Tik-Tok of Oz Read online

  CHAPTER 7

  Polychrome's Pitiful Plight

  The Rain King got too much water in his basin and spilled some over thebrim. That made it rain in a certain part of the country--a real hardshower, for a time--and sent the Rainbow scampering to the place to showthe gorgeous colors of his glorious bow as soon as the mist of rain hadpassed and the sky was clear.

  The coming of the Rainbow is always a joyous event to earth folk, yet fewhave ever seen it close by. Usually the Rainbow is so far distant thatyou can observe its splendid hues but dimly, and that is why we seldomcatch sight of the dancing Daughters of the Rainbow.

  In the barren country where the rain had just fallen there appeared tobe no human beings at all; but the Rainbow appeared, just the same, anddancing gayly upon its arch were the Rainbow's Daughters, led by thefairylike Polychrome, who is so dainty and beautiful that no girl hasever quite equalled her in loveliness.

  Polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down the arch of the bow tothe ground, daring her sisters to follow her. Laughing and gleeful, theyalso touched the ground with their twinkling feet; but all the Daughtersof the Rainbow knew that this was a dangerous pastime, so they quicklyclimbed upon their bow again.

  All but Polychrome. Though the sweetest and merriest of them all, shewas likewise the most reckless. Moreover, it was an unusual sensationto pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes. Before she realized itthe bow had lifted and disappeared in the billowy blue sky, and here wasPolychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her gauzy draperies floatingabout her like brilliant cobwebs and not a soul--fairy or mortal--to helpher regain her lost bow!

  "Dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across her pretty face, "I'mcaught again. This is the second time my carelessness has left me onearth while my sisters returned to our Sky Palaces. The first time Ienjoyed some pleasant adventures, but this is a lonely, forsaken countryand I shall be very unhappy until my Rainbow comes again and I can climbaboard. Let me think what is best to be done."

  She crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her draperies about her andbowed her head.

  It was in this position that Betsy Bobbin spied Polychrome as she camealong the stony path, followed by Hank, the Princess and Shaggy. At oncethe girl ran up to the radiant Daughter of the Rainbow and exclaimed:

  "Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!"

  Polychrome raised her golden head. There were tears in her blue eyes.

  "I'm the most miserable girl in the whole world!" she sobbed.

  The others gathered around her.

  "Tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the Princess.

  "I--I've lost my bow!" wailed Polychrome.

  "Take me, my dear," said Shaggy Man in a sympathetic tone, thinking shemeant "beau" instead of "bow."

  "I don't want you!" cried Polychrome, stamping her foot imperiously; "Iwant my _Rain_bow."

  "Oh; that's different," said Shaggy. "But try to forget it. When I wasyoung I used to cry for the Rainbow myself, but I couldn't have it. Looksas if _you_ couldn't have it, either; so please don't cry."

  Polychrome looked at him reproachfully.

  "I don't like you," she said.

  "No?" replied Shaggy, drawing the Love Magnet from his pocket; "not alittle bit?--just a wee speck of a like?"

  "Yes, yes!" said Polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy as she gazedat the enchanted talisman; "I love you, Shaggy Man!"

  "Of course you do," said he calmly; "but I don't take any credit forit. It's the Love Magnet's powerful charm. But you seem quite alone andfriendless, little Rainbow. Don't you want to join our party until youfind your father and sisters again?"

  "Where are you going?" she asked.

  "We don't just know that," said Betsy, taking her hand; "but we're tryingto find Shaggy's long-lost brother, who has been captured by the terribleMetal Monarch. Won't you come with us, and help us?"

  Polychrome looked from one to another of the queer party of travelers anda bewitching smile suddenly lighted her face.

  "A donkey, a mortal maid, a Rose Princess and a Shaggy Man!" sheexclaimed. "Surely you need help, if you intend to face Ruggedo."

  "Do you know him, then?" inquired Betsy.

  "No, indeed. Ruggedo's caverns are beneath the earth's surface, where noRainbow can ever penetrate. But I've heard of the Metal Monarch. He isalso called the Nome King, you know, and he has made trouble for a goodmany people--mortals and fairies--in his time," said Polychrome.

  "Do you fear him, then?" asked the Princess, anxiously.

  "No one can harm a Daughter of the Rainbow," said Polychrome proudly."I'm a sky fairy."

  "Then," said Betsy, quickly, "you will be able to tell us the way toRuggedo's cavern."

  "No," returned Polychrome, shaking her head, "that is one thing I cannotdo. But I will gladly go with you and help you search for the place."

  This promise delighted all the wanderers and after the Shaggy Man hadfound the path again they began moving along it in a more happy mood.The Rainbow's Daughter danced lightly over the rocky trail, no longersad, but with her beautiful features wreathed in smiles. Shaggy camenext, walking steadily and now and then supporting the Rose Princess, whofollowed him. Betsy and Hank brought up the rear, and if she tired withwalking the girl got upon Hank's back and let the stout little donkeycarry her for awhile.

  At nightfall they came to some trees that grew beside a tiny brook andhere they made camp and rested until morning. Then away they tramped,finding berries and fruits here and there which satisfied the hunger ofBetsy, Shaggy and Hank, so that they were well content with their lot.

  It surprised Betsy to see the Rose Princess partake of their food, forshe considered her a fairy; but when she mentioned this to Polychrome,the Rainbow's Daughter explained that when Ozga was driven out of herRose Kingdom she ceased to be a fairy and would never again be more thana mere mortal. Polychrome, however, was a fairy wherever she happened tobe, and if she sipped a few dewdrops by moonlight for refreshment no oneever saw her do it.

  As they continued their wandering journey, direction meant very littleto them, for they were hopelessly lost in this strange country. Shaggysaid it would be best to go toward the mountains, as the natural entranceto Ruggedo's underground cavern was likely to be hidden in some rocky,deserted place; but mountains seemed all around them except in the onedirection that they had come from, which led to the Rose Kingdom and thesea. Therefore it mattered little which way they traveled.

  By and by they espied a faint trail that looked like a path and afterfollowing this for some time they reached a cross-roads. Here were manypaths, leading in various directions, and there was a signpost so oldthat there were now no words upon the sign. At one side was an old well,with a chain windlass for drawing water, yet there was no house or otherbuilding anywhere in sight.

  While the party halted, puzzled which way to proceed, the mule approachedthe well and tried to look into it.

  "He's thirsty," said Betsy.

  "It's a dry well," remarked Shaggy. "Probably there has been no water init for many years. But, come; let us decide which way to travel."

  No one seemed able to decide that. They sat down in a group and tried toconsider which road might be the best to take. Hank, however, could notkeep away from the well and finally he reared up on his hind legs, gothis head over the edge and uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" Betsy watched heranimal friend curiously.

  "I wonder if he sees anything down there?" she said.

  At this, Shaggy rose and went over to the well to investigate, and Betsywent with him. The Princess and Polychrome, who had become fast friends,linked arms and sauntered down one of the roads, to find an easy path.

  "Really," said Shaggy, "there does seem to be something at the bottom ofthis old well."

  "Can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked the girl.

  There was no bucket at the end of the windlass chain, but there was abig hook that at one time was used to hold a bucket.
Shaggy let downthis hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then pulled it up. An oldhoopskirt came with it, and Betsy laughed and threw it away. The thingfrightened Hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt before, and he kept agood distance away from it.

  Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured with the hook and drew up,but none of these was important.

  "This well seems to have been the dump for all the old rubbish in thecountry," he said, letting down the hook once more. "I guess I'vecaptured everything now. No--the hook has caught again. Help me, Betsy!Whatever this thing is, it's heavy."

  She ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much effort aconfused mass of copper came in sight.

  "Good gracious!" exclaimed Shaggy. "Here is a surprise, indeed!"

  "What is it?" inquired Betsy, clinging to the windlass and panting forbreath.

  For answer the Shaggy Man grasped the bundle of copper and dumped itupon the ground, free of the well. Then he turned it over with his foot,spread it out, and to Betsy's astonishment the thing proved to be acopper man.

  "Just as I thought," said Shaggy, looking hard at the object. "But unlessthere are two copper men in the world this is the most astonishing thingI ever came across."

  At this moment the Rainbow's Daughter and the Rose Princess approachedthem, and Polychrome said:

  "What have you found, Shaggy One?"

  "Either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied.

  "Oh, here's a sign on his back!" cried Betsy, who had knelt down toexamine the man. "Dear me; how funny! Listen to this."

  Then she read the following words, engraved upon the copper plates of theman's body:

  SMITH & TINKER'S

  Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive, Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking

  _MECHANICAL MAN_

  Fitted with our Special Clockwork Attachment. Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything but Live.

  "Isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the Princess.

  "Yes; but here's more," said Betsy, reading from another engraved plate:

  DIRECTIONS FOR USING:

  For THINKING:--Wind the Clockwork Man under his left arm, (marked No. 1).

  For SPEAKING:--Wind the Clockwork Man under his right arm, (marked No. 2).

  For WALKING and ACTION:--Wind Clockwork Man in the middle of his back, (marked No. 3).

  N. B.--This Mechanism is guaranteed to work perfectly for a thousand years.

  "If he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said Polychrome, "he ought towork yet."

  "Of course," replied Shaggy. "Let's wind him up."

  In order to do this they were obliged to set the copper man upon hisfeet, in an upright position, and this was no easy task. He was inclinedto topple over, and had to be propped again and again. The girls assistedShaggy, and at last Tik-Tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone uponhis broad feet.

  "Yes," said Shaggy, looking at the copper man carefully, "this must be,indeed, my old friend Tik-Tok, whom I left ticking merrily in the Land ofOz. But how he came to this lonely place, and got into that old well, issurely a mystery."

  "If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us," suggested Betsy. "Here's thekey, hanging to a hook on his back. What part of him shall I wind upfirst?"

  "His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome, "for it requires thought tospeak or move intelligently."

  So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little flashes oflight began to show in the top of his head, which was proof that he hadbegun to think.

  "Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his phonograph."

  "What's that?" she asked.

  "Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may be interesting, but theydon't tell us anything."

  So Betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and then from theinterior of his copper body came in jerky tones the words: "Ma-ny thanks!"

  "Hurrah!" cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped Tik-Tok upon the backin such a hearty manner that the copper man lost his balance and tumbledto the ground in a heap. But the clockwork that enabled him to speak hadbeen wound up and he kept saying: "Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up!"until they had again raised him and balanced him upon his feet, when headded politely: "Ma-ny thanks!"

  "He won't be self-supporting until we wind up his action," remarkedShaggy; so Betsy wound it, as tight as she could--for the key turnedrather hard--and then Tik-Tok lifted his feet, marched around in a circleand ended by stopping before the group and making them all a low bow.

  "How in the world did you happen to be in that well, when I left you safein Oz?" inquired Shaggy.

  "It is a long sto-ry," replied Tik-Tok, "but I'll tell it in a few words.Af-ter you had gone in search of your broth-er, Oz-ma saw you wan-der-ingin strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her mag-ic pic-ture, and shealso saw your broth-er in the Nome King's cav-ern; so she sent me to tellyou where to find your broth-er and told me to help you if I could. TheSor-cer-ess, Glin-da the Good, trans-port-ed me to this place in the winkof an eye; but here I met the Nome King himself--old Rug-ge-do, who iscalled in these parts the Met-al Mon-arch. Rug-ge-do knew what I had comefor, and he was so an-gry that he threw me down the well. Af-ter my worksran down I was help-less un-til you came a-long and pulled me out a-gain.Ma-ny thanks."

  "This is, indeed, good news," said Shaggy. "I suspected that my brotherwas the prisoner of Ruggedo; but now I know it. Tell us, Tik-Tok, howshall we get to the Nome King's underground cavern?"

  "The best way is to walk," said Tik-Tok. "We might crawl, or jump, orroll o-ver and o-ver un-til we get there; but the best way is to walk."

  "I know; but which road shall we take?"

  "My ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that," replied Tik-Tok.

  "There is more than one entrance to the underground cavern," saidPolychrome; "but old Ruggedo has cleverly concealed every opening, sothat earth dwellers can not intrude in his domain. If we find our wayunderground at all, it will be by chance."

  "Then," said Betsy, "let us select any road, haphazard, and see where itleads us."

  "That seems sensible," declared the Princess. "It may require a lot oftime for us to find Ruggedo, but we have more time than anything else."

  "If you keep me wound up," said Tik-Tok, "I will last a thou-sand years."

  "Then the only question to decide is which way to go," added Shaggy,looking first at one road and then at another.

  But while they stood hesitating, a peculiar sound reached their ears--asound like the tramping of many feet.

  "What's coming?" cried Betsy; and then she ran to the left-hand road andglanced along the path. "Why, it's an army!" she exclaimed. "What shallwe do, hide or run?"

  "Stand still," commanded Shaggy. "I'm not afraid of an army. If theyprove to be friendly, they can help us; if they are enemies, I'll showthem the Love Magnet."