Rinkitink in Oz
"These three pearls," said the King, speaking in a solemn, impressive
voice, "are the most wonderful the world has ever known. They were gifts
to one of my ancestors from the Mermaid Queen, a powerful fairy whom he
once had the good fortune to rescue from her enemies. In gratitude for
this favor she presented him with these pearls. Each of the three
possesses an astonishing power, and whoever is their owner may count
himself a fortunate man. This one having the blue tint will give to
the person who carries it a strength so great that no power can resist
him. The one with the pink glow will protect its owner from all dangers
that may threaten him, no matter from what source they may come. The
third pearl--this one of pure white--can speak, and its words are always
wise and helpful."
"What is this, my father!" exclaimed the Prince, amazed; "do you tell me
that a pearl can speak? It sounds impossible."
"Your doubt is due to your ignorance of fairy powers," returned the
King, gravely. "Listen, my son, and you will know that I speak the
truth."
He held the white pearl to Inga's ear and the Prince heard a small voice
say distinctly: "Your father is right. Never question the truth of what
you fail to understand, for the world is filled with wonders."
"I crave your pardon, dear father," said the Prince, "for clearly I
heard the pearl speak, and its words were full of wisdom."
"The powers of the other pearls are even greater," resumed the King.
"Were I poor in all else, these gems would make me richer than any other
monarch the world holds."
"I believe that," replied Inga, looking at the beautiful pearls with
much awe. "But tell me, my father, why do you fear the warriors of Regos
and Coregos when these marvelous powers are yours?"
"The powers are mine only while I have the pearls upon my person,"
answered King Kitticut, "and I dare not carry them constantly for fear
they might be lost. Therefore, I keep them safely hidden in this recess.
My only danger lies in the chance that my watchmen might fail to
discover the approach of our enemies and allow the warrior invaders to
seize me before I could secure the pearls. I should, in that case, be
quite powerless to resist. My father owned the magic pearls at the time
of the Great Fight, of which you have so often heard, and the pink pearl
protected him from harm, while the blue pearl enabled him and his people
to drive away the enemy. Often have I suspected that the destroying
storm was caused by the fairy mermaids, but that is a matter of which I
have no proof."
"I have often wondered how we managed to win that battle," remarked Inga
thoughtfully. "But the pearls will assist us in case the warriors come
again, will they not?"
"They are as powerful as ever," declared the King. "Really, my son, I
have little to fear from any foe. But lest I die and the secret be lost
to the next King, I have now given it into your keeping. Remember that
these pearls are the rightful heritage of all Kings of Pingaree. If at
any time I should be taken from you, Inga, guard this treasure well and
do not forget where it is hidden."
"I shall not forget," said Inga.
Then the King returned the pearls to their hiding place and the boy went
to his own room to ponder upon the wonderful secret his father had that
day confided to his care.
The Coming of King Rinkitink
CHAPTER 2
A few days after this, on a bright and sunny morning when the breeze
blew soft and sweet from the ocean and the trees waved their leaf-laden
branches, the Royal Watchman, whose duty it was to patrol the shore,
came running to the King with news that a strange boat was approaching
the island.
At first the King was sore afraid and made a step toward the hidden
pearls, but the next moment he reflected that one boat, even if filled
with enemies, would be powerless to injure him, so he curbed his fear
and went down to the beach to discover who the strangers might be. Many
of the men of Pingaree assembled there also, and Prince Inga followed
his father. Arriving at the water's edge, they all stood gazing eagerly
at the oncoming boat.
It was quite a big boat, they observed, and covered with a canopy of
purple silk, embroidered with gold. It was rowed by twenty men, ten on
each side. As it came nearer, Inga could see that in the stern, seated
upon a high, cushioned chair of state, was a little man who was so very
fat that he was nearly as broad as he was high. This man was dressed in
a loose silken robe of purple that fell in folds to his feet, while upon
his head was a cap of white velvet curiously worked with golden threads
and having a circle of diamonds sewn around the band. At the opposite
end of the boat stood an oddly shaped cage, and several large boxes of
sandalwood were piled near the center of the craft.
As the boat approached the shore the fat little man got upon his feet
and bowed several times in the direction of those who had assembled to
greet him, and as he bowed he flourished his white cap in an energetic
manner. His face was round as an apple and nearly as rosy. When he
stopped bowing he smiled in such a sweet and happy way that Inga thought
he must be a very jolly fellow.
The prow of the boat grounded on the beach, stopping its speed so
suddenly that the little man was caught unawares and nearly toppled
headlong into the sea. But he managed to catch hold of the chair with
one hand and the hair of one of his rowers with the other, and so
steadied himself. Then, again waving his jeweled cap around his head, he
cried in a merry voice:
"Well, here I am at last!"
"So I perceive," responded King Kitticut, bowing with much dignity.
The fat man glanced at all the sober faces before him and burst into a
rollicking laugh. Perhaps I should say it was half laughter and half a
chuckle of merriment, for the sounds he emitted were quaint and droll
and tempted every hearer to laugh with him.
"Heh, heh--ho, ho, ho!" he roared. "Didn't expect me, I see.
Keek-eek-eek-eek! This is funny--it's really funny. Didn't know I was
coming, did you? Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo! This is certainly amusing. But I'm
here, just the same."
"Hush up!" said a deep, growling voice. "You're making yourself
ridiculous."
Everyone looked to see where this voice came from; but none could guess
who had uttered the words of rebuke. The rowers of the boat were all
solemn and silent and certainly no one on the shore had spoken. But the
little man did not seem astonished in the least, or even annoyed.
King Kitticut now addressed the stranger, saying courteously:
"You are welcome to the Kingdom of Pingaree. Perhaps you will deign to
come ashore and at your convenience inform us whom we have the honor of
receiving as a guest."
"Thanks; I will," returned the little fat man, waddling from his place
in the boat and stepping, with some difficulty, upon the sandy beach. "I
am King Rinkitink, of the City of Gilgad in the Kingdom of Rinkitink,
and I have come to Pingaree to see for myself the monarch who sends to
my city so many beautiful pearls. I have long wished to visit this
island; and so, as I said before, here I am!"
"I am pleased to welcome you," said King Kitticut. "But why has Your
Majesty so few attendants? Is it not dangerous for the King of a great
country to make distant journeys in one frail boat, and with but
twenty men?"
"Oh, I suppose so," answered King Rinkitink, with a laugh. "But what
else could I do? My subjects would not allow me to go anywhere at all,
if they knew it. So I just ran away."
"Ran away!" exclaimed King Kitticut in surprise.
"Funny, isn't it? Heh, heh, heh--woo, hoo!" laughed Rinkitink, and this
is as near as I can spell with letters the jolly sounds of his laughter.
"Fancy a King running away from his own people--hoo, hoo--keek, eek,
eek, eek! But I had to, don't you see!"
"Why?" asked the other King.
"They're afraid I'll get into mischief. They don't trust me.
Keek-eek-eek--Oh, dear me! Don't trust their own King. Funny, isn't it?"
"No harm can come to you on this island," said Kitticut, pretending not
to notice the odd ways of his guest. "And, whenever it pleases you to
return to your own country, I will send with you a fitting escort of my
own people. In the meantime, pray accompany me to my palace, where
everything shall be done to make you comfortable and happy."
"Much obliged," answered Rinkitink, tipping his white cap over his left
ear and heartily shaking the hand of his brother monarch. "I'm sure you
can make me comfortable if you've plenty to eat. And as for being
happy--ha, ha, ha, ha!--why, that's my trouble. I'm _too_ happy. But
stop! I've brought you some presents in those boxes. Please order your
men to carry them up to the palace."
"Certainly," answered King Kitticut, well pleased, and at once he gave
his men the proper orders.
"And, by the way," continued the fat little King, "let them also take my
goat from his cage."
"A goat!" exclaimed the King of Pingaree.
"Exactly; my goat Bilbil. I always ride him wherever I go, for I'm not
at all fond of walking, being a trifle stout--eh, Kitticut?--a trifle
stout! Hoo, hoo, hoo--keek, eek!"
The Pingaree people started to lift the big cage out of the boat, but
just then a gruff voice cried: "Be careful, you villains!" and as the
words seemed to come from the goat's mouth the men were so astonished
that they dropped the cage upon the sand with a sudden jar.
"There! I told you so!" cried the voice angrily. "You've rubbed the skin
off my left knee. Why on earth didn't you handle me gently?"
"There, there, Bilbil," said King Rinkitink soothingly; "don't scold, my
boy. Remember that these are strangers, and we their guests." Then he
turned to Kitticut and remarked: "You have no talking goats on your
island, I suppose."
"We have no goats at all," replied the King; "nor have we any animals,
of any sort, who are able to talk."
"I wish my animal couldn't talk, either," said Rinkitink, winking
comically at Inga and then looking toward the cage. "He is very cross at
times, and indulges in language that is not respectful. I thought, at
first, it would be fine to have a talking goat, with whom I could
converse as I rode about my city on his back; but--keek-eek-eek-eek!--the
rascal treats me as if I were a chimney sweep instead of a King. Heh, heh,
heh, keek, eek! A chimney sweep--hoo, hoo, hoo!--and me a King! Funny,
isn't it?" This last was addressed to Prince Inga, whom he chucked
familiarly under the chin, to the boy's great embarrassment.
"Why do you not ride a horse?" asked King Kitticut.
"I can't climb upon his back, being rather stout; that's why. Kee, kee,
keek, eek!--rather stout--hoo, hoo, hoo!" He paused to wipe the tears
of merriment from his eyes and then added: "But I can get on and off
Bilbil's back with ease."
He now opened the cage and the goat deliberately walked out and looked
about him in a sulky manner. One of the rowers brought from the boat a
saddle made of red velvet and beautifully embroidered with silver
thistles, which he fastened upon the goat's back. The fat King put his
leg over the saddle and seated himself comfortably, saying:
"Lead on, my noble host, and we will follow."
"What! Up that steep hill?" cried the goat. "Get off my back at once,
Rinkitink, or I won't budge a step."
"But--consider, Bilbil," remonstrated the King. "How am I to get up that
hill unless I ride?"
"Walk!" growled Bilbil.
"But I'm too fat. Really, Bilbil, I'm surprised at you. Haven't I
brought you all this distance so you may see something of the world and
enjoy life? And now you are so ungrateful as to refuse to carry me! Turn
about is fair play, my boy. The boat carried you to this shore, because