The Marvelous Land of Oz
happened to him.”
“Oh, no; nothing serious,” returned the man. “But this is his Majesty’s
day for being polished; and just now his august presence is thickly
smeared with putz-pomade.”
“Oh, I see!” cried the Scarecrow, greatly reassured. “My friend was
ever inclined to be a dandy, and I suppose he is now more proud than
ever of his personal appearance.”
“He is, indeed,” said the man, with a polite bow. “Our mighty Emperor
has lately caused himself to be nickel-plated.”
“Good Gracious!” the Scarecrow exclaimed at hearing this. “If his wit
bears the same polish, how sparkling it must be! But show us in—I’m
sure the Emperor will receive us, even in his present state”
“The Emperor’s state is always magnificent,” said the man. “But I will
venture to tell him of your arrival, and will receive his commands
concerning you.”
So the party followed the servant into a splendid ante-room, and the
Saw-Horse ambled awkwardly after them, having no knowledge that a horse
might be expected to remain outside.
The travelers were at first somewhat awed by their surroundings, and
even the Scarecrow seemed impressed as he examined the rich hangings of
silver cloth caught up into knots and fastened with tiny silver axes.
Upon a handsome center-table stood a large silver oil-can, richly
engraved with scenes from the past adventures of the Tin Woodman,
Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow: the lines of the
engraving being traced upon the silver in yellow gold. On the walls
hung several portraits, that of the Scarecrow seeming to be the most
prominent and carefully executed, while a the large painting of the
famous Wizard of Oz, in act of presenting the Tin Woodman with a heart,
covered almost one entire end of the room.
While the visitors gazed at these things in silent admiration they
suddenly heard a loud voice in the next room exclaim:
“Well! well! well! What a great surprise!”
And then the door burst open and Nick Chopper rushed into their midst
and caught the Scarecrow in a close and loving embrace that creased him
into many folds and wrinkles.
“My dear old friend! My noble comrade!” cried the Tin Woodman,
joyfully. “how delighted! I am to meet you once again.”
And then he released the Scarecrow and held him at arms’ length while
he surveyed the beloved, painted features.
But, alas! the face of the Scarecrow and many portions of his body bore
great blotches of putz-pomade; for the Tin Woodman, in his eagerness to
welcome his friend, had quite forgotten the condition of his toilet and
had rubbed the thick coating of paste from his own body to that of his
comrade.
“Dear me!” said the Scarecrow dolefully. “What a mess I’m in!”
“Never mind, my friend,” returned the Tin Woodman, “I’ll send you to my
Imperial Laundry, and you’ll come out as good as new.”
“Won’t I be mangled?” asked the Scarecrow.
“No, indeed!” was the reply. “But tell me, how came your Majesty here?
and who are your companions?”
The Scarecrow, with great politeness, introduced Tip and Jack
Pumpkinhead, and the latter personage seemed to interest the Tin
Woodman greatly.
“You are not very substantial, I must admit,” said the Emperor. “but
you are certainly unusual, and therefore worthy to become a member of
our select society.”
“I thank your Majesty,” said Jack, humbly.
“I hope you are enjoying good health?” continued the Woodman.
“At present, yes;” replied the Pumpkinhead, with a sigh; “but I am in
constant terror of the day when I shall spoil.”
“Nonsense!” said the Emperor—but in a kindly, sympathetic tone. “Do
not, I beg of you, dampen today’s sun with the showers of tomorrow. For
before your head has time to spoil you can have it canned, and in that
way it may be preserved indefinitely.”
Tip, during this conversation, was looking at the Woodman with
undisguised amazement, and noticed that the celebrated Emperor of the
Winkies was composed entirely of pieces of tin, neatly soldered and
riveted together into the form of a man. He rattled and clanked a
little, as he moved, but in the main he seemed to be most cleverly
constructed, and his appearance was only marred by the thick coating of
polishing-paste that covered him from head to foot.
The boy’s intent gaze caused the Tin Woodman to remember that he was
not in the most presentable condition, so he begged his friends to
excuse him while he retired to his private apartment and allowed his
servants to polish him. This was accomplished in a short time, and when
the emperor returned his nickel-plated body shone so magnificently that
the Scarecrow heartily congratulated him on his improved appearance.
“That nickel-plate was, I confess, a happy thought,” said Nick; “and it
was the more necessary because I had become somewhat scratched during
my adventurous experiences. You will observe this engraved star upon my
left breast. It not only indicates where my excellent heart lies, but
covers very neatly the patch made by the Wonderful Wizard when he
placed that valued organ in my breast with his own skillful hands.”
“Is your heart, then, a hand-organ?” asked the Pumpkinhead, curiously.
“By no means,” responded the emperor, with dignity. “It is, I am
convinced, a strictly orthodox heart, although somewhat larger and
warmer than most people possess.”
Then he turned to the Scarecrow and asked:
“Are your subjects happy and contented, my dear friend?”
“I cannot, say” was the reply. “for the girls of Oz have risen in
revolt and driven me out of the emerald City.”
“Great Goodness!” cried the Tin Woodman, “What a calamity! They surely
do not complain of your wise and gracious rule?”
“No; but they say it is a poor rule that don’t work both ways,”
answered the Scarecrow; “and these females are also of the opinion that
men have ruled the land long enough. So they have captured my city,
robbed the treasury of all its jewels, and are running things to suit
themselves.”
“Dear me! What an extraordinary idea!” cried the Emperor, who was both
shocked and surprised.
“And I heard some of them say,” said Tip, “that they intend to march
here and capture the castle and city of the Tin Woodman.”
“Ah! we must not give them time to do that,” said the Emperor, quickly;
“we will go at once and recapture the Emerald City and place the
Scarecrow again upon his throne.”
“I was sure you would help me,” remarked the Scarecrow in a pleased
voice. “How large an army can you assemble?”
“We do not need an army,” replied the Woodman. “We four, with the aid
of my gleaming axe, are enough to strike terror into the hearts of the
rebels.”
“We five,” corrected the Pumpkinhead.
“Five?” repeated the Tin Woodman.
“Yes; the Saw-Horse is brave and fearless,” answered Jack, forgetting
his recent quarrel with the quadruped.
The Tin Woodman looked around him in a puzzled way, for the Saw-Horse
had until now remained quietly standing in a corner, where the Emperor
had not noticed him. Tip immediately called the odd-looking creature to
them, and it approached so awkwardly that it nearly upset the beautiful
center-table and the engraved oil-can.
“I begin to think,” remarked the Tin Woodman as he looked earnestly at
the Saw-Horse, “that wonders will never cease! How came this creature
alive?”
“I did it with a magic powder,” modestly asserted the boy. “and the
Saw-Horse has been very useful to us.”
“He enabled us to escape the rebels,” added the Scarecrow.
“Then we must surely accept him as a comrade,” declared the emperor. “A
live Saw-Horse is a distinct novelty, and should prove an interesting
study. Does he know anything?”
“Well, I cannot claim any great experience in life,” the Saw-Horse
answered for himself. “but I seem to learn very quickly, and often it
occurs to me that I know more than any of those around me.”
“Perhaps you do,” said the emperor; “for experience does not always
mean wisdom. But time is precious just now, so let us quickly make
preparations to start upon our Journey.”
The emperor called his Lord High Chancellor and instructed him how to
run the kingdom during his absence. Meanwhile the Scarecrow was taken
apart and the painted sack that served him for a head was carefully
laundered and restuffed with the brains originally given him by the
great Wizard. His clothes were also cleaned and pressed by the Imperial
tailors, and his crown polished and again sewed upon his head, for the
Tin Woodman insisted he should not renounce this badge of royalty. The
Scarecrow now presented a very respectable appearance, and although in
no way addicted to vanity he was quite pleased with himself and
strutted a trifle as he walked. While this was being done Tip mended
the wooden limbs of Jack Pumpkinhead and made them stronger than
before, and the Saw-Horse was also inspected to see if he was in good
working order.
Then bright and early the next morning they set out upon the return
Journey to the emerald City, the Tin Woodman bearing upon his shoulder
a gleaming axe and leading the way, while the Pumpkinhead rode upon the
Saw-Horse and Tip and the Scarecrow walked upon either side to make
sure that he didn’t fall off or become damaged.
Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E.
Now, General Jinjur—who, you will remember, commanded the Army of
Revolt—was rendered very uneasy by the escape of the Scarecrow from the
Emerald City. She feared, and with good reason, that if his Majesty and
the Tin Woodman Joined forces, it would mean danger to her and her
entire army; for the people of Oz had not yet forgotten the deeds of
these famous heroes, who had passed successfully through so many
startling adventures.
So Jinjur sent post-haste for old Mombi, the witch, and promised her
large rewards if she would come to the assistance of the rebel army.
Mombi was furious at the trick Tip had played upon her as well as at
his escape and the theft of the precious Powder of Life; so she needed
no urging to induce her to travel to the Emerald City to assist Jinjur
in defeating the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, who had made Tip one of
their friends.
Mombi had no sooner arrived at the royal palace than she discovered, by
means of her secret magic, that the adventurers were starting upon
their Journey to the Emerald City; so she retired to a small room high
up in a tower and locked herself in while she practised such arts as
she could command to prevent the return of the Scarecrow and his
companions.
That was why the Tin Woodman presently stopped and said:
“Something very curious has happened. I ought to know by heart and
every step of this Journey, yet I fear we have already lost our way.”
“That is quite impossible!” protested the Scarecrow. “Why do you think,
my dear friend, that we have gone astray?”
“Why, here before us is a great field of sunflowers—and I never saw
this field before in all my life.”
At these words they all looked around, only to find that they were
indeed surrounded by a field of tall stalks, every stalk bearing at its
top a gigantic sunflower. And not only were these flowers almost
blinding in their vivid hues of red and gold, but each one whirled
around upon its stalk like a miniature wind-mill, completely dazzling
the vision of the beholders and so mystifying them that they knew not
which way to turn.
“It’s witchcraft!” exclaimed Tip.
While they paused, hesitating and wondering, the Tin Woodman uttered a
cry of impatience and advanced with swinging axe to cut down the stalks
before him. But now the sunflowers suddenly stopped their rapid
whirling, and the travelers plainly saw a girl’s face appear in the