Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz Page 16

  15. Old Friends are Reunited

  Many servants dressed in handsome uniforms stood ready to welcome thenew arrivals, and when the Wizard got out of the buggy a pretty girl ina green gown cried out in surprise:

  "Why, it's Oz, the Wonderful Wizard, come back again!"

  The little man looked at her closely and then took both the maiden'shands in his and shook them cordially.

  "On my word," he exclaimed, "it's little Jellia Jamb--as pert andpretty as ever!"

  "Why not, Mr. Wizard?" asked Jellia, bowing low. "But I'm afraid youcannot rule the Emerald City, as you used to, because we now have abeautiful Princess whom everyone loves dearly."

  "And the people will not willingly part with her," added a tall soldierin a Captain-General's uniform.

  The Wizard turned to look at him.

  "Did you not wear green whiskers at one time?" he asked.

  "Yes," said the soldier; "but I shaved them off long ago, and sincethen I have risen from a private to be the Chief General of the RoyalArmies."

  "That's nice," said the little man. "But I assure you, my good people,that I do not wish to rule the Emerald City," he added, earnestly.

  "In that case you are very welcome!" cried all the servants, and itpleased the Wizard to note the respect with which the royal retainersbowed before him. His fame had not been forgotten in the Land of Oz,by any means.

  "Where is Dorothy?" enquired Zeb, anxiously, as he left the buggy andstood beside his friend the little Wizard.

  "She is with the Princess Ozma, in the private rooms of the palace,"replied Jellia Jamb. "But she has ordered me to make you welcome andto show you to your apartments."

  The boy looked around him with wondering eyes. Such magnificence andwealth as was displayed in this palace was more than he had everdreamed of, and he could scarcely believe that all the gorgeous glitterwas real and not tinsel.

  "What's to become of me?" asked the horse, uneasily. He had seenconsiderable of life in the cities in his younger days, and knew thatthis regal palace was no place for him.

  It perplexed even Jellia Jamb, for a time, to know what to do with theanimal. The green maiden was much astonished at the sight of sounusual a creature, for horses were unknown in this Land; but those wholived in the Emerald City were apt to be astonished by queer sights, soafter inspecting the cab-horse and noting the mild look in his big eyesthe girl decided not to be afraid of him.

  "There are no stables here," said the Wizard, "unless some have beenbuilt since I went away."

  "We have never needed them before," answered Jellia; "for the Sawhorselives in a room of the palace, being much smaller and more natural inappearance than this great beast you have brought with you."

  "Do you mean that I'm a freak?" asked Jim, angrily.

  "Oh, no," she hastened to say, "there may be many more like you in theplace you came from, but in Oz any horse but a Sawhorse is unusual."

  This mollified Jim a little, and after some thought the green maidendecided to give the cab-horse a room in the palace, such a big buildinghaving many rooms that were seldom in use.

  So Zeb unharnessed Jim, and several of the servants then led the horsearound to the rear, where they selected a nice large apartment that hecould have all to himself.

  Then Jellia said to the Wizard:

  "Your own room--which was back of the great Throne Room--has beenvacant ever since you left us. Would you like it again?"

  "Yes, indeed!" returned the little man. "It will seem like being athome again, for I lived in that room for many, many years."

  He knew the way to it, and a servant followed him, carrying hissatchel. Zeb was also escorted to a room--so grand and beautiful thathe almost feared to sit in the chairs or lie upon the bed, lest hemight dim their splendor. In the closets he discovered many fancycostumes of rich velvets and brocades, and one of the attendants toldhim to dress himself in any of the clothes that pleased him and to beprepared to dine with the Princess and Dorothy in an hour's time.

  Opening from the chamber was a fine bathroom having a marble tub withperfumed water; so the boy, still dazed by the novelty of hissurroundings, indulged in a good bath and then selected a maroon velvetcostume with silver buttons to replace his own soiled and much wornclothing. There were silk stockings and soft leather slippers withdiamond buckles to accompany his new costume, and when he was fullydressed Zeb looked much more dignified and imposing than ever before inhis life.

  He was all ready when an attendant came to escort him to the presenceof the Princess; he followed bashfully and was ushered into a room moredainty and attractive than it was splendid. Here he found Dorothyseated beside a young girl so marvelously beautiful that the boystopped suddenly with a gasp of admiration.

  But Dorothy sprang up and ran to seize her friend's hand drawing himimpulsively toward the lovely Princess, who smiled most graciously uponher guest. Then the Wizard entered, and his presence relieved theboy's embarrassment. The little man was clothed in black velvet, withmany sparkling emerald ornaments decorating his breast; but his baldhead and wrinkled features made him appear more amusing than impressive.

  Ozma had been quite curious to meet the famous man who had built theEmerald City and united the Munchkins, Gillikins, Quadlings and Winkiesinto one people; so when they were all four seated at the dinner tablethe Princess said:

  "Please tell me, Mr. Wizard, whether you called yourself Oz after thisgreat country, or whether you believe my country is called Oz afteryou. It is a matter that I have long wished to enquire about, becauseyou are of a strange race and my own name is Ozma. No, one, I am sure,is better able to explain this mystery than you."

  "That is true," answered the little Wizard; "therefore it will give mepleasure to explain my connection with your country. In the firstplace, I must tell you that I was born in Omaha, and my father, who wasa politician, named me Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman HenkleEmmannuel Ambroise Diggs, Diggs being the last name because he couldthink of no more to go before it. Taken altogether, it was adreadfully long name to weigh down a poor innocent child, and one ofthe hardest lessons I ever learned was to remember my own name. When Igrew up I just called myself O. Z., because the other initials wereP-I-N-H-E-A-D; and that spelled 'pinhead,' which was a reflection on myintelligence."

  "Surely no one could blame you for cutting your name short," said Ozma,sympathetically. "But didn't you cut it almost too short?"

  "Perhaps so," replied the Wizard. "When a young man I ran away fromhome and joined a circus. I used to call myself a Wizard, and dotricks of ventriloquism."

  "What does that mean?" asked the Princess.

  "Throwing my voice into any object I pleased, to make it appear thatthe object was speaking instead of me. Also I began to make balloonascensions. On my balloon and on all the other articles I used in thecircus I painted the two initials: 'O. Z.', to show that those thingsbelonged to me.

  "One day my balloon ran away with me and brought me across the desertsto this beautiful country. When the people saw me come from the skythey naturally thought me some superior creature, and bowed down beforeme. I told them I was a Wizard, and showed them some easy tricks thatamazed them; and when they saw the initials painted on the balloon theycalled me Oz."

  "Now I begin to understand," said the Princess, smiling.

  "At that time," continued the Wizard, busily eating his soup whiletalking, "there were four separate countries in this Land, each one ofthe four being ruled by a Witch. But the people thought my power wasgreater than that of the Witches; and perhaps the Witches thought sotoo, for they never dared oppose me. I ordered the Emerald City to bebuilt just where the four countries cornered together, and when it wascompleted I announced myself the Ruler of the Land of Oz, whichincluded all the four countries of the Munchkins, the Gillikins, theWinkies and the Quadlings. Over this Land I ruled in peace for manyyears, until I grew old and longed to see my native city once again.So when Dorothy was first blown to this place by a cyclone I
arrangedto go away with her in a balloon; but the balloon escaped too soon andcarried me back alone. After many adventures I reached Omaha, only tofind that all my old friends were dead or had moved away. So, havingnothing else to do, I joined a circus again, and made my balloonascensions until the earthquake caught me."

  "That is quite a history," said Ozma; "but there is a little morehistory about the Land of Oz that you do not seem tounderstand--perhaps for the reason that no one ever told it you. Manyyears before you came here this Land was united under one Ruler, as itis now, and the Ruler's name was always 'Oz,' which means in ourlanguage 'Great and Good'; or, if the Ruler happened to be a woman, hername was always 'Ozma.' But once upon a time four Witches leaguedtogether to depose the king and rule the four parts of the kingdomthemselves; so when the Ruler, my grandfather, was hunting one day, oneWicked Witch named Mombi stole him and carried him away, keeping him aclose prisoner. Then the Witches divided up the kingdom, and ruled thefour parts of it until you came here. That was why the people were soglad to see you, and why they thought from your initials that you weretheir rightful ruler."

  "But, at that time," said the Wizard, thoughtfully, "there were twoGood Witches and two Wicked Witches ruling in the land."

  "Yes," replied Ozma, "because a good Witch had conquered Mombi in theNorth and Glinda the Good had conquered the evil Witch in the South.But Mombi was still my grandfather's jailor, and afterward my father'sjailor. When I was born she transformed me into a boy, hoping that noone would ever recognize me and know that I was the rightful Princessof the Land of Oz. But I escaped from her and am now the Ruler of mypeople."

  "I am very glad of that," said the Wizard, "and hope you will considerme one of your most faithful and devoted subjects."

  "We owe a great deal to the Wonderful Wizard," continued the Princess,"for it was you who built this splendid Emerald City."

  "Your people built it," he answered. "I only bossed the job, as we sayin Omaha."

  "But you ruled it wisely and well for many years," said she, "and madethe people proud of your magical art. So, as you are now too old towander abroad and work in a circus, I offer you a home here as long asyou live. You shall be the Official Wizard of my kingdom, and betreated with every respect and consideration."

  "I accept your kind offer with gratitude, gracious Princess," thelittle man said, in a soft voice, and they could all see thattear-drops were standing in his keen old eyes. It meant a good deal tohim to secure a home like this.

  "He's only a humbug Wizard, though," said Dorothy, smiling at him.

  "And that is the safest kind of a Wizard to have," replied Ozma,promptly.

  "Oz can do some good tricks, humbug or no humbug," announced Zeb, whowas now feeling more at ease.

  "He shall amuse us with his tricks tomorrow," said the Princess. "Ihave sent messengers to summon all of Dorothy's old friends to meet herand give her welcome, and they ought to arrive very soon, now."

  Indeed, the dinner was no sooner finished than in rushed the Scarecrow,to hug Dorothy in his padded arms and tell her how glad he was to seeher again. The Wizard was also most heartily welcomed by the strawman, who was an important personage in the Land of Oz.

  "How are your brains?" enquired the little humbug, as he grasped thesoft, stuffed hands of his old friend.

  "Working finely," answered the Scarecrow. "I'm very certain, Oz, thatyou gave me the best brains in the world, for I can think with them dayand night, when all other brains are fast asleep."

  "How long did you rule the Emerald City, after I left here?" was thenext question.

  "Quite awhile, until I was conquered by a girl named General Jinjur.But Ozma soon conquered her, with the help of Glinda the Good, andafter that I went to live with Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman."

  Just then a loud cackling was heard outside; and, when a servant threwopen the door with a low bow, a yellow hen strutted in. Dorothy sprangforward and caught the fluffy fowl in her arms, uttering at the sametime a glad cry.

  "Oh, Billina!" she said; "how fat and sleek you've grown."

  "Why shouldn't I?" asked the hen, in a sharp, clear voice. "I live onthe fat of the land--don't I, Ozma?"

  "You have everything you wish for," said the Princess.

  Around Billina's neck was a string of beautiful pearls, and on her legswere bracelets of emeralds. She nestled herself comfortably inDorothy's lap until the kitten gave a snarl of jealous anger and leapedup with a sharp claw fiercely bared to strike Billina a blow. But thelittle girl gave the angry kitten such a severe cuff that it jumpeddown again without daring to scratch.

  "How horrid of you, Eureka!" cried Dorothy. "Is that the way to treatmy friends?"

  "You have queer friends, seems to me," replied the kitten, in a surlytone.

  "Seems to me the same way," said Billina, scornfully, "if that beastlycat is one of them."

  "Look here!" said Dorothy, sternly. "I won't have any quarrelling inthe Land of Oz, I can tell you! Everybody lives in peace here, andloves everybody else; and unless you two, Billina and Eureka, make upand be friends, I'll take my Magic Belt and wish you both home again,IMMEJITLY. So, there!"

  They were both much frightened at the threat, and promised meekly to begood. But it was never noticed that they became very warm friends, forall of that.

  And now the Tin Woodman arrived, his body most beautifullynickle-plated, so that it shone splendidly in the brilliant light ofthe room. The Tin Woodman loved Dorothy most tenderly, and welcomedwith joy the return of the little old Wizard.

  "Sir," said he to the latter, "I never can thank you enough for theexcellent heart you once gave me. It has made me many friends, Iassure you, and it beats as kindly and lovingly today as it every did."

  "I'm glad to hear that," said the Wizard. "I was afraid it would getmoldy in that tin body of yours."

  "Not at all," returned Nick Chopper. "It keeps finely, being preservedin my air-tight chest."

  Zeb was a little shy when first introduced to these queer people; butthey were so friendly and sincere that he soon grew to admire them verymuch, even finding some good qualities in the yellow hen. But hebecame nervous again when the next visitor was announced.

  "This," said Princess Ozma, "is my friend Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E.,who assisted me one time when I was in great distress, and is now theDean of the Royal College of Athletic Science."

  "Ah," said the Wizard; "I'm pleased to meet so distinguished apersonage."

  "H. M.," said the Woggle-Bug, pompously, "means Highly Magnified; andT. E. means Thoroughly Educated. I am, in reality, a very big bug, anddoubtless the most intelligent being in all this broad domain."

  "How well you disguise it," said the Wizard. "But I don't doubt yourword in the least."

  "Nobody doubts it, sir," replied the Woggle-Bug, and drawing a bookfrom its pocket the strange insect turned its back on the company andsat down in a corner to read.

  Nobody minded this rudeness, which might have seemed more impolite inone less thoroughly educated; so they straightway forgot him and joinedin a merry conversation that kept them well amused until bed-timearrived.