Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz Read online

  10. The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain

  The mountain before them was shaped like a cone and was so tall thatits point was lost in the clouds. Directly facing the place where Jimhad stopped was an arched opening leading to a broad stairway. Thestairs were cut in the rock inside the mountain, and they were broadand not very steep, because they circled around like a cork-screw, andat the arched opening where the flight began the circle was quite big.At the foot of the stairs was a sign reading:

  WARNING. These steps lead to the Land of the Gargoyles. DANGER! KEEPOUT.

  "I wonder how Jim is ever going to draw the buggy up so many stairs,"said Dorothy, gravely.

  "No trouble at all," declared the horse, with a contemptuous neigh."Still, I don't care to drag any passengers. You'll all have to walk."

  "Suppose the stairs get steeper?" suggested Zeb, doubtfully.

  "Then you'll have to boost the buggy-wheels, that's all," answered Jim.

  "We'll try it, anyway," said the Wizard. "It's the only way to get outof the Valley of Voe."

  So they began to ascend the stairs, Dorothy and the Wizard first, Jimnext, drawing the buggy, and then Zeb to watch that nothing happened tothe harness.

  The light was dim, and soon they mounted into total darkness, so thatthe Wizard was obliged to get out his lanterns to light the way. Butthis enabled them to proceed steadily until they came to a landingwhere there was a rift in the side of the mountain that let in bothlight and air. Looking through this opening they could see the Valleyof Voe lying far below them, the cottages seeming like toy houses fromthat distance.

  After resting a few moments they resumed their climb, and still thestairs were broad and low enough for Jim to draw the buggy easily afterhim. The old horse panted a little, and had to stop often to get hisbreath. At such times they were all glad to wait for him, forcontinually climbing up stairs is sure to make one's legs ache.

  They wound about, always going upward, for some time. The lights fromthe lanterns dimly showed the way, but it was a gloomy journey, andthey were pleased when a broad streak of light ahead assured them theywere coming to a second landing.

  Here one side of the mountain had a great hole in it, like the mouth ofa cavern, and the stairs stopped at the near edge of the floor andcommenced ascending again at the opposite edge.

  The opening in the mountain was on the side opposite to the Valley ofVoe, and our travellers looked out upon a strange scene. Below themwas a vast space, at the bottom of which was a black sea with rollingbillows, through which little tongues of flame constantly shot up.Just above them, and almost on a level with their platform, were banksof rolling clouds which constantly shifted position and changed color.The blues and greys were very beautiful, and Dorothy noticed that onthe cloud banks sat or reclined fleecy, shadowy forms of beautifulbeings who must have been the Cloud Fairies. Mortals who stand uponthe earth and look up at the sky cannot often distinguish these forms,but our friends were now so near to the clouds that they observed thedainty fairies very clearly.

  "Are they real?" asked Zeb, in an awed voice.

  "Of course," replied Dorothy, softly. "They are the Cloud Fairies."

  "They seem like open-work," remarked the boy, gazing intently. "If Ishould squeeze one, there wouldn't be anything left of it."

  In the open space between the clouds and the black, bubbling sea farbeneath, could be seen an occasional strange bird winging its wayswiftly through the air. These birds were of enormous size, andreminded Zeb of the rocs he had read about in the Arabian Nights. Theyhad fierce eyes and sharp talons and beaks, and the children hoped noneof them would venture into the cavern.

  "Well, I declare!" suddenly exclaimed the little Wizard. "What in theworld is this?"

  They turned around and found a man standing on the floor in the centerof the cave, who bowed very politely when he saw he had attracted theirattention. He was a very old man, bent nearly double; but the queerestthing about him was his white hair and beard. These were so long thatthey reached to his feet, and both the hair and the beard werecarefully plaited into many braids, and the end of each braid fastenedwith a bow of colored ribbon.

  "Where did you come from?" asked Dorothy, wonderingly.

  "No place at all," answered the man with the braids; "that is, notrecently. Once I lived on top the earth, but for many years I have hadmy factory in this spot--half way up Pyramid Mountain."

  "Are we only half way up?" enquired the boy, in a discouraged tone.

  "I believe so, my lad," replied the braided man. "But as I have neverbeen in either direction, down or up, since I arrived, I cannot bepositive whether it is exactly half way or not."

  "Have you a factory in this place?" asked the Wizard, who had beenexamining the strange personage carefully.

  "To be sure," said the other. "I am a great inventor, you must know,and I manufacture my products in this lonely spot."

  "What are your products?" enquired the Wizard.

  "Well, I make Assorted Flutters for flags and bunting, and a superiorgrade of Rustles for ladies' silk gowns."

  "I thought so," said the Wizard, with a sigh. "May we examine some ofthese articles?"

  "Yes, indeed; come into my shop, please," and the braided man turnedand led the way into a smaller cave, where he evidently lived. Here,on a broad shelf, were several card-board boxes of various sizes, eachtied with cotton cord.

  "This," said the man, taking up a box and handling it gently, "containstwelve dozen rustles--enough to last any lady a year. Will you buyit, my dear?" he asked, addressing Dorothy.

  "My gown isn't silk," she said, smiling.

  "Never mind. When you open the box the rustles will escape, whetheryou are wearing a silk dress or not," said the man, seriously. Then hepicked up another box. "In this," he continued, "are many assortedflutters. They are invaluable to make flags flutter on a still day,when there is no wind. You, sir," turning to the Wizard, "ought tohave this assortment. Once you have tried my goods I am sure you willnever be without them."

  "I have no money with me," said the Wizard, evasively.

  "I do not want money," returned the braided man, "for I could not spendit in this deserted place if I had it. But I would like very much ablue hair-ribbon. You will notice my braids are tied with yellow,pink, brown, red, green, white and black; but I have no blue ribbons."

  "I'll get you one!" cried Dorothy, who was sorry for the poor man; soshe ran back to the buggy and took from her suit-case a pretty blueribbon. It did her good to see how the braided man's eyes sparkledwhen he received this treasure.

  "You have made me very, very happy, my dear!" he exclaimed; and then heinsisted on the Wizard taking the box of flutters and the little girlaccepting the box of rustles.

  "You may need them, some time," he said, "and there is really no use inmy manufacturing these things unless somebody uses them."

  "Why did you leave the surface of the earth?" enquired the Wizard.

  "I could not help it. It is a sad story, but if you will try torestrain your tears I will tell you about it. On earth I was amanufacturer of Imported Holes for American Swiss Cheese, and I willacknowledge that I supplied a superior article, which was in greatdemand. Also I made pores for porous plasters and high-grade holes fordoughnuts and buttons. Finally I invented a new Adjustable Post-hole,which I thought would make my fortune. I manufactured a large quantityof these post-holes, and having no room in which to store them I setthem all end to end and put the top one in the ground. That made anextraordinary long hole, as you may imagine, and reached far down intothe earth; and, as I leaned over it to try to see to the bottom, I lostmy balance and tumbled in. Unfortunately, the hole led directly intothe vast space you see outside this mountain; but I managed to catch apoint of rock that projected from this cavern, and so saved myself fromtumbling headlong into the black waves beneath, where the tongues offlame that dart out would certainly have consumed me. Here, then, Imade my home; and although it is a lonely
place I amuse myself makingrustles and flutters, and so get along very nicely."

  When the braided man had completed this strange tale Dorothy nearlylaughed, because it was all so absurd; but the Wizard tapped hisforehead significantly, to indicate that he thought the poor man wascrazy. So they politely bade him good day, and went back to the outercavern to resume their journey.