At daybreak Tip was awakened
by the Pumpkinhead. He rubbed
the sleep from his eyes, bathed
in a little brook, and then ate
a portion of his bread and cheese.
Having thus prepared for a new
day the boy said:
"Let us start at once. Nine
miles is quite a distance, but
we ought to reach the Emerald
City by noon if no accidents
happen." So the Pumpkinhead was
again perched upon the back of
the Saw-Horse and the journey
was resumed.
Tip noticed that the purple
tint of the grass and trees had
now faded to a dull lavender,
and before long this lavender
appeared to take on a greenish
tinge that gradually brightened
as they drew nearer to the great
City where the Scarecrow ruled.
The little party had traveled
but a short two miles upon their
way when the road of yellow brick
was parted by a broad and swift
river. Tip was puzzled how to
cross over; but after a time
he discovered a man in a ferry-boat
approaching from the other side
of the stream.
When the man reached the bank
Tip asked:
"Will you row
us to the other side?"
"Yes, if you have money," returned
the ferryman, whose face looked
cross and disagreeable.
"But I have no money," said
Tip.
"None at all?" inquired
the man.
"None at all," answered
the boy.
"Then I'll not break my back
rowing you over," said the ferryman,
decidedly.
"What a nice man!" remarked
the Pumpkinhead, smilingly.
The ferryman stared at him,
but made no reply. Tip was trying
to think, for it was a great
disappointment to him to find
his journey so suddenly brought
to an end.
"I must certainly get to the
Emerald City," he said to the
boatman; "but how can I cross
the river if you do not take
me?"
The man laughed, and it was
not a nice laugh.
"That wooden horse will float," said
he; "and you can ride him across.
As for the pumpkinheaded loon
who accompanies you, let him
sink or swim it won't matter
greatly which."
"Don't worry about me," said
Jack, smiling pleasantly upon
the crabbed ferryman; "I'm sure
I ought to float beautifully."
Tip thought the experiment
was worth making, and the Saw-Horse,
who did not know what danger
meant, offered no objections
whatever. So the boy led it down
into the water and climbed upon
its back. Jack also waded in
up to his knees and grasped the
tail of the horse so that he
might keep his pumpkin head above
the water.
"Now," said Tip, instructing
the Saw-Horse, "if you wiggle
your legs you will probably swim;
and if you swim we shall probably
reach the other side."
The Saw-Horse at once began
to wiggle its legs, which acted
as oars and moved the adventurers
slowly across the river to the
opposite side. So successful
was the trip that presently they
were climbing, wet and dripping,
up the grassy bank.
Tip's trouser-legs and shoes
were thoroughly soaked; but the
Saw-Horse had floated so perfectly
that from his knees up the boy
was entirely dry. As for the
Pumpkinhead, every stitch of
his gorgeous clothing dripped
water.
"The sun will soon dry us," said
Tip "and, anyhow, we are now
safely across, in spite of the
ferryman, and can continue our
journey.
"I didn't mind swimming, at
all," remarked the horse.
"Nor did I," added
Jack.
They soon regained the road
of yellow brick, which proved
to be a continuation of the road
they had left on the other side,
and then Tip once more mounted
the Pumpkinhead upon the back
of the Saw-Horse.
"If you ride fast," said he, "the
wind will help to dry your clothing.
I will hold on to the horse's
tail and run after you. In this
way we all will become dry in
a very short time."
"Then the horse must step lively," said
Jack.
"I'll do my best," returned
the Saw-Horse, cheerfully.
Tip grasped
the end of the branch that
served as tail to
the Saw-Horse, and called loudly: "Get-up!"
The horse started
at a good pace, and Tip followed
behind.
Then he decided they could go
faster, so he shouted: "Trot!"
Now, the Saw-Horse remembered
that this word was the command
to go as fast as he could; so
he began rocking along the road
at a tremendous pace, and Tip
had hard work -- running faster
than he ever had before in his
life -- to keep his feet.
Soon he was
out of breath, and although
he wanted to call "Whoa!" to
the horse, he found he could
not get the word out of his throat.
Then the end of the tail he was
clutching, being nothing more
than a dead branch, suddenly
broke away, and the next minute
the boy was rolling in the dust
of the road, while the horse
and its pumpkin-headed rider
dashed on and quickly disappeared
in the distance.
By the time
Tip had picked himself up and
cleared the dust
from his throat so he could say "Whoa!" there
was no further need of saying
it, for the horse was long since
out of sight.
So he did the only sensible
thing he could do. He sat down
and took a good rest, and afterward
began walking along the road.
"Some time I will surely overtake
them," he reflected; "for the
road will end at the gates of
the Emerald City, and they can
go no further than that."
Meantime Jack was holding fast
to the post and the Saw-Horse
was tearing along the road like
a racer. Neither of them knew
Tip was left behind, for the
Pumpkinhead did not look around
and the Saw-Horse couldn't.
As he rode, Jack noticed that
the grass and trees had become
a bright emerald-green in color,
so he guessed they were nearing
the Emerald City even before
the tall spires and domes came
into sight.
At length a
high wall of green stone, studded
thick with emeralds,
loomed up before them; and fearing
the Saw-Horse would not know
enough to stop and so might smash
them both against this wall,
Jack ventured to cry "Whoa!" as
loud as he could.
So suddenly did the horse obey
that had it not been for his
post Jack would have been pitched
off head foremost, and his beautiful
face ruined.
"That was a fast ride, dear
father!" he exclaimed; and then,
hearing no reply, he turned around
and discovered for the first
time that Tip was not there.
This apparent desertion puzzled
the Pumpkinhead, and made him
uneasy. And while he was wondering
what had become of the boy, and
what he ought to do next under
such trying circumstances, the
gateway in the green wall opened
and a man came out.
This man was short and round,
with a fat face that seemed remarkably
good- natured. He was clothed
all in green and wore a high,
peaked green hat upon his head
and green spectacles over his
eyes. Bowing before the Pumpkinhead
he said:
"I am the Guardian
of the Gates of the Emerald
City. May I inquire
who you are, and what is your
business?"
"My name is Jack Pumpkinhead," returned
the other, smilingly; "but as
to my business, I haven't the
least idea in the world what
it is."
The Guardian of the Gates looked
surprised, and shook his head
as if dissatisfied with the reply.
"What are you, a man or a pumpkin?" he
asked, politely.
"Both, if you please," answered
Jack.
"And this wooden horse -- is
it alive?" questioned the Guardian.
The horse rolled one knotty
eye upward and winked at Jack.
Then it gave a prance and brought
one leg down on the Guardian's
toes.
"Ouch!" cried the man; "I'm
sorry I asked that question.
But the answer is most convincing.
Have you any errand, sir, in
the Emerald City?"
"It seems to me that I have," replied
the Pumpkinhead, seriously; "but
I cannot think what it is. My
father knows all about it, but
he is not here."
"This is a strange affair very
strange!" declared the Guardian. "But
you seem harmless. Folks do not
smile so delightfully when they
mean mischief."
"As for that," said Jack, "I
cannot help my smile, for it
is carved on my face with a jack-knife."
"Well, come with me into my
room," resumed the Guardian, "and
I will see what can be done for
you."
So Jack rode the Saw-Horse
through the gateway into a little
room built into the wall. The
Guardian pulled a bell-cord,
and presently a very tall soldier
-- clothed in a green uniform
-- entered from the opposite
door. This soldier carried a
long green gun over his shoulder
and had lovely green whiskers
that fell quite to his knees.
The Guardian at once addressed
him, saying:
"Here is a
strange gentleman who doesn't
know why he has come
to the Emerald City, or what
he wants. Tell me, what shall
we do with him?"
The Soldier with the Green
Whiskers looked at Jack with
much care and curiosity. Finally
he shook his head so positively
that little waves rippled down
his whiskers, and then he said:
"I must take
him to His Majesty, the Scarecrow."
But what will
His Majesty, the Scarecrow,
do with him?" asked
the Guardian of the Gates.
"That is His Majesty's business," returned
the soldier. "I have troubles
enough of my own. All outside
troubles must be turned over
to His Majesty. So put the spectacles
on this fellow, and I'll take
him to the royal palace."
So the Guardian opened a big
box of spectacles and tried to
fit a pair to Jack's great round
eyes.
"I haven't a pair in stock
that will really cover those
eyes up," said the little man,
with a sigh; "and your head is
so big that I shall be obliged
to tie the spectacles on."
"But why need I wear spectacles?" asked
Jack.
"It's the fashion here," said
the Soldier, "and they will keep
you from being blinded by the
glitter and glare of the gorgeous
Emerald City."
"Oh!" exclaimed Jack. "Tie
them on, by all means. I don't
wish to be blinded."
"Nor I!" broke
in the Saw-Horse; so a pair
of green spectacles
was quickly fastened over the
bulging knots that served it
for eyes.
Then the Soldier with the Green
Whiskers led them through the
inner gate and they at once found
themselves in the main street
of the magnificent Emerald City.
Sparkling green gems ornamented
the fronts of the beautiful houses
and the towers and turrets were
all faced with emeralds. Even
the green marble pavement glittered
with precious stones, and it
was indeed a grand and marvelous
sight to one who beheld it for
the first time.
However, the Pumpkinhead and
the Saw-Horse, knowing nothing
of wealth and beauty, paid little
attention to the wonderful sights
they saw through their green
spectacles. They calmly followed
after the green soldier and scarcely
noticed the crowds of green people
who stared at them in surprise.
When a green dog ran out and
barked at them the Saw- Horse
promptly kicked at it with its
wooden leg and sent the little
animal howling into one of the
houses; but nothing more serious
than this happened to interrupt
their progress to the royal palace.
The Pumpkinhead wanted to ride
up the green marble steps and
straight into the Scarecrow's
presence; but the soldier would
not permit that. So Jack dismounted,
with much difficulty, and a servant
led the Saw-Horse around to the
rear while the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers escorted the Pumpkinhead
into the palace, by the front
entrance.
The stranger was left in a
handsomely furnished waiting
room while the soldier went to
announce him. It so happened
that at this hour His Majesty
was at leisure and greatly bored
for want of something to do,
so he ordered his visitor to
be shown at once into his throne
room.
Jack felt no fear or embarrassment
at meeting the ruler of this
magnificent city, for he was
entirely ignorant of all worldly
customs. But when he entered
the room and saw for the first
time His Majesty the Scarecrow
seated upon his glittering throne,
he stopped short in amazement.
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