Ozma of Oz Page 7

  The Heads of Langwidere

  They walked slowly down the path between the rocks, Tiktok going first,Dorothy following him, and the yellow hen trotting along last of all.

  At the foot of the path the copper man leaned down and tossed aside withease the rocks that cumbered the way. Then he turned to Dorothy andsaid:

  "Let me car-ry your din-ner-pail."

  She placed it in his right hand at once, and the copper fingers closedfirmly over the stout handle.

  Then the little procession marched out upon the level sands.

  As soon as the three Wheelers who were guarding the mound saw them, theybegan to shout their wild cries and rolled swiftly toward the littlegroup, as if to capture them or bar their way. But when the foremost hadapproached near enough, Tiktok swung the tin dinner-pail and struck theWheeler a sharp blow over its head with the queer weapon. Perhaps it didnot hurt very much, but it made a great noise, and the Wheeler uttered ahowl and tumbled over upon its side. The next minute it scrambled to itswheels and rolled away as fast as it could go, screeching with fear atthe same time.

  "I told you they were harm-less," began Tiktok; but before he could saymore another Wheeler was upon them. Crack! went the dinner-pail againstits head, knocking its straw hat a dozen feet away; and that was enoughfor this Wheeler, also. It rolled away after the first one, and thethird did not wait to be pounded with the pail, but joined its fellowsas quickly as its wheels would whirl.

  The yellow hen gave a cackle of delight, and flying to a perch uponTiktok's shoulder, she said:

  "Bravely done, my copper friend! and wisely thought of, too. Now we arefree from those ugly creatures."

  But just then a large band of Wheelers rolled from the forest, andrelying upon their numbers to conquer, they advanced fiercely uponTiktok. Dorothy grabbed Billina in her arms and held her tight, and themachine embraced the form of the little girl with his left arm, thebetter to protect her. Then the Wheelers were upon them.

  Rattlety, bang! bang! went the dinner-pail in every direction, and itmade so much clatter bumping against the heads of the Wheelers that theywere much more frightened than hurt and fled in a great panic. All, thatis, except their leader. This Wheeler had stumbled against another andfallen flat upon his back, and before he could get his wheels under himto rise again, Tiktok had fastened his copper fingers into the neck ofthe gorgeous jacket of his foe and held him fast.

  "Tell your peo-ple to go a-way," commanded the machine.

  The leader of the Wheelers hesitated to give this order, so Tiktok shookhim as a terrier dog does a rat, until the Wheeler's teeth rattledtogether with a noise like hailstones on a window pane. Then, as soon asthe creature could get its breath, it shouted to the others to rollaway, which they immediately did.

  "Now," said Tiktok, "you shall come with us and tell me what I want toknow."

  "You'll be sorry for treating me in this way," whined the Wheeler. "I'ma terribly fierce person."

  "As for that," answered Tiktok, "I am only a ma-chine, and can-not feelsor-row or joy, no mat-ter what hap-pens. But you are wrong to thinkyour-self ter-ri-ble or fierce."

  "Why so?" asked the Wheeler.

  "Be-cause no one else thinks as you do. Your wheels make you help-lessto in-jure an-y one. For you have no fists and can not scratch or e-venpull hair. Nor have you an-y feet to kick with. All you can do is toyell and shout, and that does not hurt an-y one at all."

  The Wheeler burst into a flood of tears, to Dorothy's great surprise.

  "Now I and my people are ruined forever!" he sobbed; "for you havediscovered our secret. Being so helpless, our only hope is to makepeople afraid of us, by pretending we are very fierce and terrible, andwriting in the sand warnings to Beware the Wheelers. Until now we havefrightened everyone, but since you have discovered our weakness ourenemies will fall upon us and make us very miserable and unhappy."

  "Oh, no," exclaimed Dorothy, who was sorry to see this beautifullydressed Wheeler so miserable; "Tiktok will keep your secret, and so willBillina and I. Only, you must promise not to try to frighten childrenany more, if they come near to you."

  "I won't--indeed I won't!" promised the Wheeler, ceasing to cry andbecoming more cheerful. "I'm not really bad, you know; but we have topretend to be terrible in order to prevent others from attacking us."

  ON THE WAY TO THE ROYAL PALACE OF EV]

  "That is not ex-act-ly true," said Tiktok, starting to walk toward thepath through the forest, and still holding fast to his prisoner, whorolled slowly along beside him. "You and your peo-ple are full ofmis-chief, and like to both-er those who fear you. And you are of-tenim-pu-dent and dis-a-gree-a-ble, too. But if you will try to cure thosefaults I will not tell any-one how help-less you are."

  "I'll try, of course," replied the Wheeler, eagerly. "And thank you, Mr.Tiktok, for your kindness."

  "I am on-ly a ma-chine," said Tiktok. "I can not be kind an-y more thanI can be sor-ry or glad. I can on-ly do what I am wound up to do."

  "Are you wound up to keep my secret?" asked the Wheeler, anxiously.

  "Yes; if you be-have your-self. But tell me: who rules the Land of Evnow?" asked the machine.

  "There is no ruler," was the answer, "because every member of the royalfamily is imprisoned by the Nome King. But the Princess Langwidere, whois a niece of our late King Evoldo, lives in a part of the royal palaceand takes as much money out of the royal treasury as she can spend. ThePrincess Langwidere is not exactly a ruler, you see, because she doesn'trule; but she is the nearest approach to a ruler we have at present."

  "I do not re-mem-ber her," said Tiktok. "What does she look like?"

  "That I cannot say," replied the Wheeler, "although I have seen hertwenty times. For the Princess Langwidere is a different person everytime I see her, and the only way her subjects can recognize her at allis by means of a beautiful ruby key which she always wears on a chainattached to her left wrist. When we see the key we know we are beholdingthe Princess."

  "That is strange," said Dorothy, in astonishment. "Do you mean to saythat so many different princesses are one and the same person?"

  "Not exactly," answered the Wheeler. "There is, of course, but oneprincess; but she appears to us in many forms, which are all more orless beautiful."

  "She must be a witch," exclaimed the girl.

  "I do not think so," declared the Wheeler. "But there is some mysteryconnected with her, nevertheless. She is a very vain creature, and livesmostly in a room surrounded by mirrors, so that she can admire herselfwhichever way she looks."

  No one answered this speech, because they had just passed out of theforest and their attention was fixed upon the scene before them--abeautiful vale in which were many fruit trees and green fields, withpretty farm-houses scattered here and there and broad, smooth roads thatled in every direction.

  In the center of this lovely vale, about a mile from where our friendswere standing, rose the tall spires of the royal palace, which glitteredbrightly against their background of blue sky. The palace was surroundedby charming grounds, full of flowers and shrubbery. Several tinklingfountains could be seen, and there were pleasant walks bordered by rowsof white marble statuary.

  All these details Dorothy was, of course, unable to notice or admireuntil they had advanced along the road to a position quite near to thepalace, and she was still looking at the pretty sights when her littleparty entered the grounds and approached the big front door of theking's own apartments. To their disappointment they found the doortightly closed. A sign was tacked to the panel which read as follows:

  OWNER ABSENT.

  Please Knock at the Third Door in the Left Wing.

  "Now," said Tiktok to the captive Wheeler, "you must show us the way tothe Left Wing."

  A SIGN WAS TACKED TO THE PANEL]

  "Very well," agreed the prisoner, "it is around here at the right."

  "How can the left wing be at the right?" demanded Dorothy, who fearedthe Wheeler was fooling them.

  "Becaus
e there used to be three wings, and two were torn down, so theone on the right is the only one left. It is a trick of the PrincessLangwidere to prevent visitors from annoying her."

  Then the captive led them around to the wing, after which the machineman, having no further use for the Wheeler, permitted him to depart andrejoin his fellows. He immediately rolled away at a great pace and wassoon lost to sight.

  Tiktok now counted the doors in the wing and knocked loudly upon thethird one.

  It was opened by a little maid in a cap trimmed with gay ribbons, whobowed respectfully and asked:

  "What do you wish, good people?"

  "Are you the Princess Langwidere?" asked Dorothy.

  "No, miss; I am her servant," replied the maid.

  "May I see the Princess, please?"

  "I will tell her you are here, miss, and ask her to grant you anaudience," said the maid. "Step in, please, and take a seat in thedrawing-room."

  So Dorothy walked in, followed closely by the machine. But as the yellowhen tried to enter after them, the little maid cried "Shoo!" and flappedher apron in Billina's face.

  "Shoo, yourself!" retorted the hen, drawing back in anger and rufflingup her feathers. "Haven't you any better manners than that?"

  "Oh, do you talk?" enquired the maid, evidently surprised.

  "Can't you hear me?" snapped Billina. "Drop that apron, and get out ofthe doorway, so that I may enter with my friends!"

  "The Princess won't like it," said the maid, hesitating.

  "I don't care whether she likes it or not," replied Billina, andfluttering her wings with a loud noise she flew straight at the maid'sface. The little servant at once ducked her head, and the hen reachedDorothy's side, in safety.

  "Very well," sighed the maid; "if you are all ruined because of thisobstinate hen, don't blame me for it. It isn't safe to annoy thePrincess Langwidere."

  "Tell her we are waiting, if you please," Dorothy requested, withdignity. "Billina is my friend, and must go wherever I go."

  Without more words the maid led them to a richly furnished drawing-room,lighted with subdued rainbow tints that came in through beautifulstained-glass windows.

  "Remain here," she said. "What names shall I give the Princess?"

  "I am Dorothy Gale, of Kansas," replied the child; "and this gentlemanis a machine named Tiktok, and the yellow hen is my friend Billina."

  "THE PRINCESS WONT LIKE IT," SAID THE MAID]

  The little servant bowed and withdrew, going through several passagesand mounting two marble stairways before she came to the apartmentsoccupied by her mistress.

  Princess Langwidere's sitting-room was panelled with great mirrors,which reached from the ceiling to the floor; also the ceiling wascomposed of mirrors, and the floor was of polished silver that reflectedevery object upon it. So when Langwidere sat in her easy chair andplayed soft melodies upon her mandolin, her form was mirrored hundredsof times, in walls and ceiling and floor, and whichever way the ladyturned her head she could see and admire her own features. This sheloved to do, and just as the maid entered she was saying to herself:

  "This head with the auburn hair and hazel eyes is quite attractive. Imust wear it more often than I have done of late, although it may not bethe best of my collection."

  "You have company, Your Highness," announced the maid, bowing low.

  "Who is it?" asked Langwidere, yawning.

  "Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Mr. Tiktok and Billina," answered the maid.

  "What a queer lot of names!" murmured the Princess, beginning to be alittle interested. "What are they like? Is Dorothy Gale of Kansaspretty?"

  "She might be called so," the maid replied.

  "And is Mr. Tiktok attractive?" continued the Princess.

  "That I cannot say, Your Highness. But he seems very bright. Will YourGracious Highness see them?"

  "Oh, I may as well, Nanda. But I am tired admiring this head, and if myvisitor has any claim to beauty I must take care that she does notsurpass me. So I will go to my cabinet and change to No. 17, which Ithink is my best appearance. Don't you?"

  "Your No. 17 is exceedingly beautiful," answered Nanda, with anotherbow.

  Again the Princess yawned. Then she said:

  "Help me to rise."

  So the maid assisted her to gain her feet, although Langwidere was thestronger of the two; and then the Princess slowly walked across thesilver floor to her cabinet, leaning heavily at every step upon Nanda'sarm.

  Now I must explain to you that the Princess Langwidere had thirtyheads--as many as there are days in the month. But of course she couldonly wear one of them at a time, because she had but one neck. Theseheads were kept in what she called her "cabinet," which was a beautifuldressing-room that lay just between Langwidere's sleeping-chamber andthe mirrored sitting-room. Each head was in a separate cupboard linedwith velvet. The cupboards ran all around the sides of thedressing-room, and had elaborately carved doors with gold numbers on theoutside and jewelled-framed mirrors on the inside of them.

  When the Princess got out of her crystal bed in the morning she went toher cabinet, opened one of the velvet-lined cupboards, and took the headit contained from its golden shelf. Then, by the aid of the mirrorinside the open door, she put on the head--as neat and straight as couldbe--and afterward called her maids to robe her for the day. She alwayswore a simple white costume, that suited all the heads. For, being ableto change her face whenever she liked, the Princess had no interest inwearing a variety of gowns, as have other ladies who are compelled towear the same face constantly.

  BY THE AID OF THE MIRROR SHE PUT ON THE HEAD]

  Of course the thirty heads were in great variety, no two formed alikebut all being of exceeding loveliness. There were heads with goldenhair, brown hair, rich auburn hair and black hair; but none with grayhair. The heads had eyes of blue, of gray, of hazel, of brown and ofblack; but there were no red eyes among them, and all were bright andhandsome. The noses were Grecian, Roman, retrousse and Oriental,representing all types of beauty; and the mouths were of assorted sizesand shapes, displaying pearly teeth when the heads smiled. As fordimples, they appeared in cheeks and chins, wherever they might be mostcharming, and one or two heads had freckles upon the faces to contrastthe better with the brilliancy of their complexions.

  One key unlocked all the velvet cupboards containing these treasures--acurious key carved from a single blood-red ruby--and this was fastenedto a strong but slender chain which the Princess wore around her leftwrist.

  When Nanda had supported Langwidere to a position in front of cupboardNo. 17, the Princess unlocked the door with her ruby key and afterhanding head No. 9, which she had been wearing, to the maid, she tookNo. 17 from its shelf and fitted it to her neck. It had black hair anddark eyes and a lovely pearl-and-white complexion, and when Langwiderewore it she knew she was remarkably beautiful in appearance.

  There was only one trouble with No. 17; the temper that went with it(and which was hidden somewhere under the glossy black hair) was fiery,harsh and haughty in the extreme, and it often led the Princess to dounpleasant things which she regretted when she came to wear her otherheads.

  But she did not remember this today, and went to meet her guests in thedrawing-room with a feeling of certainty that she would surprise themwith her beauty.

  However, she was greatly disappointed to find that her visitors weremerely a small girl in a gingham dress, a copper man that would only gowhen wound up, and a yellow hen that was sitting contentedly inLangwidere's best work-basket, where there was a china egg used fordarning stockings.[A]

  [Footnote A: It may surprise you to learn that a princess ever does sucha common thing as darn stockings. But, if you will stop to think, youwill realize that a princess is sure to wear holes in her stockings, thesame as other people; only it isn't considered quite polite to mentionthe matter.]

  "Oh!" said Langwidere, slightly lifting the nose of No. 17. "I thoughtsome one of importance had called."

  "Then you were right," declare
d Dorothy. "I'm a good deal of 'portancemyself, and when Billina lays an egg she has the proudest cackle youever heard. As for Tiktok, he's the----"

  "Stop--Stop!" commanded the Princess, with an angry flash of hersplendid eyes. "How dare you annoy me with your senseless chatter?"

  "Why, you horrid thing!" said Dorothy, who was not accustomed to beingtreated so rudely.

  The Princess looked at her more closely.

  "Tell me," she resumed, "are you of royal blood?"

  "Better than that, ma'am," said Dorothy. "I came from Kansas."

  "Huh!" cried the Princess, scornfully. "You are a foolish child, and Icannot allow you to annoy me. Run away, you little goose, and bothersome one else."

  Dorothy was so indignant that for a moment she could find no words toreply. But she rose from her chair, and was about to leave the room whenthe Princess, who had been scanning the girl's face, stopped her bysaying, more gently:

  "Come nearer to me."

  Dorothy obeyed, without a thought of fear, and stood before the Princesswhile Langwidere examined her face with careful attention.

  "You are rather attractive," said the lady, presently. "Not at allbeautiful, you understand, but you have a certain style of prettinessthat is different from that of any of my thirty heads. So I believe I'lltake your head and give you No. 26 for it."

  "Well, I b'lieve you won't!" exclaimed Dorothy.

  "WELL I B'LIEVE YOU WONT!" EXCLAIMED DOROTHY]

  "It will do you no good to refuse," continued the Princess; "for Ineed your head for my collection, and in the Land of Ev my will is law.I never have cared much for No. 26, and you will find that it is verylittle worn. Besides, it will do you just as well as the one you'rewearing, for all practical purposes."

  "I don't know anything about your No. 26, and I don't want to," saidDorothy, firmly. "I'm not used to taking cast-off things, so I'll justkeep my own head."

  "You refuse?" cried the Princess, with a frown.

  "Of course I do," was the reply.

  "Then," said Langwidere, "I shall lock you up in a tower until youdecide to obey me. Nanda," turning to her maid, "call my army."

  Nanda rang a silver bell, and at once a big fat colonel in a bright reduniform entered the room, followed by ten lean soldiers, who all lookedsad and discouraged and saluted the princess in a very melancholyfashion.

  "Carry that girl to the North Tower and lock her up!" cried thePrincess, pointing to Dorothy.

  "To hear is to obey," answered the big red colonel, and caught the childby her arm. But at that moment Tiktok raised his dinner-pail and poundedit so forcibly against the colonel's head that the big officer sat downupon the floor with a sudden bump, looking both dazed and very muchastonished.

  "Help!" he shouted, and the ten lean soldiers sprang to assist theirleader.

  There was great excitement for the next few moments, and Tiktok hadknocked down seven of the army, who were sprawling in every directionupon the carpet, when suddenly the machine paused, with the dinner-pailraised for another blow, and remained perfectly motionless.

  "My ac-tion has run down," he called to Dorothy. "Wind me up, quick."

  She tried to obey, but the big colonel had by this time managed to getupon his feet again, so he grabbed fast hold of the girl and she washelpless to escape.

  "This is too bad," said the machine. "I ought to have run six hourslon-ger, at least, but I sup-pose my long walk and my fight with theWheel-ers made me run down fast-er than us-u-al."

  "Well, it can't be helped," said Dorothy, with a sigh.

  "Will you exchange heads with me?" demanded the Princess.

  "No, indeed!" cried Dorothy.

  "Then lock her up," said Langwidere to her soldiers, and they ledDorothy to a high tower at the north of the palace and locked hersecurely within. The soldiers afterward tried to lift Tiktok, but theyfound the machine so solid and heavy that they could not stir it. Sothey left him standing in the center of the drawing-room.

  "People will think I have a new statue," said Langwidere, "so it won'tmatter in the least, and Nanda can keep him well polished."

  "What shall we do with the hen?" asked the colonel, who had justdiscovered Billina in the work-basket.

  "Put her in the chicken-house," answered the Princess. "Some day I'llhave her fried for breakfast."

  "She looks rather tough, Your Highness," said Nanda, doubtfully.

  "That is a base slander!" cried Billina, struggling frantically in thecolonel's arms. "But the breed of chickens I come from is said to bepoison to all princesses."

  "Then," remarked Langwidere, "I will not fry the hen, but keep her tolay eggs; and if she doesn't do her duty I'll have her drowned in thehorse trough."