things they often
used in making their magic charms
and transformations was a six-leaved
clover. These Witches and Magicians
caused so much trouble among
my people, often using their
powers for evil rather than good,
that I decided to forbid anyone
to practice magic or sorcery
except Glinda the Good and her
assistant, the Wizard of Oz,
both of whom I can trust to use
their arts only to benefit my
people and to make them happier.
Since I issued that Law the Land
of Oz has been far more peaceful
and quiet; but I learned that
some of the Witches and Magicians
were still practicing magic on
the sly and using the six-leaved
clovers to make their potions
and charms. Therefore I made
another Law forbidding anyone
from plucking a six-leaved clover
or from gathering other plants
and herbs which the Witches boil
in their kettles to work magic
with. That has almost put an
end to wicked sorcery in our
land, so you see the Law was
not a foolish one, but wise and
just; and, in any event, it is
wrong to disobey a Law."
Ojo knew she was right and
felt greatly mortified to realize
he had acted and spoken so ridiculously.
But he raised his head and looked
Ozma in the face, saying:
"I am sorry
I have acted wrongly and broken
your Law. I did it
to save Unc Nunkie, and thought
I would not be found out. But
I am guilty of this act and whatever
punishment you think I deserve
I will suffer willingly."
Ozma smiled more brightly,
then, and nodded graciously.
"You are forgiven," she said. "For,
although you have committed a
serious fault, you are now penitent
and I think you have been punished
enough. Soldier, release Ojo
the Lucky and--"
"I beg your pardon; I'm Ojo
the Unlucky," said the boy.
"At this moment you are lucky," said
she. "Release him, Soldier, and
let him go free."
The people were glad to hear
Ozma's decree and murmured their
approval. As the royal audience
was now over, they began to leave
the Throne Room and soon there
were none remaining except Ojo
and his friends and Ozma and
her favorites.
The girl Ruler now asked Ojo
to sit down and tell her all
his story, which he did, beginning
at the time he had left his home
in the forest and ending with
his arrival at the Emerald City
and his arrest. Ozma listened
attentively and was thoughtful
for some moments after the boy
had finished speaking. Then she
said:
"The Crooked
Magician was wrong to make
the Glass Cat and the
Patchwork Girl, for it was against
the Law. And if he had not unlawfully
kept the bottle of Liquid of
Petrifaction standing on his
shelf, the accident to his wife
Margolotte and to Unc Nunkie
could not have occurred. I can
understand, however, that Ojo,
who loves his uncle, will be
unhappy unless he can save him.
Also I feel it is wrong to leave
those two victims standing as
marble statues, when they ought
to be alive. So I propose we
allow Dr. Pipt to make the magic
charm which will save them, and
that we assist Ojo to find the
things he is seeking. What do
you think, Wizard?"
"That is perhaps the best thing
to do," replied the Wizard. "But
after the Crooked Magician has
restored those poor people to
life you must take away his magic
powers."
"I will," promised
Ozma.
"Now tell me, please, what
magic things must you find?" continued
the Wizard, addressing Ojo.
"The three hairs from the Woozy's
tail I have," said the boy. "That
is, I have the Woozy, and the
hairs are in his tail. The six-leaved
clover I--I--"
"You may take it and keep it," said
Ozma. "That will not be breaking
the Law, for it is already picked,
and the crime of picking it is
forgiven."
"Thank you!" cried Ojo gratefully.
Then he continued: "The next
thing, I must find is a gill
of water from a dark well.'
The Wizard
shook his head. "That," said
he, "will be a hard task, but
if you travel far enough you
may discover it."
"I am willing to travel for
years, if it will save Unc Nunkie," declared
Ojo, earnestly.
"Then you'd better begin your
journey at once," advised the
Wizard.
Dorothy bad
been listening with interest
to this conversation.
Now she turned to Ozma and asked: "May
I go with Ojo, to help him?"
"Would you like to?" returned
Ozma.
"Yes. I know
Oz pretty well, but Ojo doesn't
know it at all.
I'm sorry for his uncle and poor
Margolotte and I'd like to help
save them. May I go?"
"If you wish to," replied
Ozma.
"If Dorothy goes, then I must
go to take care of her," said
the Scarecrow, decidedly. "A
dark well can only be discovered
in some out-of-the-way place,
and there may be dangers there."
"You have my permission to
accompany Dorothy," said Ozma. "And
while you are gone I will take
care of the Patchwork Girl."
"I'll take care of myself," announced
Scraps, "for I'm going with the
Scarecrow and Dorothy. I promised
Ojo to help him find the things
he wants and I'll stick to my
promise."
"Very well," replied Ozma. "But
I see no need for Ojo to take
the Glass Cat and the Woozy."
"I prefer to remain here," said
the cat. "I've nearly been nicked
half a dozen times, already,
and if they're going into dangers
it's best for me to keep away
from them."
"Let Jellia Jamb keep her till
Ojo returns," suggested Dorothy. "We
won't need to take the Woozy,
either, but he ought to be saved
because of the three hairs in
his tail."
"Better take me along," said
the Woozy. "My eyes can flash
fire, you know, and I can growl--a
little."
"I'm sure you'll be safer here," Ozma
decided, and the Woozy made no
further objection to the plan.
After consulting together they
decided that Ojo and his party
should leave the very next day
to search for the gill of water
from a dark well, so they now
separated to make preparations
for the journey.
Ozma gave the Munchkin boy
a room in the palace for that
night and the afternoon he passed
with Dorothy--getting acquainted,
as she said--and receiving advice
from the Shaggy Man as to where
they must go. The Shaggy Man
had wandered in many parts of
Oz, and so had Dorothy, for that
matter, yet neither of them knew
where a dark well was to be found.
"If such a thing is anywhere
in the settled parts of Oz," said
Dorothy, "we'd prob'ly have heard
of it long ago. If it's in the
wild parts of the country, no
one there would need a dark well.
P'raps there isn't such a thing."
"Oh, there must he!" returned
Ojo, positively; "or else the
recipe of Dr. Pipt wouldn't call
for it."
"That's true," agreed Dorothy; "and,
if it's anywhere in the Land
of Oz, we're bound to find it."
"Well, we're bound to search
for it, anyhow," said the Scarecrow. "As
for finding it, we must trust
to luck."
"Don't do that," begged Ojo,
earnestly. "I'm called Ojo the
Unlucky, you know."
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