Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz Page 17

  16. Jim, The Cab-Horse

  Jim the Cab-horse found himself in possession of a large room with agreen marble floor and carved marble wainscoting, which was so statelyin its appearance that it would have awed anyone else. Jim accepted itas a mere detail, and at his command the attendants gave his coat agood rubbing, combed his mane and tail, and washed his hoofs andfetlocks. Then they told him dinner would be served directly and hereplied that they could not serve it too quickly to suit hisconvenience. First they brought him a steaming bowl of soup, which thehorse eyed in dismay.

  "Take that stuff away!" he commanded. "Do you take me for asalamander?"

  They obeyed at once, and next served a fine large turbot on a silverplatter, with drawn gravy poured over it.

  "Fish!" cried Jim, with a sniff. "Do you take me for a tom-cat? Awaywith it!"

  The servants were a little discouraged, but soon they brought in agreat tray containing two dozen nicely roasted quail on toast.

  "Well, well!" said the horse, now thoroughly provoked. "Do you take mefor a weasel? How stupid and ignorant you are, in the Land of Oz, andwhat dreadful things you feed upon! Is there nothing that is decent toeat in this palace?"

  The trembling servants sent for the Royal Steward, who came in hasteand said:

  "What would your Highness like for dinner?"

  "Highness!" repeated Jim, who was unused to such titles.

  "You are at least six feet high, and that is higher than any otheranimal in this country," said the Steward.

  "Well, my Highness would like some oats," declared the horse.

  "Oats? We have no whole oats," the Steward replied, with muchdeference. "But there is any quantity of oatmeal, which we often cookfor breakfast. Oatmeal is a breakfast dish," added the Steward, humbly.

  "I'll make it a dinner dish," said Jim. "Fetch it on, but don't cookit, as you value your life."

  You see, the respect shown the worn-out old cab-horse made him a littlearrogant, and he forgot he was a guest, never having been treatedotherwise than as a servant since the day he was born, until hisarrival in the Land of Oz. But the royal attendants did not heed theanimal's ill temper. They soon mixed a tub of oatmeal with a littlewater, and Jim ate it with much relish.

  Then the servants heaped a lot of rugs upon the floor and the old horseslept on the softest bed he had ever known in his life.

  In the morning, as soon as it was daylight, he resolved to take a walkand try to find some grass for breakfast; so he ambled calmly throughthe handsome arch of the doorway, turned the corner of the palace,wherein all seemed asleep, and came face to face with the Sawhorse.

  Jim stopped abruptly, being startled and amazed. The Sawhorse stoppedat the same time and stared at the other with its queer protrudingeyes, which were mere knots in the log that formed its body. The legsof the Sawhorse were four sticks driving into holes bored in the log;its tail was a small branch that had been left by accident and itsmouth a place chopped in one end of the body which projected a littleand served as a head. The ends of the wooden legs were shod withplates of solid gold, and the saddle of the Princess Ozma, which was ofred leather set with sparkling diamonds, was strapped to the clumsybody.

  Jim's eyes stuck out as much as those of the Sawhorse, and he stared atthe creature with his ears erect and his long head drawn back until itrested against his arched neck.

  In this comical position the two horses circled slowly around eachother for a while, each being unable to realize what the singular thingmight be which it now beheld for the first time. Then Jim exclaimed:

  "For goodness sake, what sort of a being are you?"

  "I'm a Sawhorse," replied the other.

  "Oh; I believe I've heard of you," said the cab-horse; "but you areunlike anything that I expected to see."

  "I do not doubt it," the Sawhorse observed, with a tone of pride. "Iam considered quite unusual."

  "You are, indeed. But a rickety wooden thing like you has no right tobe alive."

  "I couldn't help it," returned the other, rather crestfallen. "Ozmasprinkled me with a magic powder, and I just had to live. I know I'mnot much account; but I'm the only horse in all the Land of Oz, so theytreat me with great respect."

  "You, a horse!"

  "Oh, not a real one, of course. There are no real horses here at all.But I'm a splendid imitation of one."

  Jim gave an indignant neigh.

  "Look at me!" he cried. "Behold a real horse!"

  The wooden animal gave a start, and then examined the other intently.

  "Is it possible that you are a Real Horse?" he murmured.

  "Not only possible, but true," replied Jim, who was gratified by theimpression he had created. "It is proved by my fine points. Forexample, look at the long hairs on my tail, with which I can whisk awaythe flies."

  "The flies never trouble me," said the Saw-Horse.

  "And notice my great strong teeth, with which I nibble the grass."

  "It is not necessary for me to eat," observed the Sawhorse.

  "Also examine my broad chest, which enables me to draw deep, fullbreaths," said Jim, proudly.

  "I have no need to breathe," returned the other.

  "No; you miss many pleasures," remarked the cab-horse, pityingly. "Youdo not know the relief of brushing away a fly that has bitten you, northe delight of eating delicious food, nor the satisfaction of drawing along breath of fresh, pure air. You may be an imitation of a horse,but you're a mighty poor one."

  "Oh, I cannot hope ever to be like you," sighed the Sawhorse. "But Iam glad to meet a last a Real Horse. You are certainly the mostbeautiful creature I ever beheld."

  This praise won Jim completely. To be called beautiful was a noveltyin his experience. Said he:

  "Your chief fault, my friend, is in being made of wood, and that Isuppose you cannot help. Real horses, like myself, are made of fleshand blood and bones."

  "I can see the bones all right," replied the Sawhorse, "and they areadmirable and distinct. Also I can see the flesh. But the blood, Isuppose is tucked away inside."

  "Exactly," said Jim.

  "What good is it?" asked the Sawhorse.

  Jim did not know, but he would not tell the Sawhorse that.

  "If anything cuts me," he replied, "the blood runs out to show where Iam cut. You, poor thing! cannot even bleed when you are hurt."

  "But I am never hurt," said the Sawhorse. "Once in a while I getbroken up some, but I am easily repaired and put in good order again.And I never feel a break or a splinter in the least."

  Jim was almost tempted to envy the wooden horse for being unable tofeel pain; but the creature was so absurdly unnatural that he decidedhe would not change places with it under any circumstances.

  "How did you happen to be shod with gold?" he asked.

  "Princess Ozma did that," was the reply; "and it saves my legs fromwearing out. We've had a good many adventures together, Ozma and I,and she likes me."

  The cab-horse was about to reply when suddenly he gave a start and aneigh of terror and stood trembling like a leaf. For around the cornerhad come two enormous savage beasts, treading so lightly that they wereupon him before he was aware of their presence. Jim was in the act ofplunging down the path to escape when the Sawhorse cried out:

  "Stop, my brother! Stop, Real Horse! These are friends, and will doyou no harm."

  Jim hesitated, eyeing the beasts fearfully. One was an enormous Lionwith clear, intelligent eyes, a tawney mane bushy and well kept, and abody like yellow plush. The other was a great Tiger with purplestripes around his lithe body, powerful limbs, and eyes that showedthrough the half closed lids like coals of fire. The huge forms ofthese monarchs of the forest and jungle were enough to strike terror tothe stoutest heart, and it is no wonder Jim was afraid to face them.

  But the Sawhorse introduced the stranger in a calm tone, saying:

  "This, noble Horse, is my friend the Cowardly Lion, who is the valiantKing of the Forest, but at the sam
e time a faithful vassal of PrincessOzma. And this is the Hungry Tiger, the terror of the jungle, wholongs to devour fat babies but is prevented by his conscience fromdoing so. These royal beasts are both warm friends of little Dorothyand have come to the Emerald City this morning to welcome her to ourfairyland."

  Hearing these words Jim resolved to conquer his alarm. He bowed hishead with as much dignity as he could muster toward the savage lookingbeasts, who in return nodded in a friendly way.

  "Is not the Real Horse a beautiful animal?" asked the Sawhorseadmiringly.

  "That is doubtless a matter of taste," returned the Lion. "In theforest he would be thought ungainly, because his face is stretched outand his neck is uselessly long. His joints, I notice, are swollen andovergrown, and he lacks flesh and is old in years."

  "And dreadfully tough," added the Hungry Tiger, in a sad voice. "Myconscience would never permit me to eat so tough a morsel as the RealHorse."

  "I'm glad of that," said Jim; "for I, also, have a conscience, and ittells me not to crush in your skull with a blow of my powerful hoof."

  If he thought to frighten the striped beast by such language he wasmistaken. The Tiger seemed to smile, and winked one eye slowly.

  "You have a good conscience, friend Horse," it said, "and if you attendto its teachings it will do much to protect you from harm. Some day Iwill let you try to crush in my skull, and afterward you will know moreabout tigers than you do now."

  "Any friend of Dorothy," remarked the Cowardly Lion, "must be ourfriend, as well. So let us cease this talk of skull crushing andconverse upon more pleasant subjects. Have you breakfasted, Sir Horse?"

  "Not yet," replied Jim. "But here is plenty of excellent clover, so ifyou will excuse me I will eat now."

  "He's a vegetarian," remarked the Tiger, as the horse began to munchthe clover. "If I could eat grass I would not need a conscience, fornothing could then tempt me to devour babies and lambs."

  Just then Dorothy, who had risen early and heard the voices of theanimals, ran out to greet her old friends. She hugged both the Lionand the Tiger with eager delight, but seemed to love the King of Beastsa little better than she did his hungry friend, having known him longer.

  By this time they had indulged in a good talk and Dorothy had told themall about the awful earthquake and her recent adventures, the breakfastbell rang from the palace and the little girl went inside to join herhuman comrades. As she entered the great hall a voice called out, in arather harsh tone:

  "What! are YOU here again?"

  "Yes, I am," she answered, looking all around to see where the voicecame from.

  "What brought you back?" was the next question, and Dorothy's eyerested on an antlered head hanging on the wall just over the fireplace,and caught its lips in the act of moving.

  "Good gracious!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were stuffed."

  "So I am," replied the head. "But once on a time I was part of theGump, which Ozma sprinkled with the Powder of Life. I was then for atime the Head of the finest Flying Machine that was ever known toexist, and we did many wonderful things. Afterward the Gump was takenapart and I was put back on this wall; but I can still talk when I feelin the mood, which is not often."

  "It's very strange," said the girl. "What were you when you were firstalive?"

  "That I have forgotten," replied the Gump's Head, "and I do not thinkit is of much importance. But here comes Ozma; so I'd better hush up,for the Princess doesn't like me to chatter since she changed her namefrom Tip to Ozma."

  Just then the girlish Ruler of Oz opened the door and greeted Dorothywith a good-morning kiss. The little Princess seemed fresh and rosyand in good spirits.

  "Breakfast is served, dear," she said, "and I am hungry. So don't letus keep it waiting a single minute."