Ruth Plumly Thompson

“ Circling high over the head of the enraged sea monster, Akbad headed for the sapphire castle. With shouts and cheers the Ozure Islanders followed and, dashing into the castle after the Soothsayer, barred the doors and slammed down the windows. Before either the King or Queen had time to thank Akbad, the gigantic body of Quiberon crashed through the garden and hurled itself over the castle wall.
"We are lost!" wailed the King, as the castle began to rock and tremble from the repeated blows of the furious monster. "Nothing can save us now." ”

“ King Silly the Second was so immense he took up one entire side of the royal cave. He was sitting sideways, like all of the other shadows, upon a throne roughly drawn on the rocks. His one eye rolled angrily around at the intruders and as his subjects grouped themselves around the throne, he called loudly.
"No bodies allowed here. How dare you clutter up my Kingdom with your miserable bodies?"
"We can't help being ourselves," faltered Trot, eyeing his Majesty nervously, "and if you'll tell us the way out of your Kingdom, we'll go immediately." ”

“ Folding his robes haughtily about him, Akbad swept from the throne room. In his own high tower he flung the sapphire casements wide and leaning both elbows on the sill, stared moodily out into the night.
"Surely it is better for one mortal to be destroyed than a whole Kingdom," reflected Akbad. "The King's a soft hearted old Joffywax. The way to solve a problem is to begin at the beginning and go on to the conclusion. Quiberon desires a mortal maiden and a mortal maiden he shall have. Now where am I to find a mortal maiden?" ”

“ Seeing her evident interest, the straw man told her all about Benny's strange coming to life and his fall into Oz.
"Do you think I can ever be a real person?" asked Benny wistfully as the Scarecrow finished his story. "Now, as you see, I am a hard person of stone. But I wish to be like other people, to laugh, to sing, to dance and be happy."
It was hard to imagine this pompous looking image singing and dancing, but Trot had seen stranger things than this happen in the marvelous Land of Oz, so, stifling her misgivings, smiled at him kindly. ”

“ As Benny's stone fingers closed around his ankles Akbad soared into the air. You would have thought the great weight of the stone man would have held him down. But what are a thousand pounds to a pair of magic wings! Up and away, over the sparkling spires of the capital circled Akbad, paying no more attention to Benny than to a feather and scarcely noticing the Scarecrow at all.
"Take us to the Ozure Isles," he commanded, tightening his grasp on Trot's arm. ”

“ The door of the good witch's hut was never bolted and no one, coming for help or advice, had ever been turned away. So though her skin was drawn and wrinkled and her hair white as snow, and the little hut plainly, even poorly furnished, Tattypoo was perfectly happy.
But Agnes, the amiable dragon, was not. Agnes longed for grandeur and style and felt that the ruler of all the Gillikens should wear a crown or live in a castle. ”

“ Holding his head so high that he bumped it on the top of the door, High Boy clattered from the banquet hall to the great astonishment and amusement of all. That is all except Trot and Philador. Rushing after the high horse, they called loudly for him to stop. And when he saw the little girl and boy waving from the top steps of the castle he did come and, stretching up, let each of them embrace him heartily. ”

“ The King, as it happened, was at that very moment thinking of the golden fruit. "If nothing turns up to-morrow," yawned his Majesty, blowing out the tall candle beside his bed, "I shall command Philador to pick the magic pear. I have lived a long time and do not mind being destroyed, but he is too young to suffer destruction." Comforted by the thought that the little Prince, at least, would escape so hard a fate, Cheeriobed sank down among his silk cushions and was soon fast asleep. ”

“ But so powerful are the Wizard's wishing pills, they transport one in a twinkling and without ruffling so much as an eyebrow. So when the little Prince opened his eyes, he was terrified to find Quiberon in the center of their magic circle and the circle itself in the gardens of his father's blue palace. With part of his long body coiled up in a flower bed, and the other poised to strike another blow at the King's castle, the awful monster did not even seem aware of the people from the Emerald City. ”

“ Before they had reached the end of the second cave, Quiberon with a flop and flash came plunging through the water-fall.
"How dare you run away?" sizzled the monster. As the water poured over his fire-breathing nose, steam came rolling in hot clouds toward Trot and her friends.
"Faster! Faster! You go on!" urged Benny. "I'll stop him." With the stifling steam curling round her head, Trot ran as never before, all the way through the second cavern and rushed headlong into a narrow passageway that opened out between two rocks. ”

“ Akbad was feverishly thumbing over an old book of Necromancy and Toddledy and Cheeriobed were conversing in subdued whispers.
"The only one who can help us is the Good Witch of the North," mused Cheeriobed, as Philador sank down at his feet and rested his head affectionately against his father's knee.
"Let me go to her," begged the little Prince eagerly. "Surely she will help me find my mother and destroy Quiberon before he destroys us."
Cheeriobed shook his head quickly and decidedly. "No! No! It is too dangerous. Besides, there is no way to cross the lake. We must think of something else." ”

“ High Boy was so frightened that he shot up ten feet and bumped his head on the ceiling.
"Have at you!" roared Sir Hokus, plunging forward and almost forgetting it was but the small picture of Quiberon he was seeing. Philador and Trot clutched one another in horror and only Ozma remained calm. Clapping her hands for silence, she turned quickly to the Wizard of Oz.
"Quick, Wizard!" breathed the little fairy, "Fetch your black bag of magic and transport us all to the Ozure Isles. ”

“ To further lighten the sorrows of this good King, there was Philador, his son. Nowhere in the four Kingdoms of Oz lived a gayer, handsomer and more companionable little fellow. Then too, Cheeriobed was fortunate enough to have at his castle a juggler who could balance ten chairs and some more things upon his chin, a minstrel who knew a thousand songs, and a carpet that could beat itself. So on the rare occasions when Quiberon lay dozing, life was gay and happy in the blue castle. ”

“ Run! That awful bird!" panted the Scarecrow, taking a great leap forward.
"Run if you want to," rumbled the Public Benefactor stopping short. "But as I am not a real person, I shall stay here and fight. Get away from here, you wild Whankus! Leave Trot alone, you old Wallybuster!" Words that he had never known were in his head came tumbling from Benny's stone lips and brandishing his umbrella threateningly he stepped between the little girl and the great ugly bird-man. But Akbad, for of course it was Akbad, paid no attention to Benny's expostulations. ”

“ Swinging backward and forward on the window curtains as the castle rocked to and fro, Toddledy peered out inquiringly at the King.
"The pear!" chattered Cheeriobed. "No one must pick the golden pear. That is for Prince Philador and to be picked only in times of extreme danger."
"What do you call this?" demanded Akbad indignantly. "Are we to be destroyed without lifting a finger to save ourselves?"
"Philador? Where is Philador?" groaned Cheeriobed, putting both hands to his ears, as Toddledy and Akbad began to scream hoarsely at each other. "Send for the Prince!" ”

“ The old mer-man who stood close by the King looked so unhappy at this remark that Ozma bade High Boy stop, and jumping down hurried over to the Wizard. After a whispered conference which nobody seemed to notice, Ozma and the little man tip-toed off by themselves. And when next Cheeriobed looked out over the lake, he gave a shout of delight and pleasure. In toward the shore, with flying manes and flashing tails, raced the whole herd of white sea horses, lively and lovely as they ever were. ”

“ Who's afraid?" stuttered Trot, as the threatening shadows swept along each side of the cave.
"Surrender!" called a blue shade, armed with a long spear. "Surrender in the name of King Silly the Second."
"Nonsense!" puffed the Scarecrow, shaking his cotton fist at the shadow, while Benny let his rock fly directly at the speaker. It struck the wall with a terrific thud, but the silhouette did not even seem to notice it. At the same time, the three travelers felt an irresistible force pushing them forward. The cave men themselves were moving backward. ”

“ When do we start on, Trot?"
"As soon as the Scarecrow dries off and I find something to eat," answered Trot. "Oh, Benny, I'm so hungry!"
"What's that?" inquired Benny, in surprise.
"It's the way she's made," explained the Scarecrow patiently, "and one of the inconveniences of being a real person. Real people, my dear Benny, must eat three times a day, at least. I'm glad I'm stuffed with straw and you may thank your hackers and hewers that you are made of stone!" ”

“ I am King of the Uplanders, but I was tired of kinging it so came down here to work and have a little fun."
"Do you think work is fun?" asked Herby seriously.
"Well, it is for a king," admitted the mountain monarch frankly. "Takes the kinks out of kinging. You look like a royal person your own self," he observed, eyeing Philador with sudden attention. "I see you are wearing a crown."
"He's a Prince," confided Herby mysteriously, "and unless we reach the Emerald City to-night, his kingdom will be utterly destroyed by a monster." ”

“ Trot and the Scarecrow were extremely shocked at this unexpected happening, but immediately went to Herby's assistance and when the last pill box was in place, the medicine man slammed his chest and, with a wide wave of his arms, announced:
"This is Prince Philador of the Ozure Isles, on a quest to find his royal mother and save his father's Kingdom. I am a medicine man and—"
"I am a high horse!" neighed High Boy, pawing up the dust with his hoof and tossing back his mane. "The only high horse in Oz!" ”

“ And she had been no less than a King's daughter, whom Tattypoo had sent home on a fast wish to her father's castle.
"If you can change poor girls to princesses, why don't you do something for yourself?" complained Agnes, giving the fire a vicious poke. "I don't mind being a dragon. Dragons are unusual and interesting, but witches are ugly and out of style. Were you always a witch? Do you always intend to be a witch? Were you never young or pretty at all?" Agnes' question made Tattypoo pause. ”

“ In olden days they were the happiest, most care-free people in Oz, but that was before Mombi, the wicked witch of the North, stole the young Queen and sent the monster Quiberon to guard the waters of Orizon. Since then, the good King and his subjects have been virtual prisoners on the islands. The great flock of sea horses on which they were wont to ride to the mainland have been destroyed by this pitiless monster and only when Quiberon is sleeping dare the inhabitants venture down to the shore. You see in aquariums, the sea horses that abound in our own tropical waters. ”

“ Are you all right, Benny, my boulder?"
"My coat tails are a bit chipped," answered the stone man calmly, "but that is a small price to pay for freedom. This is a curious country, my dear," he observed, turning to Trot. "Everyone wishes to make us into a being like himself."
"A fault you will find with people everywhere, even in your own world," puffed the Scarecrow, as Trot shook and pounded him into shape. "Everybody thinks his way is the right way." ”

“ For many years he had ruled over Oz, practicing the trick magic he had learned in the circus and superintending the building of the Emerald City. Later he returned to America and Ozma, the rightful ruler of the fairy kingdom was disenchanted by Glinda and placed upon the throne. When the Wizard returned to Oz, the little fairy made him Royal Wizard of the realm and by hard study and constant practice he had become the most famous magician in any country out of the world.
"So you think you can change me to a real man?" queried Benny, looking admiringly at the famous wonder-worker. ”

“ At every flash from his nostrils, the poor Scarecrow would wince and shudder.
"One spark, and I am an ash heap!" groaned the unhappy straw man, leaping wildly from boulder to rock.
"What shall we do now?" wailed Trot, stopping in dismay, for they had come to the very back of the cavern and could run no farther.
"I don't know what a real person would do," panted Benny glancing around desperately, "but I'll do something. ”

“ Striding easily over the jagged rocks, the stone man carried both Trot and the Scarecrow far up on the beach. The mer-man had recovered his crutches by this time, and hobbled happily along behind them.
"I'm glad you're not a real man yet," muttered the Scarecrow, as Benny put him carefully down on the sand, "A real man could never have walked along the bottom of a lake, nor saved us from being shadows." ”

“ Benny himself listened gravely to the whole recital and at the conclusion began rubbing his chin in deep perplexity.
"If Mombi stole Philador's mother when he was two years old," he muttered in a puzzled voice, "and Mombi has not been witch of the North for twenty years, how is it that Philador is not grown up?" They all laughed heartily at the stone man's question.
"Because we stay one age as long as we wish, in Oz," answered the little Prince gaily. "I like being ten, so I've been ten for ever so long."
"So have I," declared Trot. "Nobody grows up here unless they want to, Benny. ”

“ The Hungry Tiger's appetite amazed High Boy. After several bowls of horse-radish, two bales of hay and a pail of yummy jummy, High Boy himself could not eat another morsel. But the tiger kept sleepily and competently on cleaning his plate. As soon as it was empty it was hastily replenished with rare roasts and undone steak and mutton. The Hungry Tiger, as many of you know, has lived in the Emerald City for many years and is great company for the Cowardly Lion, who came to the capital with Dorothy on her very first visit. ”