"What a queer man," remarked
the Munchkin boy, when the party
had resumed its journey.
"And so nice and polite," added
Scraps, bobbing her Lead. "I
think he is the handsomest man
I've seen since I came to life."
"Handsome is as handsome does," quoted
the Shaggy Man; "but we must
admit that no living scarecrow
is handsomer. The chief merit
of my friend is that he is a
great thinker, and in Oz it is
considered good policy to follow
his advice."
"I didn't notice any brains
in his head," observed the Glass
Cat.
"You can't see 'em work, but
they're there, all right," declared
the Shaggy Man. "I hadn't much
confidence in his brains myself,
when first I came to Oz, for
a humbug Wizard gave them to
him; but I was soon convinced
that the Scarecrow is really
wise; and, unless his brains
make him so, such wisdom is unaccountable."
"Is the Wizard of Oz a humbug?" asked
Ojo.
"Not now. He
was once, but he has reformed
and now assists
Glinda the Good, who is the Royal
Sorceress of Oz and the only
one licensed to practice magic
or sorcery. Glinda has taught
our old Wizard a good many clever
things, so he is no longer a
humbug."
They walked a little while
in silence and then Ojo said:
"If Ozma forbids
the Crooked Magician to restore
Unc Nunkie
to life, what shall I do?"
The Shaggy Man shook his head.
"In that case you can't do
anything," he said. "But don't
be discouraged yet. We will go
to Princess Dorothy and tell
her your troubles, and then we
will let her talk to Ozma. Dorothy
has the kindest little heart
in the world, and she has been
through so many troubles herself
that she is sure to sympathize
with you."
"Is Dorothy the little girl
who came here from Kansas?" asked
the boy.
"Yes. In Kansas she was Dorothy
Gale. I used to know her there,
and she brought me to the Land
of Oz. But now Ozma has made
her a Princess, and Dorothy's
Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are here,
too." Here the Shaggy Man uttered
a long sigh, and then he continued: "It's
a queer country, this Land of
Oz; but I like it, nevertheless."
"What is queer about it?" asked
Scraps.
"You, for instance," said
he.
"Did you see no girls as beautiful
as I am in your own country?" she
inquired.
"None with the same gorgeous,
variegated beauty," he confessed. "In
America a girl stuffed with cotton
wouldn't be alive, nor would
anyone think of making a girl
out of a patchwork quilt."
"What a queer country America
must be!" she exclaimed in great
surprise. "The Scarecrow, whom
you say is wise, told me I am
the most beautiful creature he
has ever seen."
"I know; and perhaps you are-from
a scarecrow point of view," replied
the Shaggy Man; but why he smiled
as he said it Scraps could not
imagine.
As they drew nearer to the
Emerald City the travelers were
filled with admiration for the
splendid scenery they beheld.
Handsome houses stood on both
sides of the road and each had
a green lawn before it as well
as a pretty flower garden.
"In another hour," said the
Shaggy Man, "we shall come in
sight of the walls of the Royal
City."
He was walking ahead, with
Scraps, and behind them came
the Woozy and the Glass Cat.
Ojo had lagged behind, for in
spite of the warnings he had
received the boy's eyes were
fastened on the clover that bordered
the road of yellow bricks and
he was eager to discover if such
a thing as a six-leaved clover
really existed.
Suddenly he stopped short and
bent over to examine the ground
more closely. Yes; here at last
was a clover with six spreading
leaves. He counted them carefully,
to make sure. In an instant his
heart leaped with joy, for this
was one of the important things
he had come for--one of the things
that would restore dear Unc Nunkie
to life.
He glanced ahead and saw that
none of his companions was looking
back. Neither were any other
people about, for it was midway
between two houses. The temptation
was too strong to be resisted.
"I might search for weeks and
weeks, and never find another
six-leaved clover," he told himself,
and quickly plucking the stem
from the plant he placed the
prized clover in his basket,
covering it with the other things
he carried there. Then, trying
to look as if nothing had happened,
he hurried forward and overtook
his comrades.
The Emerald City, which is
the most splendid as well as
the most beautiful city in any
fairyland, is surrounded by a
high, thick wall of green marble,
polished smooth and set with
glistening emeralds. There are
four gates, one facing the Munchkin
Country, one facing the Country
of the Winkies, one facing the
Country of the Quadlings and
one facing the Country of the
Gillikins. The Emerald City lies
directly in the center of these
four important countries of Oz.
The gates had bars of pure gold,
and on either side of each gateway
were built high towers, from
which floated gay banners. Other
towers were set at distances
along the walls, which were broad
enough for four people to walk
abreast upon.
This enclosure, all green and
gold and glittering with precious
gems, was indeed a wonderful
sight to greet our travelers,
who first observed it from the
top of a little hill; but beyond
the wall was the vast city it
surrounded, and hundreds of jeweled
spires, domes and minarets, flaunting
flags and banners, reared their
crests far above the towers of
the gateways. In the center of
the city our friends could see
the tops of many magnificent
trees, some nearly as tall as
the spires of the buildings,
and the Shaggy Man told them
that these trees were in the
royal gardens of Princess Ozma.
They stood a long time on the
hilltop, feasting their eyes
on the splendor of the Emerald
City.
"Whee!" exclaimed Scraps, clasping
her padded hands in ecstacy, "that'll
do for me to live in, all right.
No more of the Munchkin Country
for these patches--and no more
of the Crooked Magician!"
"Why, you belong to Dr. Pipt," replied
Ojo, looking at her in amazement. "You
were made for a servant, Scraps,
so you are personal property
and not your own mistress."
"Bother Dr.
Pipt! If he wants me, let him
come here and get
me. I'll not go back to his den
of my own accord; that's certain.
Only one place in the Land of
Oz is fit to live in, and that's
the Emerald City. It's lovely!
It's almost as beautiful as I
am, Ojo."
"In this country," remarked
the Shaggy Man, "people live
wherever our Ruler tells them
to. It wouldn't do to have everyone
live in the Emerald City, you
know, for some must plow the
land and raise grains and fruits
and vegetables, while others
chop wood in the forests, or
fish in the rivers, or herd the
sheep and the cattle."
"Poor things!" said
Scraps.
"I'm not sure they are not
happier than the city people," replied
the Shaggy Man. "There's a freedom
and independence in country life
that not even the Emerald City
can give one. I know that lots
of the city people would like
to get back to the land. The
Scarecrow lives in the country,
and so do the Tin Woodman and
Jack Pumpkinhead; yet all three
would be welcome to live in Ozma's
palace if they cared to. Too
much splendor becomes tiresome,
you know. But, if we're to reach
the Emerald City before sundown,
we must hurry, for it is yet
a long way off."
The entrancing sight of the
city had put new energy into
them all and they hurried forward
with lighter steps than before.
There was much to interest them
along the roadway, for the houses
were now set more closely together
and they met a good many people
who were coming or going from
one place or another. All these
seemed happy-faced, pleasant
people, who nodded graciously
to the strangers as they Passed,
and exchanged words of greeting.
At last they reached the great
gateway, just as the sun was
setting and adding its red glow
to the glitter of the emeralds
on the green walls and spires.
Somewhere inside the city a band
could be heard playing sweet
music; a soft, subdued hum, as
of many voices, reached their
ears; from the neighboring yards
came the low mooing of cows waiting
to be milked.
They were almost at the gate
when the golden bars slid back
and a tall soldier stepped out
and faced them. Ojo thought he
had never seen so tall a man
before. The soldier wore a handsome
green and gold uniform, with
a tall hat in which was a waving
plume, and he had a belt thickly
encrusted with jewels. But the
most peculiar thing about him
was his long green beard, which
fell far below his waist and
perhaps made him seem taller
than he really was.
"Halt!" said
the Soldier with the Green
Whiskers, not in a
stern voice but rather in a friendly
tone.
They halted before he spoke
and stood looking at him.
"Good evening, Colonel," said
the Shaggy Man. "What's the news
since I left? Anything important?"
"Billina has hatched out thirteen
new chickens," replied the Soldier
with the Green Whiskers, "and
they're the cutest little fluffy
yellow balls you ever saw. The
Yellow Hen is mighty proud of
those children, I can tell you."
"She has a right to be," agreed
the Shaggy Man. "Let me see;
that's about seven thousand chicks
she has hatched out; isn't it,
General?"
"That, at least," was the reply. "You
will have to visit Billina and
congratulate her."
"It will give me pleasure to
do that," said the Shaggy Man. "But
you will observe that I have
brought some strangers home with
me. I am going to take them to
see Dorothy."
"One moment, please," said
the soldier, barring their way
as they started to enter the
gate. "I am on duty, and I have
orders to execute. Is anyone
in your party named Ojo the Unlucky?"
"Why, that's me!" cried
Ojo, astonished at hearing
his name
on the lips of a stranger.
The Soldier
with the Green Whiskers nodded. "I thought so," said
he, "and I am sorry to announce
that it is my painful duty to
arrest you."
"Arrest me!" exclaimed the
boy. "What for?"
"I haven't looked to see," answered
the soldier. Then he drew a paper
from his breast pocket and glanced
at it. "Oh, yes; you are to be
arrested for willfully breaking
one of the Laws of Oz."
"Breaking a law!" said Scraps. "Nonsense,
Soldier; you're joking."
"Not this time," returned the
soldier, with a sigh. "My dear
child what are you, a rummage
sale or a guess-me quick?--in
me you be hold the Body Guard
of our gracious Ruler, Princess
Ozma, as well as the Royal Army
of Oz and the Police Force of
the Emerald City."
"And only one man!" exclaimed
the Patchwork Girl.
"Only one,
and plenty enough. In my official
positions I've
had nothing to do for a good
many years--so long that I began
to fear I was absolutely useless--until
today. An hour ago I was called
to the presence of her Highness,
Ozma of Oz, and told to arrest
a boy named Ojo the Unlucky,
who was journeying from the Munchkin
Country to the Emerald City and
would arrive in a short time.
This command so astonished me
that I nearly fainted, for it
is the first time anyone has
merited arrest since I can remember.
You are rightly named Ojo the
Unlucky. my poor boy, since you
have broken a Law of Oz.
"But you are wrong," said Scraps. "Ozma
is wrong--you are all wrong--for
Ojo has broken no Law."
"Then he will soon be free
again," replied the Soldier with
the Green Whiskers. "Anyone accused
of crime is given a fair trial
by our Ruler and has every chance
to prove his innocence. But just
now Ozma's orders must be obeyed."
With this he took from his
pocket a pair of handcuffs made
of gold and set with rubies and
diamonds, and these he snapped
over Ojo's wrists.
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