Button-Bright took the shaggy
man's hand willingly; for the
shaggy man had the Love Magnet,
you know, which was the reason
Button-Bright had loved him
at once. They started on, with
Dorothy on one side, and Toto
on the other, the little party
trudging along more cheerfully
than you might have supposed.
The girl was getting used to
queer adventures, which interested
her very much. Wherever Dorothy
went Toto was sure to go, like
Mary's little lamb. Button-Bright
didn't seem a bit afraid or
worried because he was lost,
and the shaggy man had no home,
perhaps, and was as happy in
one place as in another.
Before long they saw ahead
of them a fine big arch spanning
the road, and when they came
nearer they found that the
arch was beautifully carved
and decorated with rich colors.
A row of peacocks with spread
tails ran along the top of
it, and all the feathers were
gorgeously painted. In the
center was a large fox's head,
and the fox wore a shrewd and
knowing expression and had
large spectacles over its eyes
and a small golden crown with
shiny points on top of its
head.
While the travelers were
looking with curiosity at this
beautiful arch there suddenly
marched out of it a company
of soldiers--only the soldiers
were all foxes dressed in uniforms.
They wore green jackets and
yellow pantaloons, and their
little round caps and their
high boots were a bright red
color. Also, there was a big
red bow tied about the middle
of each long, bushy tail. Each
soldier was armed with a wooden
sword having an edge of sharp
teeth set in a row, and the
sight of these teeth at first
caused Dorothy to shudder.
A captain marched in front
of the company of fox-soldiers,
his uniform embroidered with
gold braid to make it handsomer
than the others.
Almost before our friends
realized it the soldiers had
surrounded them on all sides,
and the captain was calling
out in a harsh voice:
"Surrender!
You are
our prisoners."
"What's a pris'ner?" asked
Button-Bright.
"A prisoner is a captive," replied
the fox-captain, strutting
up and down with much dignity.
"What's a captive?" asked
Button-Bright.
"You're one," said
the captain.
That made the shaggy man
laugh
"Good afternoon, captain," he
said, bowing politely to all
the foxes and very low to their
commander. "I trust you are
in good health, and that your
families are all well?"
The fox-captain looked at
the shaggy man, and his sharp
features grew pleasant and
smiling.
"We're pretty well, thank
you, Shaggy Man," said he;
and Dorothy knew that the Love
Magnet was working and that
all the foxes now loved the
shaggy man because of it. But
Toto didn't know this, for
he began barking angrily and
tried to bite the captain's
hairy leg where it showed between
his red boots and his yellow
pantaloons.
"Stop, Toto!" cried the little
girl, seizing the dog in her
arms. "These are our friends."
"Why, so we are!" remarked
the captain in tones of astonishment. "I
thought at first we were enemies,
but it seems you are friends
instead. You must come with
me to see King Dox."
"Who's he?" asked
Button-Bright,
with earnest eyes.
"King
Dox of
Foxville;
the great
and wise
sovereign
who
rules over our community."
"What's sov'rin, and what's
c'u'nity?" inquired Button-Bright.
"Don't
ask so
many questions,
little boy."
"Why?"
"Ah, why indeed?" exclaimed
the captain, looking at Button-Bright
admiringly. "If you don't ask
questions you will learn nothing.
True enough. I was wrong. You're
a very clever little boy, come
to think of it--very clever
indeed. But now, friends, please
come with me, for it is my
duty to escort you at once
to the royal palace."
The soldiers marched back
through the arch again, and
with them marched the shaggy
man, Dorothy, Toto, and Button-Bright.
Once through the opening they
found a fine, big city spread
out before them, all the houses
of carved marble in beautiful
colors. The decorations were
mostly birds and other fowl,
such as peacocks, pheasants,
turkeys, prairie-chickens,
ducks, and geese. Over each
doorway was carved a head representing
the fox who lived in that house,
this effect being quite pretty
and unusual.
As our friends marched along,
some of the foxes came out
on the porches and balconies
to get a view of the strangers.
These foxes were all handsomely
dressed, the girl-foxes and
women-foxes wearing gowns of
feathers woven together effectively
and colored in bright hues
which Dorothy thought were
quite artistic and decidedly
attractive.
Button-Bright stared until
his eyes were big and round,
and he would have stumbled
and fallen more than once had
not the shaggy man grasped
his hand tightly. They were
all interested, and Toto was
so excited he wanted to bark
every minute and to chase and
fight every fox he caught sight
of; but Dorothy held his little
wiggling body fast in her arms
and commanded him to be good
and behave himself. So he finally
quieted down, like a wise doggy,
deciding there were too many
foxes in Foxville to fight
at one time.
By-and-by they came to a
big square, and in the center
of the square stood the royal
palace. Dorothy knew it at
once because it had over its
great door the carved head
of a fox just like the one
she had seen on the arch, and
this fox was the only one who
wore a golden crown.
There were many fox-soldiers
guarding the door, but they
bowed to the captain and admitted
him without question. The captain
led them through many rooms,
where richly dressed foxes
were sitting on beautiful chairs
or sipping tea, which was being
passed around by fox-servants
in white aprons. They came
to a big doorway covered with
heavy curtains of cloth of
gold.
Beside
this doorway
stood a
huge drum.
The fox-captain
went to this drum and knocked
his knees against it-- first
one knee and then the other--so
that the drum said: "Boom-boom."
"You must all do exactly
what I do," ordered the captain;
so the shaggy man pounded the
drum with his knees, and so
did Dorothy and so did Button-Bright.
The boy wanted to keep on pounding
it with his little fat knees,
because he liked the sound
of it; but the captain stopped
him. Toto couldn't pound the
drum with his knees and he
didn't know enough to wag his
tail against it, so Dorothy
pounded the drum for him and
that made him bark, and when
the little dog barked the fox-captain
scowled.
The golden curtains drew
back far enough to make an
opening, through which marched
the captain with the others.
The broad, long room they
entered was decorated in gold
with stained-glass windows
of splendid colors. In the
corner of the room upon a richly
carved golden throne, sat the
fox-king, surrounded by a group
of other foxes, all of whom
wore great spectacles over
their eyes, making them look
solemn and important.
Dorothy
knew the
King at
once, because she had seen
his head carved on the arch
and over the doorway of the
palace. Having met with several
other kings in her travels,
she knew what to do, and at
once made a low bow before
the throne. The shaggy man
bowed, too, and Button-Bright
bobbed his head and said "Hello."
"Most wise and noble Potentate
of Foxville," said the captain,
addressing the King in a pompous
voice, "I humbly beg to report
that I found these strangers
on the road leading to your
Foxy Majesty's dominions, and
have therefore brought them
before you, as is my duty."
"So--so," said the King,
looking at them keenly. "What
brought you here, strangers?"
"Our legs, may it please
your Royal Hairiness," replied
the shaggy man.
"What is your business here?" was
the next question.
"To get away as soon as possible," said
the shaggy man.
The King didn't know about
the Magnet, of course; but
it made him love the shaggy
man at once.
"Do just as you please about
going away," he said; "but
I'd like to show you the sights
of my city and to entertain
your party while you are here.
We feel highly honored to have
little Dorothy with us, I assure
you, and we appreciate her
kindness in making us a visit.
For whatever country Dorothy
visits is sure to become famous."
This speech greatly surprised
the little girl, who asked:
"How
did your
Majesty
know my
name?"
"Why, everybody knows you,
my dear," said the Fox-King. "Don't
you realize that? You are quite
an important personage since
Princess Ozma of Oz made you
her friend."
"Do you know Ozma?" she
asked,
wondering.
"I regret to say that I do
not," he answered, sadly; "but
I hope to meet her soon. You
know the Princess Ozma is to
celebrate her birthday on the
twenty-first of this month."
"Is she?" said Dorothy. "I
didn't know that."
"Yes;
it is to
be the
most brilliant
royal ceremony
ever
held in any city in Fairyland,
and I hope you will try to
get me an invitation."
Dorothy thought a moment.
"I'm sure Ozma would invite
you if I asked her," she said; "but
how could you get to the Land
of Oz and the Emerald City?
It's a good way from Kansas."
"Kansas!" he
exclaimed,
surprised.
"Why, yes; we are in Kansas
now, aren't we?" she returned.
"What a queer notion!" cried
the Fox-King, beginning to
laugh. "Whatever made you think
this is Kansas?"
"I left Uncle Henry's farm
only about two hours ago; that's
the reason," she said, rather
perplexed.
"But, tell me, my dear, did
you ever see so wonderful a
city as Foxville in Kansas?" he
questioned.
"No,
your Majesty."
"And
haven't
you traveled
from Oz to Kansas in less than
half a jiffy, by means of the
Silver Shoes and the Magic
Belt?"
"Yes, your Majesty," she
acknowledged.
"Then
why do
you wonder
that an
hour or
two could
bring
you to Foxville, which is nearer
to Oz than it is to Kansas?"
"Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy; "is
this another fairy adventure?"
"It seems to be," said
the Fox-King,
smiling.
Dorothy turned to the shaggy
man, and her face was grave
and reproachful.
"Are you a magician? or a
fairy in disguise?" she asked. "Did
you enchant me when you asked
the way to Butterfield?"
The shaggy man shook his
head.
"Who ever heard of a shaggy
fairy?" he replied. "No, Dorothy,
my dear; I'm not to blame for
this journey in any way, I
assure you. There's been something
strange about me ever since
I owned the Love Magnet; but
I don't know what it is any
more than you do. I didn't
try to get you away from home,
at all. If you want to find
your way back to the farm I'll
go with you willingly, and
do my best to help you."
"Never mind," said the little
girl, thoughtfully. "There
isn't so much to see in Kansas
as there is here, and I guess
Aunt Em won't be VERY much
worried; that is, if I don't
stay away too long."
"That's right," declared
the Fox-King, nodding approval. "Be
contented with your lot, whatever
it happens to be, if you are
wise. Which reminds me that
you have a new companion on
this adventure--he looks very
clever and bright."
"He is," said
Dorothy;
and the
shaggy
man added:
"That's
his name,
your Royal
Foxiness--Button-Bright."
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