Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz Page 18

  17. The Nine Tiny Piglets

  After breakfast Ozma announced that she had ordered a holiday to beobserved throughout the Emerald City, in honor of her visitors. Thepeople had learned that their old Wizard had returned to them and allwere anxious to see him again, for he had always been a rare favorite.So first there was to be a grand procession through the streets, afterwhich the little old man was requested to perform some of hiswizardries in the great Throne Room of the palace. In the afternoonthere were to be games and races.

  The procession was very imposing. First came the Imperial Cornet Bandof Oz, dressed in emerald velvet uniforms with slashes of pea-greensatin and buttons of immense cut emeralds. They played the Nationalair called "The Oz Spangled Banner," and behind them were the standardbearers with the Royal flag. This flag was divided into four quarters,one being colored sky-blue, another pink, a third lavender and a fourthwhite. In the center was a large emerald-green star, and all over thefour quarters were sewn spangles that glittered beautifully in thesunshine. The colors represented the four countries of Oz, and thegreen star the Emerald City.

  Just behind the royal standard-bearers came the Princess Ozma in herroyal chariot, which was of gold encrusted with emeralds and diamondsset in exquisite designs. The chariot was drawn on this occasion bythe Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, who were decorated with immensepink and blue bows. In the chariot rode Ozma and Dorothy, the formerin splendid raiment and wearing her royal coronet, while the littleKansas girl wore around her waist the Magic Belt she had once capturedfrom the Nome King.

  Following the chariot came the Scarecrow mounted on the Sawhorse, andthe people cheered him almost as loudly as they did their lovely Ruler.Behind him stalked with regular, jerky steps, the famous machine-mancalled Tik-tok, who had been wound up by Dorothy for the occasion.Tik-tok moved by clockwork, and was made all of burnished copper. Hereally belonged to the Kansas girl, who had much respect for histhoughts after they had been properly wound and set going; but as thecopper man would be useless in any place but a fairy country Dorothyhad left him in charge of Ozma, who saw that he was suitably cared for.

  There followed another band after this, which was called the RoyalCourt Band, because the members all lived in the palace. They worewhite uniforms with real diamond buttons and played "What is Oz withoutOzma" very sweetly.

  Then came Professor Woggle-Bug, with a group of students from the RoyalCollege of Scientific Athletics. The boys wore long hair and stripedsweaters and yelled their college yell every other step they took, tothe great satisfaction of the populace, which was glad to have thisevidence that their lungs were in good condition.

  The brilliantly polished Tin Woodman marched next, at the head of theRoyal Army of Oz which consisted of twenty-eight officers, fromGenerals down to Captains. There were no privates in the army becauseall were so courageous and skillful that they had been promoted one byone until there were no privates left. Jim and the buggy followed, theold cab-horse being driven by Zeb while the Wizard stood up on the seatand bowed his bald head right and left in answer to the cheers of thepeople, who crowded thick about him.

  Taken altogether the procession was a grand success, and when it hadreturned to the palace the citizens crowded into the great Throne Roomto see the Wizard perform his tricks.

  The first thing the little humbug did was to produce a tiny whitepiglet from underneath his hat and pretend to pull it apart, makingtwo. This act he repeated until all of the nine tiny piglets werevisible, and they were so glad to get out of his pocket that they ranaround in a very lively manner. The pretty little creatures would havebeen a novelty anywhere, so the people were as amazed and delighted attheir appearance as even the Wizard could have desired. When he hadmade them all disappear again Ozma declared she was sorry they weregone, for she wanted one of them to pet and play with. So the Wizardpretended to take one of the piglets out of the hair of the Princess(while really he slyly took it from his inside pocket) and Ozma smiledjoyously as the creature nestled in her arms, and she promised to havean emerald collar made for its fat neck and to keep the little squealeralways at hand to amuse her.

  Afterward it was noticed that the Wizard always performed his famoustrick with eight piglets, but it seemed to please the people just aswell as if there had been nine of them.

  In his little room back of the Throne Room the Wizard had found a lotof things he had left behind him when he went away in the balloon, forno one had occupied the apartment in his absence. There was enoughmaterial there to enable him to prepare several new tricks which he hadlearned from some of the jugglers in the circus, and he had passed partof the night in getting them ready. So he followed the trick of thenine tiny piglets with several other wonderful feats that greatlydelighted his audience and the people did not seem to care a bitwhether the little man was a humbug Wizard or not, so long as hesucceeded in amusing them. They applauded all his tricks and at theend of the performance begged him earnestly not to go away again andleave them.

  "In that case," said the little man, gravely, "I will cancel all of myengagements before the crowned heads of Europe and America and devotemyself to the people of Oz, for I love you all so well that I can denyyou nothing."

  After the people had been dismissed with this promise our friendsjoined Princess Ozma at an elaborate luncheon in the palace, where eventhe Tiger and the Lion were sumptuously fed and Jim the Cab-horse atehis oatmeal out of a golden bowl with seven rows of rubies, sapphiresand diamonds set around the rim of it.

  In the afternoon they all went to a great field outside the city gateswhere the games were to be held. There was a beautiful canopy for Ozmaand her guests to sit under and watch the people run races and jump andwrestle. You may be sure the folks of Oz did their best with such adistinguished company watching them, and finally Zeb offered to wrestlewith a little Munchkin who seemed to be the champion. In appearance hewas twice as old as Zeb, for he had long pointed whiskers and wore apeaked hat with little bells all around the brim of it, which tinkledgaily as he moved. But although the Munchkin was hardly tall enough tocome to Zeb's shoulder he was so strong and clever that he laid the boythree times on his back with apparent ease.

  Zeb was greatly astonished at his defeat, and when the pretty Princessjoined her people in laughing at him he proposed a boxing-match withthe Munchkin, to which the little Ozite readily agreed. But the firsttime that Zeb managed to give him a sharp box on the ears the Munchkinsat down upon the ground and cried until the tears ran down hiswhiskers, because he had been hurt. This made Zeb laugh, in turn, andthe boy felt comforted to find that Ozma laughed as merrily at herweeping subject as she had at him.

  Just then the Scarecrow proposed a race between the Sawhorse and theCab-horse; and although all the others were delighted at the suggestionthe Sawhorse drew back, saying:

  "Such a race would not be fair."

  "Of course not," added Jim, with a touch of scorn; "those little woodenlegs of yours are not half as long as my own."

  "It isn't that," said the Sawhorse, modestly; "but I never tire, andyou do."

  "Bah!" cried Jim, looking with great disdain at the other; "do youimagine for an instant that such a shabby imitation of a horse as youare can run as fast as I?"

  "I don't know, I'm sure," replied the Sawhorse.

  "That is what we are trying to find out," remarked the Scarecrow. "Theobject of a race is to see who can win it--or at least that is what myexcellent brains think."

  "Once, when I was young," said Jim, "I was a race horse, and defeatedall who dared run against me. I was born in Kentucky, you know, whereall the best and most aristocratic horses come from."

  "But you're old, now, Jim," suggested Zeb.

  "Old! Why, I feel like a colt today," replied Jim. "I only wish therewas a real horse here for me to race with. I'd show the people a finesight, I can tell you."

  "Then why not race with the Sawhorse?" enquired the Scarecrow.

  "He's afraid," said Jim.

>   "Oh, no," answered the Sawhorse. "I merely said it wasn't fair. Butif my friend the Real Horse is willing to undertake the race I am quiteready."

  So they unharnessed Jim and took the saddle off the Sawhorse, and thetwo queerly matched animals were stood side by side for the start.

  "When I say 'Go!'" Zeb called to them, "you must dig out and race untilyou reach those three trees you see over yonder. Then circle 'roundthem and come back again. The first one that passes the place wherethe Princess sits shall be named the winner. Are you ready?"

  "I suppose I ought to give the wooden dummy a good start of me,"growled Jim.

  "Never mind that," said the Sawhorse. "I'll do the best I can."

  "Go!" cried Zeb; and at the word the two horses leaped forward and therace was begun.

  Jim's big hoofs pounded away at a great rate, and although he did notlook very graceful he ran in a way to do credit to his Kentuckybreeding. But the Sawhorse was swifter than the wind. Its wooden legsmoved so fast that their twinkling could scarcely be seen, and althoughso much smaller than the cab-horse it covered the ground much faster.Before they had reached the trees the Sawhorse was far ahead, and thewooden animal returned to the starting place as was being lustilycheered by the Ozites before Jim came panting up to the canopy wherethe Princess and her friends were seated.

  I am sorry to record the fact that Jim was not only ashamed of hisdefeat but for a moment lost control of his temper. As he looked atthe comical face of the Sawhorse he imagined that the creature waslaughing at him; so in a fit of unreasonable anger he turned around andmade a vicious kick that sent his rival tumbling head over heels uponthe ground, and broke off one of its legs and its left ear.

  An instant later the Tiger crouched and launched its huge body throughthe air swift and resistless as a ball from a cannon. The beast struckJim full on his shoulder and sent the astonished cab-horse rolling overand over, amid shouts of delight from the spectators, who had beenhorrified by the ungracious act he had been guilty of.

  When Jim came to himself and sat upon his haunches he found theCowardly Lion crouched on one side of him and the Hungry Tiger on theother, and their eyes were glowing like balls of fire.

  "I beg your pardon, I'm sure," said Jim, meekly. "I was wrong to kickthe Sawhorse, and I am sorry I became angry at him. He has won therace, and won it fairly; but what can a horse of flesh do against atireless beast of wood?"

  Hearing this apology the Tiger and the Lion stopped lashing their tailsand retreated with dignified steps to the side of the Princess.

  "No one must injure one of our friends in our presence," growled theLion; and Zeb ran to Jim and whispered that unless he controlled histemper in the future he would probably be torn to pieces.

  Then the Tin Woodman cut a straight and strong limb from a tree withhis gleaming axe and made a new leg and a new ear for the Sawhorse; andwhen they had been securely fastened in place Princess Ozma took thecoronet from her own head and placed it upon that of the winner of therace. Said she:

  "My friend, I reward you for your swiftness by proclaiming you Princeof Horses, whether of wood or of flesh; and hereafter all otherhorses--in the Land of Oz, at least--must be considered imitations, andyou the real Champion of your race."

  There was more applause at this, and then Ozma had the jewelled saddlereplaced upon the Sawhorse and herself rode the victor back to the cityat the head of the grand procession.

  "I ought to be a fairy," grumbled Jim, as he slowly drew the buggyhome; "for to be just an ordinary horse in a fairy country is to be ofno account whatever. It's no place for us, Zeb."

  "It's lucky we got here, though," said the boy; and Jim thought of thedark cave, and agreed with him.