The Magic of Oz Page 7

  A Happy Corner of Oz

  CHAPTER 5

  There is no other country so beautiful as the Land of Oz. There are noother people so happy and contented and prosperous as the Oz people.They have all they desire; they love and admire their beautiful girlRuler, Ozma of Oz, and they mix work and play so justly that both aredelightful and satisfying and no one has any reason to complain. Once ina while something happens in Oz to disturb the people's happiness for abrief time, for so rich and attractive a fairyland is sure to make a fewselfish and greedy outsiders envious, and therefore certain evil-doershave treacherously plotted to conquer Oz and enslave its people anddestroy its girl Ruler, and so gain the wealth of Oz for themselves. Butup to the time when the cruel and crafty Nome, Ruggedo, conspired withKiki Aru, the Hyup, all such attempts had failed. The Oz peoplesuspected no danger. Life in the world's nicest fairyland was one roundof joyous, happy days.

  In the center of the Emerald City of Oz, the capital city of Ozma'sdominions, is a vast and beautiful garden, surrounded by a wall inlaidwith shining emeralds, and in the center of this garden stands Ozma'sRoyal Palace, the most splendid building ever constructed. From ahundred towers and domes floated the banners of Oz, which included theOzmies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and the Quadlings. Thebanner of the Munchkins is blue, that of the Winkies yellow; theGillikin banner is purple, and the Quadling's banner is red. The colorsof the Emerald City are of course green. Ozma's own banner has a greencenter, and is divided into four quarters. These quarters are coloredblue, purple, yellow and red, indicating that she rules over all thecountries of the Land of Oz.

  This fairyland is so big, however, that all of it is not yet known toits girl Ruler, and it is said that in some far parts of the country, inforests and mountain fastnesses, in hidden valleys and thick jungles,are people and beasts that know as little about Ozma as she knows ofthem. Still, these unknown subjects are not nearly so numerous as theknown inhabitants of Oz, who occupy all the countries near to theEmerald City. Indeed, I'm sure it will not be long until all parts ofthe fairyland of Oz are explored and their peoples made acquainted withtheir Ruler, for in Ozma's palace are several of her friends who are socurious that they are constantly discovering new and extraordinaryplaces and inhabitants.

  One of the most frequent discoverers of these hidden places in Oz is alittle Kansas girl named Dorothy, who is Ozma's dearest friend and livesin luxurious rooms in the Royal Palace. Dorothy is, indeed, a Princessof Oz, but she does not like to be called a princess, and because she issimple and sweet and does not pretend to be anything but an ordinarylittle girl, she is called just "Dorothy" by everybody and is the mostpopular person, next to Ozma, in all the Land of Oz.

 

  One morning Dorothy crossed the hall of the palace and knocked on thedoor of another girl named Trot, also a guest and friend of Ozma. Whentold to enter, Dorothy found that Trot had company, an old sailor-manwith one wooden leg and one meat leg, who was sitting by the open windowpuffing smoke from a corn-cob pipe. This sailor-man was named Cap'nBill, and he had accompanied Trot to the Land of Oz and was her oldestand most faithful comrade and friend. Dorothy liked Cap'n Bill, too, andafter she had greeted him, she said to Trot:

  "You know, Ozma's birthday is next month, and I've been wondering what Ican give her as a birthday present. She's so good to us all that wecertainly ought to remember her birthday."

  "That's true," agreed Trot. "I've been wondering, too, what I could giveOzma. It's pretty hard to decide, 'cause she's got already all shewants, and as she's a fairy and knows a lot about magic, she couldsatisfy any wish."

  "I know," returned Dorothy, "but that isn't the point. It isn't thatOzma _needs_ anything, but that it will please her to know we'veremembered her birthday. But what shall we give her?"

  Trot shook her head in despair.

  "I've tried to think and I can't," she declared.

  "It's the same way with me," said Dorothy.

  "I know one thing that 'ud please her," remarked Cap'n Bill, turning hisround face with its fringe of whiskers toward the two girls and staringat them with his big, light-blue eyes wide open.

  "What is it, Cap'n Bill?"

  "It's an Enchanted Flower," said he. "It's a pretty plant that stands ina golden flower-pot an' grows all sorts o' flowers, one after another.One minute a fine rose buds an' blooms, an' then a tulip, an' next achrys--chrys--"

  "--anthemum," said Dorothy, helping him.

  "That's it; and next a dahlia, an' then a daffydil, an' on all throughthe range o' posies. Jus' as soon as one fades away, another comes, of adifferent sort, an' the perfume from 'em is mighty snifty, an' theykeeps bloomin' night and day, year in an' year out."

  "That's wonderful!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I think Ozma would like it."

  "But where is the Magic Flower, and how can we get it?" asked Trot.

  "Dun'no, zac'ly," slowly replied Cap'n Bill. "The Glass Cat tol' meabout it only yesterday, an' said it was in some lonely place up at thenor'east o' here. The Glass Cat goes travelin' all around Oz, you know,an' the little critter sees a lot o' things no one else does."

  "That's true," said Dorothy, thoughtfully. "Northeast of here must be inthe Munchkin Country, and perhaps a good way off, so let's ask the GlassCat to tell us how to get to the Magic Flower."

  So the two girls, with Cap'n Bill stumping along on his wooden leg afterthem, went out into the garden, and after some time spent in searching,they found the Glass Cat curled up in the sunshine beside a bush, fastasleep.

 

  The Glass Cat is one of the most curious creatures in all Oz. It wasmade by a famous magician named Dr. Pipt before Ozma had forbidden hersubjects to work magic. Dr. Pipt had made the Glass Cat to catch mice,but the Cat refused to catch mice and was considered more curious thanuseful.

  This astonishing cat was made all of glass and was so clear andtransparent that you could see through it as easily as through a window.In the top of its head, however, was a mass of delicate pink balls whichlooked like jewels but were intended for brains. It had a heart made ofa blood-red ruby. The eyes were two large emeralds. But, aside fromthese colors, all the rest of the animal was of clear glass, and it hada spun-glass tail that was really beautiful.

  "Here, wake up," said Cap'n Bill. "We want to talk to you."

  Slowly the Glass Cat got upon its feet, yawned and then looked at thethree who stood before it.

  "How dare you disturb me?" it asked in a peevish voice. "You ought to beashamed of yourselves."

  "Never mind that," returned the Sailor. "Do you remember tellin' meyesterday 'bout a Magic Flower in a Gold Pot?"

  "Do you think I'm a fool? Look at my brains--you can see 'em work. Ofcourse I remember!" said the cat.

  "Well, where can we find it?"

  "You can't. It's none of your business, anyhow. Go away and let mesleep," advised the Glass Cat.

  "Now, see here," said Dorothy; "we want the Magic Flower to give to Ozmaon her birthday. You'd be glad to please Ozma, wouldn't you?"

  "I'm not sure," replied the creature. "Why should I want to pleaseanybody?"

 

  "You've got a heart, 'cause I can see it inside of you," said Trot.

  "Yes; it's a pretty heart, and I'm fond of it," said the cat, twistingaround to view its own body. "But it's made from a ruby, and it's hardas nails."

  "Aren't you good for _any_thing?" asked Trot.

  "Yes, I'm pretty to look at, and that's more than can be said of you,"retorted the creature.

  Trot laughed at this, and Dorothy, who understood the Glass Cat prettywell, said soothingly:

  "You are indeed beautiful, and if you can tell Cap'n Bill where to findthe Magic Flower, all the people in Oz will praise your cleverness. TheFlower will belong to Ozma, but everyone will know the Glass Catdiscovered it."

  This was the kind of praise the crystal cre
ature liked.

  "Well," it said, while the pink brains rolled around, "I found the MagicFlower way up in the north of the Munchkin Country where few people liveor ever go. There's a river there that flows through a forest, and inthe middle of the river in the middle of the forest there is a smallisland on which stands the gold pot in which grows the Magic Flower."

  "How did you get to the island?" asked Dorothy. "Glass cats can't swim."

  "No, but I'm not afraid of water," was the reply. "I just walked acrossthe river on the bottom."

  "Under the water?" exclaimed Trot.

  The cat gave her a scornful look.

  "How could I walk _over_ the water on the _bottom_ of the river? If youwere transparent, anyone could see _your_ brains were not working. ButI'm sure you could never find the place alone. It has always been hiddenfrom the Oz people."

 

  "But you, with your fine pink brains, could find it again, I s'pose,"remarked Dorothy.

  "Yes; and if you want that Magic Flower for Ozma, I'll go with you andshow you the way."

  "That's lovely of you!" declared Dorothy. "Trot and Cap'n Bill will gowith you, for this is to be their birthday present to Ozma. While you'regone I'll have to find something else to give her."

  "All right. Come on, then, Cap'n," said the Glass Cat, starting to moveaway.

  "Wait a minute," begged Trot. "How long will we be gone?"

  "Oh, about a week."

  "Then I'll put some things in a basket to take with us," said the girl,and ran into the palace to make her preparations for the journey.