Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
could have veg'table people; and only in a fairy country could Eureka
and Jim talk as we do."
"That's true," said Zeb, thoughtfully.
In the vegetable gardens they found the strawberries and melons, and
several other unknown but delicious fruits, of which they ate heartily.
But the kitten bothered them constantly by demanding milk or meat, and
called the Wizard names because he could not bring her a dish of milk by
means of his magical arts.
As they sat upon the grass watching Jim, who was still busily eating,
Eureka said:
"I don't believe you are a Wizard at all!"
"No," answered the little man, "you are quite right. In the strict sense
of the word I am not a Wizard, but only a humbug."
"The Wizard of Oz has always been a humbug," agreed Dorothy. "I've known
him for a long time."
"If that is so," said the boy, "how could he do that wonderful trick
with the nine tiny piglets?"
"Don't know," said Dorothy, "but it must have been humbug."
"Very true," declared the Wizard, nodding at her. "It was necessary to
deceive that ugly Sorcerer and the Prince, as well as their stupid
people; but I don't mind telling you, who are my friends, that the thing
was only a trick."
"But I saw the little pigs with my own eyes!" exclaimed Zeb.
"So did I," purred the kitten.
"To be sure," answered the Wizard. "You saw them because they were
there. They are in my inside pocket now. But the pulling of them apart
and pushing them together again was only a sleight-of-hand trick."
"Let's see the pigs," said Eureka, eagerly.
The little man felt carefully in his pocket and pulled out the tiny
piglets, setting them upon the grass one by one, where they ran around
and nibbled the tender blades.
"They're hungry, too," he said.
"Oh, what cunning things!" cried Dorothy, catching up one and petting
it.
"Be careful!" said the piglet, with a squeal, "you're squeezing me!"
"Dear me!" murmured the Wizard, looking at his pets in astonishment.
"They can actually talk!"
"May I eat one of them?" asked the kitten, in a pleading voice. "I'm
awfully hungry."
"Why, Eureka," said Dorothy, reproachfully, "what a cruel question! It
would be dreadful to eat these dear little things."
"I should say so!" grunted another of the piglets, looking uneasily at
the kitten; "cats are cruel things."
"I'm not cruel," replied the kitten, yawning. "I'm just hungry."
"You cannot eat my piglets, even if you are starving," declared the
little man, in a stern voice. "They are the only things I have to prove
I'm a wizard."
"How did they happen to be so little?" asked Dorothy. "I never saw such
small pigs before."
"They are from the Island of Teenty-Weent," said the Wizard, "where
everything is small because it's a small island. A sailor brought them
to Los Angeles and I gave him nine tickets to the circus for them."
"But what am I going to eat?" wailed the kitten, sitting in front of
Dorothy and looking pleadingly into her face. "There are no cows here
to give milk; or any mice, or even grasshoppers. And if I can't eat the
piglets you may as well plant me at once and raise catsup."
"I have an idea," said the Wizard, "that there are fishes in these
brooks. Do you like fish?"
"Fish!" cried the kitten. "Do I like fish? Why, they're better than
piglets--or even milk!"
"Then I'll try to catch you some," said he.
"But won't they be veg'table, like everything else here?" asked the
kitten.
"I think not. Fishes are not animals, and they are as cold and moist as
the vegetables themselves. There is no reason, that I can see, why they
may not exist in the waters of this strange country."
Then the Wizard bent a pin for a hook and took a long piece of string
from his pocket for a fish-line. The only bait he could find was a
bright red blossom from a flower; but he knew fishes are easy to fool if
anything bright attracts their attention, so he decided to try the
blossom. Having thrown the end of his line in the water of a nearby
brook he soon felt a sharp tug that told him a fish had bitten and was
caught on the bent pin; so the little man drew in the string and, sure
enough, the fish came with it and was landed safely on the shore,
where it began to flop around in great excitement.
The fish was fat and round, and its scales glistened like beautifully
cut jewels set close together; but there was no time to examine it
closely, for Eureka made a jump and caught it between her claws, and in
a few moments it had entirely disappeared.
"Oh, Eureka!" cried Dorothy, "did you eat the bones?"
"If it had any bones, I ate them," replied the kitten, composedly, as it
washed its face after the meal. "But I don't think that fish had any
bones, because I didn't feel them scratch my throat."
"You were very greedy," said the girl.
"I was very hungry," replied the kitten.
The little pigs had stood huddled in a group, watching this scene with
frightened eyes.
"Cats are dreadful creatures!" said one of them.
"I'm glad we are not fishes!" said another.
"Don't worry," Dorothy murmured, soothingly, "I'll not let the kitten
hurt you."
Then she happened to remember that in a corner of her suit-case were one
or two crackers that were left over from her luncheon on the train, and
she went to the buggy and brought them. Eureka stuck up her nose at such
food, but the tiny piglets squealed delightedly at the sight of the
crackers and ate them up in a jiffy.
"Now let us go back to the city," suggested the Wizard. "That is, if Jim
has had enough of the pink grass."
The cab-horse, who was browsing near, lifted his head with a sigh.
"I've tried to eat a lot while I had the chance," said he, "for it's
likely to be a long while between meals in this strange country. But I'm
ready to go, now, at any time you wish."
So, after the Wizard had put the piglets back into his inside pocket,
where they cuddled up and went to sleep, the three climbed into the
buggy and Jim started back to the town.
"Where shall we stay?" asked the girl.
"I think I shall take possession of the House of the Sorcerer," replied
the Wizard; "for the Prince said in the presence of his people that he
would keep me until they picked another Sorcerer, and the new Princess
won't know but that we belong there."
They agreed to this plan, and when they reached the great square Jim
drew the buggy into the big door of the domed hall.
"It doesn't look very homelike," said Dorothy, gazing around at the
bare room. "But it's a place to stay, anyhow."
"What are those holes up there?" enquired the boy, pointing to some
openings that appeared near the top of the dome.
"They look like doorways," said Dorothy; "only there are no stairs to
get to them."
"You forget that stairs are unnecessary," observed the Wizard. "Let us
walk up, and see where the doors lead to."
With this he began walking in the air toward the high openings, and
Dorothy and Zeb followed him. It was the same sort of climb one
experiences when walking up a hill, and they were nearly out of breath
when they came to the row of openings, which they perceived to be
doorways leading into halls in the upper part of the house. Following
these halls they discovered many small rooms opening from them, and some
were furnished with glass benches, tables and chairs. But there were no
beds at all.
"I wonder if these people never sleep," said the girl.
"Why, there seems to be no night at all in this country," Zeb replied.
"Those colored suns are exactly in the same place they were when we
came, and if there is no sunset there can be no night."
"Very true," agreed the Wizard. "But it is a long time since I have had
any sleep, and I'm tired. So I think I shall lie down upon one of these
hard glass benches and take a nap."
"I will, too," said Dorothy, and chose a little room at the end of the
hall.
Zeb walked down again to unharness Jim, who, when he found himself free,
rolled over a few times and then settled down to sleep, with Eureka
nestling comfortably beside his big, boney body. Then the boy returned
to one of the upper rooms, and in spite of the hardness of the glass
bench was soon deep in slumberland.
CHAPTER 6.
THE MANGABOOS PROVE DANGEROUS
When the Wizard awoke the six colored suns were shining down upon the
Land of the Mangaboos just as they had done ever since his arrival. The
little man, having had a good sleep, felt rested and refreshed, and
looking through the glass partition of the room he saw Zeb sitting up on
his bench and yawning. So the Wizard went in to him.
"Zeb," said he, "my balloon is of no further use in this strange
country, so I may as well leave it on the square where it fell. But in
the basket-car are some things I would like to keep with me. I wish you
would go and fetch my satchel, two lanterns, and a can of kerosene oil
that is under the seat. There is nothing else that I care about."
So the boy went willingly upon the errand, and by the time he had
returned Dorothy was awake. Then the three held a counsel to decide what
they should do next, but could think of no way to better their
condition.
"I don't like these veg'table people," said the little girl. "They're
cold and flabby, like cabbages, in spite of their prettiness."
"I agree with you. It is because there is no warm blood in them,"
remarked the Wizard.
"And they have no hearts; so they can't love anyone--not even
themselves," declared the boy.
"The Princess is lovely to look at," continued Dorothy, thoughtfully;
"but I don't care much for her, after all. If there was any other place
to go, I'd like to go there."
"But _is_ there any other place?" asked the Wizard.
"I don't know," she answered.
Just then they heard the big voice of Jim the cab-horse calling to them,
and going to the doorway leading to the dome they found the Princess and
a throng of her people had entered the House of the Sorcerer.
So they went down to greet the beautiful vegetable lady, who said to
them:
"I have been talking with my advisors about you meat people, and we have
decided that you do not belong in the Land of the Mangaboos and must not
remain here."
"How can we go away?" asked Dorothy.
"Oh, you cannot go away, of course; so you must be destroyed," was the
answer.
"In what way?" enquired the Wizard.
"We shall throw you three people into the Garden of the Twining Vines,"
said the Princess, "and they will soon crush you and devour your bodies
to make themselves grow bigger. The animals you have with you we will
drive to the mountains and put into the Black Pit. Then our country will
be rid of all its unwelcome visitors."
"But you are in need of a Sorcerer," said the Wizard, "and not one of
those growing is yet ripe enough to pick. I am greater than any
thorn-covered sorcerer that ever grew in your garden. Why destroy me?"
"It is true we need a Sorcerer," acknowledged the Princess, "but I am
informed that one of our own will be ready to pick in a few days, to
take the place of Gwig, whom you cut in two before it was time for him
to be planted. Let us see your arts, and the sorceries you are able to
perform. Then I will decide whether to destroy you with the others or
not."
At this the Wizard made a bow to the people and repeated his trick of
producing the nine tiny piglets and making them disappear again. He did
it very cleverly, indeed, and the Princess looked at the strange
piglets as if she were as truly astonished as any vegetable person could
be. But afterward she said:
"I have heard of this wonderful magic. But it accomplishes nothing of
value. What else can you do?"
The Wizard tried to think. Then he jointed together the blades of his