The Tip reflected.
"It's a hard thing, to
be a marble statue," he
thought, rebelliously, "and
I'm not going to stand it. For
years I've been a bother to her,
she says; so she's going to get
rid of me. Well, there's an easier
way than to become a statue.
No boy could have any fun forever
standing in the middle of a flower
garden! I'll run away, that's
what I'll do -- and I may as
well go before she makes me drink
that nasty stuff in the kettle." He
waited until the snores of the
old witch announced she was fast
asleep, and then he arose softly
and went to the cupboard to find
something to eat.
"No use starting on a journey
without food," he decided,
searching upon the narrow shelves.
He found some crusts of bread;
but he had to look into Mombi's
basket to find the cheese she
had brought from the village.
While turning over the contents
of the basket he came upon the
pepper-box which contained the "Powder
of Life."
"I may as well take this
with me," he thought, "or
Mombi'll be using it to make
more mischief with." So
he put the box in his pocket,
together with the bread and cheese.
Then he cautiously left the
house and latched the door behind
him. Outside both moon and stars
shone brightly, and the night
seemed peaceful and inviting
after the close and ill-smelling
kitchen.
"I'll be glad to get away," said
Tip, softly; "for I never
did like that old woman. I wonder
how I ever came to live with
her."
He was walking slowly toward
the road when a thought made
him pause.
"I don't like to leave
Jack Pumpkinhead to the tender
mercies of old Mombi," he
muttered. "And Jack belongs
to me, for I made him even if
the old witch did bring him to
life."
He retraced his steps to the
cow-stable and opened the door
of the stall where the pumpkin
headed man had been left.
Jack was standing in the middle
of the stall, and by the moonlight
Tip could see he was smiling
just as jovially as ever.
"Come on!" said the
boy, beckoning."
"Where to?" asked
Jack.
"You'll know as soon as
I do," answered Tip, smiling
sympathetically into the pumpkin
face.
"All we've got to do now
is to tramp."
"Very well," returned
Jack, and walked awkwardly out
of the stable and into the moonlight.
Tip turned toward the road and
the man followed him. Jack walked
with a sort of limp, and occasionally
one of the joints of his legs
would turn backward, instead
of frontwise, almost causing
him to tumble. But the Pumpkinhead
was quick to notice this, and
began to take more pains to step
carefully; so that he met with
few accidents.
Tip led him along the path without
stopping an instant. They could
not go very fast, but they walked
steadily; and by the time the
moon sank away and the sun peeped
over the hills they had travelled
so great a distance that the
boy had no reason to fear pursuit
from the old witch. Moreover,
he had turned first into one
path, and then into another,
so that should anyone follow
them it would prove very difficult
to guess which way they had gone,
or where to seek them.
Fairly satisfied that he had
escaped -- for a time, at least
-- being turned into a marble
statue, the boy stopped his companion
and seated himself upon a rock
by the roadside.
"Let's have some breakfast," he
said.
Jack Pumpkinhead watched Tip
curiously, but refused to join
in the repast. "I don't
seem to be made the same way
you are," he said.
"I know you are not," returned
Tip; "for I made you."
"Oh! Did you?" asked
Jack.
"Certainly. And put you
together. And carved your eyes
and nose and ears and mouth," said
Tip proudly. "And dressed
you."
Jack looked at his body and
limbs critically.
"It strikes me you made
a very good job of it," he
remarked.
"Just so-so," replied
Tip, modestly; for he began to
see certain defects in the construction
of his man. "If I'd known
we were going to travel together
I might have been a little more
particular."
"Why, then," said
the Pumpkinhead, in a tone that
expressed surprise, "you
must be my creator my parent
my father!"
"Or your inventor," replied
the boy with a laugh. "Yes,
my son; I really believe I am!"
"Then I owe you obedience," continued
the man, "and you owe me
-- support."
"That's it, exactly",
declared Tip, jumping up. "So
let us be off."
"Where are we going?" asked
Jack, when they had resumed their
journey.
"I'm not exactly sure," said
the boy; "but I believe
we are headed South, and that
will bring us, sooner or later,
to the Emerald City."
"What city is that?" enquired
the Pumpkinhead.
"Why, it's the center of
the Land of Oz, and the biggest
town in all the country. I've
never been there, myself, but
I've heard all about its history.
It was built by a mighty and
wonderful Wizard named Oz, and
everything there is of a green
color -- just as everything in
this Country of the Gillikins
is of a purple color."
"Is everything here purple?" asked
Jack.
"Of course it is. Can't
you see?" returned the boy.
"I believe I must be color-blind," said
the Pumpkinhead, after staring
about him.
"Well, the grass is purple,
and the trees are purple, and
the houses and fences are purple," explained
Tip. "Even the mud in the
roads is purple. But in the Emerald
City everything is green that
is purple here. And in the Country
of the Munchkins, over at the
East, everything is blue; and
in the South country of the Quadlings
everything is red; and in the
West country of the Winkies,
where the Tin Woodman rules,
everything is yellow."
"Oh!" said Jack. Then,
after a pause, he asked: "Did
you say a Tin Woodman rules the
Winkies?"
"Yes; he was one of those
who helped Dorothy to destroy
the Wicked Witch of the West,
and the Winkies were so grateful
that they invited him to become
their ruler, -- just as the people
of the Emerald City invited the
Scarecrow to rule them."
"Dear me!" said Jack. "I'm
getting confused with all this
history. Who is the Scarecrow?"
"Another friend of Dorothy's," replied
Tip.
"And who is Dorothy?"
"She was a girl that came
here from Kansas, a place in
the big, outside World. She got
blown to the Land of Oz by a
cyclone, and while she was here
the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman
accompanied her on her travels."
"And where is she now?" inquired
the Pumpkinhead.
"Glinda the Good, who rules
the Quadlings, sent her home
again," said the boy.
"Oh. And what became of
the Scarecrow?"
"I told you. He rules the
Emerald City," answered
Tip.
"I thought you said it
was ruled by a wonderful Wizard," objected
Jack, seeming more and more confused.
"Well, so I did. Now, pay
attention, and I'll explain it," said
Tip, speaking slowly and looking
the smiling Pumpkinhead squarely
in the eye. "Dorothy went
to the Emerald City to ask the
Wizard to send her back to Kansas;
and the Scarecrow and the Tin
Woodman went with her. But the
Wizard couldn't send her back,
because he wasn't so much of
a Wizard as he might have been.
And then they got angry at the
Wizard, and threatened to expose
him; so the Wizard made a big
balloon and escaped in it, and
no one has ever seen him since."
"Now, that is very interesting
history," said Jack, well
pleased; "and I understand
it perfectly all but the explanation."
"I'm glad you do," responded
Tip. "After the Wizard was
gone, the people of the Emerald
City made His Majesty, the Scarecrow,
their King; "and I have
heard that he became a very popular
ruler."
"Are we going to see this
queer King?" asked Jack,
with interest.
"I think we may as well," replied
the boy; "unless you have
something better to do."
"Oh, no, dear father," said
the Pumpkinhead. "I am quite
willing to go wherever you please."