The Road to Oz Page 4

  A Queer Village

  Button-bright took the shaggy man's hand willingly; for the shaggy manhad the Love Magnet, you know, which was the reason Button-Bright hadloved him at once. They started on, with Dorothy on one side, and Totoon the other, the little party trudging along more cheerfully than youmight have supposed. The girl was getting used to queer adventures,which interested her very much. Wherever Dorothy went Toto was sure togo, like Mary's little lamb. Button-Bright didn't seem a bit afraid orworried 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 beautifullycarved and decorated with rich colors. A row of peacocks with spreadtails ran along the top of it, and all the feathers were gorgeouslypainted. In the center was a large fox's head, and the fox wore a shrewdand knowing expression and had large spectacles over its eyes and asmall golden crown with shiny points on top of its head.

  While the travellers were looking with curiosity at this beautiful archthere suddenly marched out of it a company of soldiers--only thesoldiers were all foxes dressed in uniforms. They wore green jackets andyellow pantaloons, and their little round caps and their high boots werea bright red color. Also there was a big red bow tied about the middleof each long, bushy tail. Each soldier was armed with a wooden swordhaving an edge of sharp teeth set in a row, and the sight of these teethat first caused Dorothy to shudder.

  A captain marched in front of the company of fox-soldiers, his uniformembroidered with gold braid to make it handsomer than the others.

  Almost before our friends realized it the soldiers had surrounded themon 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 anddown 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 andvery low to their commander. "I trust you are in good health, and thatyour families are all well?"

  The fox-captain looked at the shaggy man, and his sharp features grewpleasant and smiling.

  "We're pretty well, thank you, Shaggy Man," said he; and Dorothy knewthat the Love Magnet was working and that all the foxes now loved theshaggy man because of it. But Toto didn't know this, for he beganbarking angrily and tried to bite the captain's hairy leg where itshowed between his red boots and his yellow pantaloons.

  "Stop, Toto!" cried the little girl, seizing the dog in her arms. "Theseare our friends."

  "Why, so we are!" remarked the captain in tones of astonishment. "Ithought 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 ourcommunity."

  "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-Brightadmiringly. "If you don't ask questions you will learn nothing. Trueenough. I was wrong. You're a very clever little boy, come to think ofit--very clever indeed. But now, friends, please come with me, for it ismy duty to escort you at once to the royal palace."

  The soldiers marched back through the arch again, and with them marchedthe shaggy man, Dorothy, Toto, and Button-Bright. Once through theopening they found a fine, big city spread out before them, all thehouses of carved marble in beautiful colors. The decorations were mostlybirds and other fowl, such as peacocks, pheasants, turkeys,prairie-chickens, ducks, and geese. Over each doorway was carved a headrepresenting the fox who lived in that house, this effect being quitepretty and unusual.

  As our friends marched along, some of the foxes came out on the porchesand balconies to get a view of the strangers. These foxes were allhandsomely dressed, the girl-foxes and women-foxes wearing gowns offeathers woven together effectively and colored in bright hues whichDorothy thought were quite artistic and decidedly attractive.

  Button-Bright stared until his eyes were big and round, and he wouldhave stumbled and fallen more than once had not the shaggy man graspedhis hand tightly. They were all interested, and Toto was so excited hewanted to bark every minute and to chase and fight every fox he caughtsight of; but Dorothy held his little wiggling body fast in her arms andcommanded him to be good and behave himself. So he finally quieted down,like a wise doggy, deciding there were too many foxes in Foxville tofight at one time.

  By-and-bye they came to a big square, and in the center of the squarestood the royal palace. Dorothy knew it at once because it had over itsgreat door the carved head of a fox just like the one she had seen onthe 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 thecaptain and admitted him without question. The captain led them throughmany rooms, where richly dressed foxes were sitting on beautiful chairsor sipping tea, which was being passed around by fox-servants in whiteaprons. They came to a big doorway covered with heavy curtains of clothof gold.

  Beside this doorway stood a huge drum. The fox-captain went to this drumand knocked his knees against it--first one knee and then the other--sothat the drum said; "Boom-boom."

  "You must all do exactly what I do," ordered the captain; so the shaggyman pounded the drum with his knees, and so did Dorothy and so didButton-Bright. The boy wanted to keep on pounding it with his little fatknees, 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 towag his tail against it, so Dorothy pounded the drum for him and thatmade him bark, and when the little dog barked the fox-captain scowled.

  The golden curtains drew back far enough to make an opening, throughwhich marched the captain with the others.

  The broad, long room they entered was decorated in gold withstained-glass windows of splendid colors. In the center of the room,upon a richly carved golden throne, sat the fox-king, surrounded by agroup 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 onthe arch and over the doorway of the palace. Having met with severalother kings in her travels she knew what to do, and at once made a lowbow before the throne. The shaggy man bowed, too, and Button-Brightbobbed 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 Ifound these strangers on the road leading to your Foxy Majesty'sdominions, 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 lovethe 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 youare here. We feel highly honored to have little Dorothy with us, Iassure you, and we appreciate her kindness in making us a visit. Forwhatever 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 yourealize that? You are quite an important personage since Princess Ozmaof 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 tomeet her soon. You know the Princess Ozma is to celebrate her birthdayon 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 anycity 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 howcould you get to the Land of Oz and the Emerald City? It's a good wayfrom 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. "Whatevermade 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 Foxvillein 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 andreproachful.

  "Are you a magician? or a fairy in disguise?" she asked. "Did youenchant 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'sbeen something strange about me ever since I owned the Love Magnet; butI don't know what it is any more than you do. I didn't try to get youaway from home, at all. If you want to find your way back to the farmI'll go with you willingly, and do my best to help you."

  "Never mind," said the little girl, thoughtfully. "There isn't so muchto 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."

  HIS ROYAL FOXINESS]

  "That's right," declared the Fox-King, nodding approval. "Be contentedwith your lot, whatever it happens to be, if you are wise. Which remindsme that you have a new companion on this adventure--he looks veryclever and bright."

  "He is," said Dorothy; and the shaggy man added:

  "That's his name, your Royal Foxiness--Button Bright."