Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz 2027 words

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and
then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a
mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal
in a tiny, shrill voice.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz


1.

"Oh no; it's just Eureka, my kitten.

Then Jim suddenly asked:

"Are there any horses in Oz?"

"Only one," replied Dorothy, "and he's a sawhorse."

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

"Oh no; it's just Eureka, my kitten.

You must
go to the House of the Sorcerer, who will soon discover the truth."

"Why have you dared to intrude your unwelcome persons into the secluded
Land of the Mangaboos?" he asked, sternly.

"How is Uncle Henry?" she enquired, after a pause during which the
horse continued to trot with long, regular strides.

"What's that?" asked Dorothy, gazing fearfully at the great scaley
head, the yawning mouth and the big eyes.

For answer Zeb began to unfasten Jim's harness, strap by strap, and to
buckle one piece to another until he had made a long leather strip that
would reach to the ground.

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.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and
did not look very inviting.

"Yes. The first time I went to Oz I found you there, ruling the
Emerald City.

"I shall order you
destroyed in a few minutes, so you will have no need to ruin our pretty
melon vines and berry bushes.

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

"I am
delighted to find humbugs inside the earth, just the same as on top of
it.

For a good many
years I drew a public cab in Chicago, and that's enough to make anyone
skinny."

"Why have you dared to intrude your unwelcome persons into the secluded
Land of the Mangaboos?" he asked, sternly.

The boy flicked the big, boney horse with his whip and looked
thoughtful.

Now he
answered, with a touch of uneasiness in his cold tones:

"She is the Ruler destined to be my successor, for she is a Royal
Princess.

I wish
you would go and fetch my satchel, two lanterns, and a can of kerosene
oil that is under the seat.

Far up in the air was an object that looked like a balloon.

"He eats enough to get fat, I'm sure," said the boy, gravely.

"Hello!" he said, seeing her, "are you Dorothy Gale?"

They
all wore short wooden wings which were fastened to their wooden bodies
by means of wooden hinges with wooden screws, and with these wings they
flew swiftly and noiselessly here and there, their legs being of little
use to them.

"But you must remember you had the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman to
help you conquer those enemies," suggested the Wizard.

The wanders were rather discouraged by this gloomy report, but Dorothy
said with a sigh:

"If the only way to get home is to meet the Gurgles, then we've got to
meet 'em.

"Here,--piggy, piggy, piggy!" called their master, anxiously.

This second one was a Rain
of People-and-Horse-and-Buggy.

"Hello!" he said, seeing her, "are you Dorothy Gale?"

They saw a landscape with mountains and plains, lakes and rivers, very
like those upon the earth's surface; but all the scene was splendidly
colored by the variegated lights from the six suns.

The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain


The mountain before them was shaped like a cone and was so tall that
its point was lost in the clouds.

The houses of this city had many corners, being square
and six-sided and eight-sided.

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

"But you must remember you had the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman to
help you conquer those enemies," suggested the Wizard.

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and
then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a
mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal
in a tiny, shrill voice.

I wish
you would go and fetch my satchel, two lanterns, and a can of kerosene
oil that is under the seat.

The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain


The mountain before them was shaped like a cone and was so tall that
its point was lost in the clouds.

"I have nine lives," said the kitten, purring softly as it walked
around in a circle and then came back to the roof; "but I can't lose
even one of them by falling in this country, because I really couldn't
manage to fall if I wanted to."

"Why, he's vegetable!" cried the Wizard, astonished.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

But once upon a time four Witches leagued
together to depose the king and rule the four parts of the kingdom
themselves; so when the Ruler, my grandfather, was hunting one day, one
Wicked Witch named Mombi stole him and carried him away, keeping him a
close prisoner.

They can't be worse than the Wicked Witch or the Nome King."

With a wild neigh of terror the animal fell bodily into the pit,
drawing the buggy and its occupants after him.

"Run for the river!" shouted the Wizard, and Jim quickly freed himself
from his unseen tormenters by a few vicious kicks and then obeyed.

I manufactured a large quantity
of these post-holes, and having no room in which to store them I set
them all end to end and put the top one in the ground.

"What an absurd creature!" he exclaimed.

The Glass City


When Dorothy recovered her senses they were still falling, but not so
fast.

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."

"Canary-birds?" he asked.

"Yes; but we're used to such things in California," he replied.

Just now they are all going to bed, and--what do you think?--they
unhook the hinges of their wings and put them in a corner until they
wake up again."

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

"Why, it's a dragon!" he exclaimed.

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

But he had no hair
at all, and all over his bald head and face and upon the backs of his
hands grew sharp thorns like those found on the branches of
rose-bushes.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"On my word," he exclaimed, "it's little Jellia Jamb--as pert and
pretty as ever!"

Had there
been any doors or windows in the lower rooms, or had not the boards of
the house been so thick and stout, escape could have been easy; but to
remain down below was like being in a cellar or the hold of a ship, and
they did not like the darkness or the damp smell.

The houses of this city had many corners, being square
and six-sided and eight-sided.

But no; they floated gently down upon a broad, flat roof, and came to a
stop at last.

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and
then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a
mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal
in a tiny, shrill voice.

What is your sorcery good for if it cannot tell us the truth?"

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

"In that case," said the man, "it will be best for you to cross our
Valley and mount the spiral staircase inside the Pyramid Mountain.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"My
whole name is Zebediah; but folks just call me 'Zeb.'

"I'm as hungry as the horse
is, and I want my milk."

The Wizard was also most heartily welcomed by the straw
man, who was an important personage in the Land of Oz.

"How are your brains?" enquired the little humbug, as he grasped the
soft, stuffed hands of his old friend.

They began to wonder if
there were no people to inhabit this magnificent city of the inner
world.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

The sky had grown darker again and the wind made queer sobbing sounds
as it swept over the valley.

Our greatest Champion, Overman-Anu, once
climbed the spiral stairway and fought nine days with the Gargoyles
before he could escape them and come back; but he could never be
induced to describe the dreadful creatures, and soon afterward a bear
caught him and ate him up."

As it came to a
stop the conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

Around it were arranged, like the five points of a star, the other five
brilliant balls; one being rose colored, one violet, one yellow, one
blue and one orange.

"Their
eyes are like pie-plates and their mouths like coal-scuttles.

The sky had grown darker again and the wind made queer sobbing sounds
as it swept over the valley.

They can't be worse than the Wicked Witch or the Nome King."

Just then the buggy tipped slowly over upon its side, the body of the
horse tipping also.

But afterward she said:

"I have heard of this wonderful magic.

They saw a landscape with mountains and plains, lakes and rivers, very
like those upon the earth's surface; but all the scene was splendidly
colored by the variegated lights from the six suns.

In the open space between the clouds and the black, bubbling sea far
beneath, could be seen an occasional strange bird winging its way
swiftly through the air.

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

So the Wizard
pretended to take one of the piglets out of the hair of the Princess
(while really he slyly took it from his inside pocket) and Ozma smiled
joyously as the creature nestled in her arms, and she promised to have
an emerald collar made for its fat neck and to keep the little squealer
always at hand to amuse her.

"No, my Prince."

So he followed the Prince into the great domed hall, and
Dorothy and Zeb came after them, while the throng of people trooped in
also.

"Unhitch
those tugs, Zeb, and set me free from the buggy, so I can fight
comfortably."

Their front legs, which grew just
back of their heads, were also strong and big; but their bodies were
smaller around than their heads, and dwindled away in a long line until
their tails were slim as a shoe-string.

There was a
breath of danger in the very air, and every few moments the earth would
shake violently.

Then he halted, ducked
down and began to back up, so that he nearly fell with the buggy onto
the others.

Next minute there
was a roar and a sharp crash, and at her side Dorothy saw the ground
open in a wide crack and then come together again.

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

She climbed into the buggy and he followed her.

One was that it was lighted from some unseen source; for no sun or moon
was in the arched blue sky, although every object was flooded with a
clear and perfect light.

The blues and greys were very beautiful, and Dorothy noticed that on
the cloud banks sat or reclined fleecy, shadowy forms of beautiful
beings who must have been the Cloud Fairies.

But bye and bye, as she stared ahead
into the black chasm with a beating heart, she began to dimly see the
form of the horse Jim--his head up in the air, his ears erect and his
long legs sprawling in every direction as he tumbled through space.

Dorothy kept hold of his hand and followed him, and soon they were both
walking through the air, with the kitten frisking beside them.

"I'm sure we are in no danger," said Dorothy, in a sober voice.

The Earthquake


The train from 'Frisco was very late.

No one now seemed to pay any attention to the strangers, so Dorothy and
Zeb and the Wizard let the train pass on and then wandered by
themselves into the vegetable gardens.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

"You're dreadfully
skinny."

Dorothy was captured in the same way, and numbers of the Gargoyles
clung to Jim's legs, so weighting him down that the poor beast was
helpless.

But bye and bye, as she stared ahead
into the black chasm with a beating heart, she began to dimly see the
form of the horse Jim--his head up in the air, his ears erect and his
long legs sprawling in every direction as he tumbled through space.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and
did not look very inviting.

As it came to a
stop the conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

"But there is any quantity of oatmeal, which we often cook
for breakfast.

But Mombi was still my grandfather's jailor, and afterward my father's
jailor.

"And the Cowardly Lion?"

"I'm not cruel," replied the kitten, yawning.

Were you ever with a circus, brother?"

Half way up the steep was a yawning cave, black as night beyond the
point where the rainbow rays of the colored suns reached into it.

When they passed over a field of grass Jim immediately stretched down
his head and began to nibble.

Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

But he had no hair
at all, and all over his bald head and face and upon the backs of his
hands grew sharp thorns like those found on the branches of
rose-bushes.

The boy was startled and his eyes were big.

"Can your horse talk?" she asked.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

So Zeb unharnessed Jim, and several of the servants then led the horse
around to the rear, where they selected a nice large apartment that he
could have all to himself.

All of our
Princes and Rulers have grown upon this one bush from time immemorial."

"No; she just dug her claws into the wood and climbed down the sides of
this house to the ground."

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

"Permit me to say," returned the dragonette, "that you are rather
impolite to call us names, knowing that we cannot resent your insults.

I used to call myself a Wizard, and do
tricks of ventriloquism."

Dorothy kept hold of his hand and followed him, and soon they were both
walking through the air, with the kitten frisking beside them.

"Oh, he lives there too, with his friend the Hungry Tiger; and Billina
is there, because she liked the place better than Kansas, and wouldn't
go with me to Australia."

As it came to a
stop the conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

Instead, he drew a leathern case
from his pocket and took from it several sharp knives, which he joined
together, one after another, until they made a long sword.

The Earthquake


The train from 'Frisco was very late.

"What would you do?" enquired Jim.

"I'd kick out with those long legs and iron-shod hoofs."

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

Then the boy picked up
the reins, shook them, and said "Gid-dap!"

"It doesn't look very homelike," said Dorothy, gazing around at the
bare room.

So I
continued to descend until I reached this place, and if you will show
me a way to get out of it, I'll go with pleasure.

These spires were like great spear-points, and
if they tumbled upon one of them they were likely to suffer serious
injury.

There were no stairs in their houses, because they did not need them,
but on a level surface they generally walked just as we do.

I thought that was the best way
to carry her."

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Zeb.

"That is a matter I have not quite decided upon," was the reply.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and
did not look very inviting.

"How long will you be with us?" he asked.

They played the National
air called "The Oz Spangled Banner," and behind them were the standard
bearers with the Royal flag.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

When they passed over a field of grass Jim immediately stretched down
his head and began to nibble.

"What would you do?" enquired Jim.

"I'd kick out with those long legs and iron-shod hoofs."

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"How is Uncle Henry?" she enquired, after a pause during which the
horse continued to trot with long, regular strides.

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.

"I have nine lives," said the kitten, purring softly as it walked
around in a circle and then came back to the roof; "but I can't lose
even one of them by falling in this country, because I really couldn't
manage to fall if I wanted to."

"Oh no; it's just Eureka, my kitten.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

"What brought you back?" was the next question, and Dorothy's eye
rested on an antlered head hanging on the wall just over the fireplace,
and caught its lips in the act of moving.

At once a pink kitten crept out of the upset
cage, sat down upon the glass roof, and yawned and blinked its round
eyes.

Around it were arranged, like the five points of a star, the other five
brilliant balls; one being rose colored, one violet, one yellow, one
blue and one orange.

There were no stairs in their houses, because they did not need them,
but on a level surface they generally walked just as we do.

Slowly
they moved down one street and up another, turning first this way and
then that, until they came to an open square in the center of which was
a big glass palace having a central dome and four tall spires on each
corner.




3.

I wish
you would go and fetch my satchel, two lanterns, and a can of kerosene
oil that is under the seat.

"We got to San Francisco a week
ago, and Uncle Henry went right on to Hugson's Ranch for a visit while
I stayed a few days in the city with some friends we had met."

One was that it was lighted from some unseen source; for no sun or moon
was in the arched blue sky, although every object was flooded with a
clear and perfect light.

"Yes; but it's lots of fun, if it IS strange," remarked the small voice
of the kitten, and Dorothy turned to find her pet walking in the air a
foot or so away from the edge of the roof.

"I shall order you
destroyed in a few minutes, so you will have no need to ruin our pretty
melon vines and berry bushes.

Zeb drew back with a shiver.

The beautiful creature passed her hands over her eyes an instant,
tucked in a stray lock of hair that had become disarranged, and after a
look around the garden made those present a gracious bow and said, in a
sweet but even toned voice:

"I thank you very much."

The horse had stopped short, and stood firm as a rock.

There were odd wooden
houses, with carved wooden flowers in the front yards.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

And we are of an excellent family and have a
pedigree that I challenge any humans to equal, as it extends back about
twenty thousand years, to the time of the famous Green Dragon of
Atlantis, who lived in a time when humans had not yet been created.

"Goodness!" she cried, grasping the iron rail of the seat.

"There's going to be trouble, and my
sword isn't stout enough to cut up those wooden bodies--so I shall have
to get out my revolvers."

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

If I remember rightly, we
were sixty-six years old the day before yesterday."

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at
once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot
down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

The top of the buggy caught the air like a parachute or an
umbrella filled with wind, and held them back so that they floated
downward with a gentle motion that was not so very disagreeable to
bear.

"Tut-tut! be careful how you criticise your neighbors," spoke a rasping
voice near by.

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

"This," said he, "is the Royal Bush of the Mangaboos.

With this thought in mind the girl took heart and leaned her head over
the side of the buggy to see where the strange light was coming from.

There was a
breath of danger in the very air, and every few moments the earth would
shake violently.

Eureka helped him by flying into the faces of the enemy and
scratching and biting furiously, and the kitten ruined so many
vegetable complexions that the Mangaboos feared her as much as they did
the horse.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

The Wizard continued this
surprising performance until nine tiny piglets were running about at
his feet, all squealing and grunting in a very comical way.

The ends of the wooden legs were shod with
plates of solid gold, and the saddle of the Princess Ozma, which was of
red leather set with sparkling diamonds, was strapped to the clumsy
body.

And so, one by one, the nine
tiny piglets were pushed together until but a single one of the
creatures remained.

"Why have you dared to intrude your unwelcome persons into the secluded
Land of the Mangaboos?" he asked, sternly.

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at
once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot
down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

"I can see plenty of nice gardens and
fields down below us, at the edge of this city.

I suppose the vegetable folk were always afraid
to enter this cavern because it is dark; but we have our lanterns to
light the way, so I propose that we start out and discover where this
tunnel in the mountain leads to."

"What is your name?" said Dorothy, thinking she liked the boy's manner
and the cheery tone of his voice.

"If that is so," said the boy, "how could he do that wonderful trick
with the nine tiny piglets?"

"We'll never get home again, though!" declared Zeb, with a groan.

As it came to a
stop the conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

You see, the respect shown the worn-out old cab-horse made him a little
arrogant, and he forgot he was a guest, never having been treated
otherwise than as a servant since the day he was born, until his
arrival in the Land of Oz. But the royal attendants did not heed the
animal's ill temper.

Before this crowned Gargoyle had
recovered himself Zeb had wound a strap several times around its body,
confining its wings and arms so that it could not move.

They seemed to be falling right into the middle of a
big city which had many tall buildings with glass domes and
sharp-pointed spires.

"But Jim
knows his business all right--don't you, Jim?" patting the long nose of
the animal.

The buggy seemed almost new, for it had a shiny top and side
curtains.

The sky had grown darker again and the wind made queer sobbing sounds
as it swept over the valley.

But they've been very scarce for a
few years and we usually have to be content with elephants or
buffaloes," answered the creature, in a regretful tone.

When Jim felt something firm under his feet the poor beast's legs
trembled so much that he could hardly stand; but Zeb at once leaped out
of the buggy to the roof, and he was so awkward and hasty that he
kicked over Dorothy's bird-cage, which rolled out upon the roof so that
the bottom came off.

Dorothy had a green streak
through the center of her face where the blue and yellow lights came
together, and her appearance seemed to add to his fright.

The roof beside them had a great hole smashed through it, and pieces of
glass were lying scattered in every direction.

Then it must have happened while I was asleep," he said
thoughtfully.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

"He's pretty well.

First came the Imperial Cornet Band
of Oz, dressed in emerald velvet uniforms with slashes of pea-green
satin and buttons of immense cut emeralds.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

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.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

"Nothing is more dangerous than being without food," declared the
horse, with a sniff at the rebuke of his young master; "and just at
present no one can tell whether there are any oats in this queer
country or not.

This splendid group of colored suns sent rays
darting in every direction, and as the horse and buggy--with Dorothy
and Zeb--sank steadily downward and came nearer to the lights, the rays
began to take on all the delicate tintings of a rainbow, growing more
and more distinct every moment until all the space was brilliantly
illuminated.

She hugged both the Lion
and the Tiger with eager delight, but seemed to love the King of Beasts
a little better than she did his hungry friend, having known him longer.

Soon he reached the street and disappeared through a glass doorway into
one of the glass buildings.

"Isn't that a great deal?" she asked, doubtfully.

Now he
answered, with a touch of uneasiness in his cold tones:

"She is the Ruler destined to be my successor, for she is a Royal
Princess.

Other
buildings were cracked in places or had corners chipped off from them;
but they must have been very beautiful before these accidents had
happened to mar their perfection.

"My name is Gwig," said the Sorcerer, turning his heartless, cruel eyes
upon his rival.

They
saw a mass of tough green vines all matted together and writhing and
twisting around like a nest of great snakes.

The people at once
followed and formed a circle around the sides of the spacious room,
leaving the horse and buggy and the man with the star to occupy the
center of the hall.

With a wild neigh of terror the animal fell bodily into the pit,
drawing the buggy and its occupants after him.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

The cavern did not come to an end, as
they had expected it would, but slanted upward through the great glass
mountain, running in a direction that promised to lead them to the side
opposite the Mangaboo country.

There was not an ugly person in all the throng, yet Dorothy was not
especially pleased by the appearance of these people because their
features had no more expression than the faces of dolls.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

So Zeb
and the Wizard set to work and took off the wheels and the top, and
then they put the buggy edgewise, so it would take up the smallest
space.

But not a sound had broken the stillness since the strangers had
arrived, except that of their own voices.

"Eureka's a funny name for a cat," he remarked.

"But never mind; something will happen pretty soon."

Then she looked at Zeb, whose face was blue and
whose hair was pink, and gave a little laugh that sounded a bit nervous.

"No?" drawled the dragonette; "it seems to me very babyish."

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

The cab-horse, who was browsing near, lifted his head with a sigh.

"All right; hop in."

A dozen of them smashed
together and tumbled to the ground, and seeing his success Jim kicked
again and again, charging into the vegetable crowd, knocking them in
all directions and sending the others scattering to escape his iron
heels.

I've been picked over six years, but our family is known to be
especially long lived."

Dorothy had a green streak
through the center of her face where the blue and yellow lights came
together, and her appearance seemed to add to his fright.

Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.

Dorothy saw, underneath the roof on which she stood, several rooms used
for rest chambers, and even thought she could make out a number of
queer forms huddled into the corners of these rooms.

"We
are falling so slowly that we can't be dashed to pieces when we land,
and this country that we are coming to seems quite pretty."

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"Where did you come from?" asked Dorothy, wonderingly.

Also, turning her head, she found that she could see the boy beside
her, who had until now remained as still and silent as she herself.

"My
whole name is Zebediah; but folks just call me 'Zeb.'

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

With this thought in mind the girl took heart and leaned her head over
the side of the buggy to see where the strange light was coming from.

Next minute there
was a roar and a sharp crash, and at her side Dorothy saw the ground
open in a wide crack and then come together again.

"Why, it's a great deal for Uncle Hugson, but not for me.

Presently he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes
briskly.

All this was so terrible and unreal that he could
not understand it at all, and so had good reason to be afraid.

"Canary-birds?" he asked.

But they continued to fall, all together, and the
boy and girl had no difficulty in remaining upon the seat, just as they
were before.

The top of the buggy caught the air like a parachute or an
umbrella filled with wind, and held them back so that they floated
downward with a gentle motion that was not so very disagreeable to
bear.

Around it were arranged, like the five points of a star, the other five
brilliant balls; one being rose colored, one violet, one yellow, one
blue and one orange.

"What are those holes up there?" enquired the boy, pointing to some
openings that appeared near the top of the dome.

In the vegetable gardens they found the strawberries and melons, and
several other unknown but delicious fruits, of which they ate heartily.

But the little party was both weary and discouraged
when at last, on turning a sharp corner, the wanderers found themselves
in a vast cave arching high over their heads and having a smooth, level
floor.

"I don't know," answered the boy, looking around him curiously.

The next moment a broad-leaved plant was jerked from the ground where
it grew and held suspended in the air before the Wizard.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

The sky had grown darker again and the wind made queer sobbing sounds
as it swept over the valley.

So
there was nothing for the girl to carry but the kitten, which she held
close to her bosom and tried to comfort, for its little heart was still
beating rapidly.

"The conductor said it was the worst quake he ever knew."

This splendid group of colored suns sent rays
darting in every direction, and as the horse and buggy--with Dorothy
and Zeb--sank steadily downward and came nearer to the lights, the rays
began to take on all the delicate tintings of a rainbow, growing more
and more distinct every moment until all the space was brilliantly
illuminated.

"It seems we were mistaken," declared a third, looking at the kitten
timorously, "no one with such murderous desires should belong to our
party, I'm sure."

Ozma Uses the Magic Belt


For a considerable distance the way led straight upward in a gentle
incline, and the wanderers made such good progress that they grew
hopeful and eager, thinking they might see sunshine at any minute.

"We got to San Francisco a week
ago, and Uncle Henry went right on to Hugson's Ranch for a visit while
I stayed a few days in the city with some friends we had met."

The people watched it intently, for they had never seen a pig before,
big or little.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

Jim pricked up his ears when he heard they were going to the gardens,
and wanted to join the party, thinking he might find something proper
to eat; so Zeb put down the top of the buggy and invited the Wizard to
ride with them.

They did not really hurt the poor horse,
because everything was falling together; only the stones and rubbish
fell faster than the horse and buggy, which were held back by the
pressure of the air, so that the terrified animal was actually more
frightened than he was injured.

Suddenly a man appeared through a hole in the roof next to the one they
were on and stepped into plain view.

"We
are falling so slowly that we can't be dashed to pieces when we land,
and this country that we are coming to seems quite pretty."

Presently he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes
briskly.

"Isn't that a great deal?" she asked, doubtfully.

"This," said Princess Ozma, "is my friend Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E.,
who assisted me one time when I was in great distress, and is now the
Dean of the Royal College of Athletic Science."

Dorothy saw, underneath the roof on which she stood, several rooms used
for rest chambers, and even thought she could make out a number of
queer forms huddled into the corners of these rooms.

But he can't wiz a single
thing if he hasn't the tools and machinery to work with."

Afterward the Gump was taken
apart and I was put back on this wall; but I can still talk when I feel
in the mood, which is not often."

There were no stairs in their houses, because they did not need them,
but on a level surface they generally walked just as we do.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

"I couldn't be here if it wasn't," she said.

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

But I've noticed that many queer things happen in fairy
countries."

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

Tomorrow Uncle Henry and I must start back for Kansas.

During this time Jim
struggled frantically, all his legs kicking the air; but on finding
himself in his former position the horse said, in a relieved tone of
voice:

"Well, that's better!"

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at
once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot
down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

Then he jointed together the blades of his
sword and balanced it very skillfully upon the end of his nose.

In the first
place, I must tell you that I was born in Omaha, and my father, who was
a politician, named me Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle
Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, Diggs being the last name because he could
think of no more to go before it.

"Yes; but we're used to such things in California," he replied.

Other
buildings were cracked in places or had corners chipped off from them;
but they must have been very beautiful before these accidents had
happened to mar their perfection.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"In that case," said the man, "it will be best for you to cross our
Valley and mount the spiral staircase inside the Pyramid Mountain.

This appeared so unexpectedly that they were unprepared to
take advantage of it at first, and allowed the rocky wall to swing
around again before they had decided to pass over.

Then he started to say something to his little companion,
but before he could speak the buggy began to sway dangerously from side
to side and the earth seemed to rise up before them.

"We got to San Francisco a week
ago, and Uncle Henry went right on to Hugson's Ranch for a visit while
I stayed a few days in the city with some friends we had met."

You will notice my braids are tied with yellow,
pink, brown, red, green, white and black; but I have no blue ribbons."

"I will stop you from living and forbid you to be planted," returned
the Prince.

There sat the thorny Sorcerer in his chair of state, and when the
Wizard saw him he began to laugh, uttering comical little chuckles.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

The Arrival Of The Wizard


The doorway of the glass palace was quite big enough for the horse and
buggy to enter, so Zeb drove straight through it and the children found
themselves in a lofty hall that was very beautiful.

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

Then it must have happened while I was asleep," he said
thoughtfully.

"They
don't scare us much."

She could
count his ribs easily where they showed through the skin of his body,
and his head was long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it
did not fit.

Dorothy saw, underneath the roof on which she stood, several rooms used
for rest chambers, and even thought she could make out a number of
queer forms huddled into the corners of these rooms.

"I was afraid it would get
moldy in that tin body of yours."

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.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

All this was so terrible and unreal that he could
not understand it at all, and so had good reason to be afraid.

"It's wonderful!" said Dorothy.

"But Jim
knows his business all right--don't you, Jim?" patting the long nose of
the animal.

Dorothy sighed and commenced to breathe easier.

She could
count his ribs easily where they showed through the skin of his body,
and his head was long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it
did not fit.

"I'm hungry myself," said Zeb. "But I noticed some strawberries
growing in one of the gardens, and some melons in another place.

"Mother's about two thousand years old; but she carelessly lost track
of her age a few centuries ago and skipped several hundreds.

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and
then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a
mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal
in a tiny, shrill voice.

"That does not sound especially pleasant," said the little man, looking
at the one with the star uneasily.

"Perhaps," said Dorothy, "if you untied him, he would go."

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

Just then a man came running into the hall and addressed the Prince
after making a low bow.

Presently he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes
briskly.

"Of course," growled the horse, "and then we shall be sorry it
happened."

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"Our people do not acquire their real life until they leave their
bushes," said the Prince.

For
example, look at the long hairs on my tail, with which I can whisk away
the flies."

Eureka rubbed her paw on her face and said in her soft, purring voice:

"He won't need to destroy ME, for if I don't get something to eat
pretty soon I shall starve to death, and so save him the trouble."

They seemed to be falling right into the middle of a
big city which had many tall buildings with glass domes and
sharp-pointed spires.

"I believe we will soon follow her," announced the Wizard, in a tone of
great relief; "for I know something about the magic of the fairyland
that is called the Land of Oz. Let us be ready, for we may be sent for
any minute."

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at
once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot
down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

The worst thing was their terror of reaching the bottom of this
great crack in the earth, and the natural fear that sudden death was
about to overtake them at any moment.

"My
whole name is Zebediah; but folks just call me 'Zeb.'

"And maybe he won't!" answered Jim. "I've tumbled through the air long
enough to make me contented on this roof."

Just above them, and almost on a level with their platform, were banks
of rolling clouds which constantly shifted position and changed color.

Jim, The Cab-Horse


Jim the Cab-horse found himself in possession of a large room with a
green marble floor and carved marble wainscoting, which was so stately
in its appearance that it would have awed anyone else.

"He eats enough to get fat, I'm sure," said the boy, gravely.

"Thought that train would never come," observed the boy.

Jim the cab-horse came last, and the rocky wall almost caught him; for
just as he leaped to the floor of the further passage the wall swung
across it and a loose stone that the buggy wheels knocked against fell
into the narrow crack where the rock turned, and became wedged there.

With this he caught up two of the piglets and pushed them together, so
that the two were one.

He was all ready when an attendant came to escort him to the presence
of the Princess; he followed bashfully and was ushered into a room more
dainty and attractive than it was splendid.

There sat the thorny Sorcerer in his chair of state, and when the
Wizard saw him he began to laugh, uttering comical little chuckles.

"We salute your Royal Highness!" cried the Wizard, kneeling and kissing
her hand.

But he had no hair
at all, and all over his bald head and face and upon the backs of his
hands grew sharp thorns like those found on the branches of
rose-bushes.

But now, good
wanderers, your luncheon is on the table, so please sit down and eat as
much as you like."




9.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

The sky had grown darker again and the wind made queer sobbing sounds
as it swept over the valley.

With this he caught up two of the piglets and pushed them together, so
that the two were one.

There were men
and women, but no children at all, and the folks were all beautifully
formed and attractively dressed and had wonderfully handsome faces.

"Yes; but we're used to such things in California," he replied.

With a wild neigh of terror the animal fell bodily into the pit,
drawing the buggy and its occupants after him.

The central and largest one was white, and reminded her of the sun.

The little man looked at his watch--a big silver one that he carried in
his vest pocket.

He waved a thorny hand and at once the tinkling of bells was heard,
playing sweet music.

Zeb, being a boy, did not faint, but
he was badly frightened, and clung to the buggy seat with a tight grip,
expecting every moment would be his last.




2.

There were no privates in the army because
all were so courageous and skillful that they had been promoted one by
one until there were no privates left.

These were very numerous, for the place was thickly inhabited, and a
large group of the queer people clustered near, gazing sharply upon the
strangers who had emerged from the long spiral stairway.

And if I can't eat
the piglets you may as well plant me at once and raise catsup."

"Very clever," said the Wizard, nodding his head as if pleased.

He took the piglets from his pocket and let them run on the grass, and
Jim tasted a mouthful of the green blades and declared he was very
contented in his new surroundings.

Jim had refused to leave the field of
grass, where he was engaged in busily eating; so the Wizard got out of
the buggy and joined Zeb and Dorothy, and the kitten followed demurely
at their heels.

Everything the vines
touched they crushed, and our adventurers were indeed thankful to have
escaped being cast among them.

Around it were arranged, like the five points of a star, the other five
brilliant balls; one being rose colored, one violet, one yellow, one
blue and one orange.

The ground was sawdust and the pebbles scattered around were hard
knots from trees, worn smooth in course of time.

As it came to a
stop the conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

But bye and bye, as she stared ahead
into the black chasm with a beating heart, she began to dimly see the
form of the horse Jim--his head up in the air, his ears erect and his
long legs sprawling in every direction as he tumbled through space.

The girl, greatly astonished, ran to lean over the edge of the roof,
and saw the man walking rapidly through the air toward the ground.

Suddenly there was a rending, tearing sound, and the earth split into
another great crack just beneath the spot where the horse was standing.

"And the Cowardly Lion?"

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

The
patches of grass were splinters of wood, and where neither grass nor
sawdust showed was a solid wooden flooring.

"Have you come to take me to Hugson's Ranch?"

Crash after crash echoed far
above their heads, as the earth came together where it had split, and
stones and chunks of clay rattled around them on every side.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

"Guess I'm half asleep yet," he said, untying the horse.

Then the Witches divided up the kingdom, and ruled the
four parts of it until you came here.

Then a little man jumped out of the basket, took off his tall hat, and
bowed very gracefully to the crowd of Mangaboos around him.

Jim accepted it
as a mere detail, and at his command the attendants gave his coat a
good rubbing, combed his mane and tail, and washed his hoofs and
fetlocks.

In the center of each plant grew a daintily
dressed Mangaboo, for the clothing of all these creatures grew upon
them and was attached to their bodies.

"I have nine lives," said the kitten, purring softly as it walked
around in a circle and then came back to the roof; "but I can't lose
even one of them by falling in this country, because I really couldn't
manage to fall if I wanted to."

"What would you do?" enquired Jim.

"I'd kick out with those long legs and iron-shod hoofs."

At such times they were all glad to wait for him, for
continually climbing up stairs is sure to make one's legs ache.

But the road was nothing more than a series of rifts or
cracks in the mountain, and it went zig-zag in every direction,
slanting first up and then down until they were puzzled as to whether
they were any nearer to the top of the earth than when they had
started, hours before.

There were paths through these gardens, and over
some of the brooks were ornamental glass bridges.

"But you must remember you had the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman to
help you conquer those enemies," suggested the Wizard.

"You will notice they are all attached to
the plants by the soles of their feet, and when they are quite ripe
they are easily separated from the stems and at once attain the powers
of motion and speech.

But Ozma soon conquered her, with the help of Glinda the Good, and
after that I went to live with Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman."

Presently they came to a low plant which had broad, spreading leaves,
in the center of which grew a single fruit about as large as a peach.

The kitten gazed wistfully at the forbidden fruit.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

Instantly a cloud of smoke appeared and rolled over the floor; then it
slowly spread and ascended into the dome, disclosing a strange
personage seated upon a glass throne just before Jim's nose.

With a wild neigh of terror the animal fell bodily into the pit,
drawing the buggy and its occupants after him.

The worst thing was their terror of reaching the bottom of this
great crack in the earth, and the natural fear that sudden death was
about to overtake them at any moment.

Then the boy picked up
the reins, shook them, and said "Gid-dap!"

"I have an idea," said the Wizard, "that there are fishes in these
brooks.

"Who built these lovely bridges?" asked the little girl.

Here, then, I
made my home; and although it is a lonely place I amuse myself making
rustles and flutters, and so get along very nicely."

"That was an awful big quake," replied Zeb, with a white face.

They tired Jim and
Eureka out, and although the field of battle was thickly covered with
mashed and disabled Mangaboos, our animal friends had to give up at
last and allow themselves to be driven to the mountain.




7.

But he smiled and bowed as he answered:

"Yes, my dear; I am Oz, the Great and Terrible.

"I don't believe we'll realize anything, when it comes to that,"
remarked Dorothy, who had been deep in thought.

He laughed at that, and his laugh was merry and frank.

The people at once
followed and formed a circle around the sides of the spacious room,
leaving the horse and buggy and the man with the star to occupy the
center of the hall.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

The horrible sensation of falling, the darkness and the terrifying
noises, proved more than Dorothy could endure and for a few moments the
little girl lost consciousness.

"If he planted you, he might grow some cat-tails," suggested the Wizard.

"I'm glad we are not fishes!" said another.

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

The main point, however, was that they flew, and flew swiftly, if a bit
unevenly, toward the rock for which they had headed.

As it came to a
stop the conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

Then, having
tied the wooden creature securely, the boy buckled the strap and tossed
his prisoner into the buggy.

"But it's a place to stay, anyhow."

Instead
of opposing him in this they stood back in silence until he had made a
good-sized hole in the barrier, when by order of the Princess they all
sprang forward and thrust out their sharp thorns.

His tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been
broken in many places and fastened together again with cords and bits
of wire.

"Phoo!" snarled the kitten; "I wouldn't touch the nasty things!"

"Why did you wickedly and viciously send the Rain of Stones to crack
and break our houses?" he continued.

"How is Uncle Henry?" she enquired, after a pause during which the
horse continued to trot with long, regular strides.

He took the hat and examined it carefully, returning it afterward to
the Wizard.

"The Wizard of Oz has always been a humbug," agreed Dorothy.

Then a little man jumped out of the basket, took off his tall hat, and
bowed very gracefully to the crowd of Mangaboos around him.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

"None of us has had breakfast," said the boy; "and in a time of danger
like this it's foolish to talk about eating."

The people watched it intently, for they had never seen a pig before,
big or little.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

Dorothy screamed and expected to see a terrible sight; but as the two
halves of the Sorcerer fell apart on the floor she saw that he had no
bones or blood inside of him at all, and that the place where he was
cut looked much like a sliced turnip or potato.

"Eureka's a funny name for a cat," he remarked.

Then she looked at Zeb, whose face was blue and
whose hair was pink, and gave a little laugh that sounded a bit nervous.

"Here are strangers, mama!" cried the shrill and childish voice of some
unseen person.

Instead, he drew a leathern case
from his pocket and took from it several sharp knives, which he joined
together, one after another, until they made a long sword.

The only thing that
anyone could complain of with justice was the fact that they wobbled
first up and then down, as if the road were rocky instead of being as
smooth as the air could make it.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

"Didn't know what land it was, my son," returned the other, with a
pleasant smile; "and, to be honest, I didn't mean to visit you when I
started out.

"Of course," he answered.

Dorothy was too dazed to say much, but she watched one of Jim's big
ears turn to violet and the other to rose, and wondered that his tail
should be yellow and his body striped with blue and orange like the
stripes of a zebra.

"Oh, well; I'm old," said the horse, hanging his head despondently,
"and I've had lots of trouble in my day, little one.

"It keeps finely, being preserved
in my air-tight chest."

"The conductor said it was the worst quake he ever knew."

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

Also, turning her head, she found that she could see the boy beside
her, who had until now remained as still and silent as she herself.

There followed another band after this, which was called the Royal
Court Band, because the members all lived in the palace.

This splendid group of colored suns sent rays
darting in every direction, and as the horse and buggy--with Dorothy
and Zeb--sank steadily downward and came nearer to the lights, the rays
began to take on all the delicate tintings of a rainbow, growing more
and more distinct every moment until all the space was brilliantly
illuminated.

Jim did not make a mile a minute; but almost before they were aware of
it he drew up at the foot of the mountain, so suddenly that the Wizard
and Zeb both sailed over the dashboard and landed in the soft
grass--where they rolled over several times before they stopped.

Zeb, being a boy, did not faint, but
he was badly frightened, and clung to the buggy seat with a tight grip,
expecting every moment would be his last.




2.

"It's good, anyway," said Zeb, "or those little rascals wouldn't have
gobbled it up so greedily."

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

She nestled herself comfortably in
Dorothy's lap until the kitten gave a snarl of jealous anger and leaped
up with a sharp claw fiercely bared to strike Billina a blow.

Zeb hesitated.

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

Dorothy was too dazed to say much, but she watched one of Jim's big
ears turn to violet and the other to rose, and wondered that his tail
should be yellow and his body striped with blue and orange like the
stripes of a zebra.

Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.

Next minute there
was a roar and a sharp crash, and at her side Dorothy saw the ground
open in a wide crack and then come together again.

Zeb, being a boy, did not faint, but
he was badly frightened, and clung to the buggy seat with a tight grip,
expecting every moment would be his last.




2.

"I will stop you from living and forbid you to be planted," returned
the Prince.

"But don't let us
worry over such things, Zeb; we can't help ourselves just now, you
know, and I've always been told it's foolish to borrow trouble."

Far below her she found six great glowing balls suspended in the air.

Then, with much dignity and a look of vast importance upon his wrinkled
face, the Wizard got out his match-box and lighted the two lanterns.

"What do you mean by that?" asked the little Wizard, greatly puzzled.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

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.

"Did you not wear green whiskers at one time?" he asked.

"Why, Eureka," said Dorothy, reproachfully, "what a cruel question!

There was a beautiful canopy for Ozma
and her guests to sit under and watch the people run races and jump and
wrestle.

But the travellers were obliged to rest, and while they were sitting on
the rocky floor the Wizard felt in his pocket and brought out the nine
tiny piglets.

The light was dim, and soon they mounted into total darkness, so that
the Wizard was obliged to get out his lanterns to light the way.

This splendid group of colored suns sent rays
darting in every direction, and as the horse and buggy--with Dorothy
and Zeb--sank steadily downward and came nearer to the lights, the rays
began to take on all the delicate tintings of a rainbow, growing more
and more distinct every moment until all the space was brilliantly
illuminated.

These birds were of enormous size, and
reminded Zeb of the rocs he had read about in the Arabian Nights.

The beautiful creature passed her hands over her eyes an instant,
tucked in a stray lock of hair that had become disarranged, and after a
look around the garden made those present a gracious bow and said, in a
sweet but even toned voice:

"I thank you very much."

"Well, inside that rock, which reaches up into the clouds, is an
archway very much like the one we entered when we climbed the spiral
stairway from the Valley of Voe. I'll get my spy-glass, and then you
can see it more plainly."

"That was an awful big quake," replied Zeb, with a white face.

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

The
patches of grass were splinters of wood, and where neither grass nor
sawdust showed was a solid wooden flooring.

Instantly a cloud of smoke appeared and rolled over the floor; then it
slowly spread and ascended into the dome, disclosing a strange
personage seated upon a glass throne just before Jim's nose.

I live on top of the earth, your honor, which is far
better than living inside it; but yesterday I went up in a balloon, and
when I came down I fell into a big crack in the earth, caused by an
earthquake.

"You see, Eureka," remarked Dorothy, reprovingly, "you are making
yourself disliked.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

"But don't let us
worry over such things, Zeb; we can't help ourselves just now, you
know, and I've always been told it's foolish to borrow trouble."

They seemed to be falling right into the middle of a
big city which had many tall buildings with glass domes and
sharp-pointed spires.

Zeb, being a boy, did not faint, but
he was badly frightened, and clung to the buggy seat with a tight grip,
expecting every moment would be his last.




2.

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

There sat the thorny Sorcerer in his chair of state, and when the
Wizard saw him he began to laugh, uttering comical little chuckles.

"What would you do?" enquired Jim.

"I'd kick out with those long legs and iron-shod hoofs."

Also I made pores for porous plasters and high-grade holes for
doughnuts and buttons.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

They obeyed at once, and next served a fine large turbot on a silver
platter, with drawn gravy poured over it.

I thought that was the best way
to carry her."

Slowly
they moved down one street and up another, turning first this way and
then that, until they came to an open square in the center of which was
a big glass palace having a central dome and four tall spires on each
corner.




3.

She began to realize
that death was not in store for her, after all, but that she had merely
started upon another adventure, which promised to be just as queer and
unusual as were those she had before encountered.

The man had taken a step or two across the glass roof before he noticed
the presence of the strangers; but then he stopped abruptly.

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

Swiftly they drew near to the flaming colored suns, and passed close
beside them.

All she has to do is to say: 'I wonder
what So-and-so is doing,' and at once the picture shows where her
friend is and what the friend is doing.

Dorothy kept hold of his hand and followed him, and soon they were both
walking through the air, with the kitten frisking beside them.

The cavern did not come to an end, as
they had expected it would, but slanted upward through the great glass
mountain, running in a direction that promised to lead them to the side
opposite the Mangaboo country.

But I wish we could
find a way to get to the ground."

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

After turning
his composed eyes first upon the animals and then upon the children he
said to Zeb, who was a little taller than Dorothy:

"Tell me, intruder, was it you who caused the Rain of Stones?"

"Now," said the little man, "I will create something out of nothing."

The birds did not sing, nor
did the cows moo; yet there was more than ordinary activity everywhere.

But the road was nothing more than a series of rifts or
cracks in the mountain, and it went zig-zag in every direction,
slanting first up and then down until they were puzzled as to whether
they were any nearer to the top of the earth than when they had
started, hours before.

"Very good," said the Wizard; "we can all yell better than we can
fight, so we ought to defeat the Gargoyles."

Dorothy saw, underneath the roof on which she stood, several rooms used
for rest chambers, and even thought she could make out a number of
queer forms huddled into the corners of these rooms.

Then, with much dignity and a look of vast importance upon his wrinkled
face, the Wizard got out his match-box and lighted the two lanterns.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

"Yes; but it's lots of fun, if it IS strange," remarked the small voice
of the kitten, and Dorothy turned to find her pet walking in the air a
foot or so away from the edge of the roof.

"No; you miss many pleasures," remarked the cab-horse, pityingly.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

They Fight the Invisible Bears


The strangers took their seats at the table willingly enough, for they
were all hungry and the platters were now heaped with good things to
eat.

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.

"H. M.," said the Woggle-Bug, pompously, "means Highly Magnified; and
T. E. means Thoroughly Educated.

Old Friends are Reunited


Many servants dressed in handsome uniforms stood ready to welcome the
new arrivals, and when the Wizard got out of the buggy a pretty girl in
a green gown cried out in surprise:

"Why, it's Oz, the Wonderful Wizard, come back again!"

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

Now, good people, observe me carefully.

Alluring brooks of crystal water flowed sparkling between their
flower-strewn banks, while scattered over the valley were dozens of the
quaintest and most picturesque cottages our travelers had ever beheld.

"Yes. Uncle Bill Hugson married your Uncle Henry's wife's sister; so
we must be second cousins," said the boy, in an amused tone.

Some
had long, curved noses and chins, small eyes and wide, grinning mouths.

"We got to San Francisco a week
ago, and Uncle Henry went right on to Hugson's Ranch for a visit while
I stayed a few days in the city with some friends we had met."

"I wouldn't dare try," he said.

During this time Jim
struggled frantically, all his legs kicking the air; but on finding
himself in his former position the horse said, in a relieved tone of
voice:

"Well, that's better!"

Well, every day at four o'clock Ozma has promised to look at
me in that picture, and if I am in need of help I am to make her a
certain sign and she will put on the Nome King's Magic Belt and wish me
to be with her in Oz."

"Do you mean that Princess Ozma will see this cave in her enchanted
picture, and see all of us here, and what we are doing?" demanded Zeb.

"Of course; when it is four o'clock," she replied, with a laugh at his
startled expression.

She climbed into the buggy and he followed her.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"But what am I going to eat?" wailed the kitten, sitting in front of
Dorothy and looking pleadingly into her face.

The top of the buggy caught the air like a parachute or an
umbrella filled with wind, and held them back so that they floated
downward with a gentle motion that was not so very disagreeable to
bear.

Pretty soon a man joined the group who wore a glistening star in the
dark hair just over his forehead.

"All right; hop in."

Dorothy sighed and commenced to breathe easier.

What's going to become
of us now?"

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes.

Jim had refused to leave the field of
grass, where he was engaged in busily eating; so the Wizard got out of
the buggy and joined Zeb and Dorothy, and the kitten followed demurely
at their heels.

Then the boy cracked
his whip and touched the animal's flanks with it, and after a low moan
of protest Jim stepped slowly along the road.

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.

Then the boy cracked
his whip and touched the animal's flanks with it, and after a low moan
of protest Jim stepped slowly along the road.

The stairs had become narrower and Zeb and the Wizard
often had to help Jim pull the buggy from one step to another, or keep
it from jamming against the rocky walls.

This flag was divided into four quarters,
one being colored sky-blue, another pink, a third lavender and a fourth
white.

"Uncle
Henry says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'"

"Uncle
Henry says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'"

But if any advised you wrongly,
the light will wither him."

"I belong
to Bailum & Barney's Great Consolidated Shows--three rings in one tent
and a menagerie on the side.

Slowly
they moved down one street and up another, turning first this way and
then that, until they came to an open square in the center of which was
a big glass palace having a central dome and four tall spires on each
corner.




3.

As
soon as he trotted out upon the surface of the river he found himself
safe from pursuit, and Zeb was already running across the water toward
Dorothy.

They tired Jim and
Eureka out, and although the field of battle was thickly covered with
mashed and disabled Mangaboos, our animal friends had to give up at
last and allow themselves to be driven to the mountain.




7.

With a wild neigh of terror the animal fell bodily into the pit,
drawing the buggy and its occupants after him.

Once a little fish swam too near the surface, and the kitten grabbed it
in her mouth and ate it up as quick as a wink; but Dorothy cautioned
her to be careful what she ate in this valley of enchantments, and no
more fishes were careless enough to swim within reach.

Once in a while they would come to a deep crack in the floor, which
made the way quite dangerous; but there was still enough oil in the
lanterns to give them light, and the cracks were not so wide but that
they were able to jump over them.

Around it were arranged, like the five points of a star, the other five
brilliant balls; one being rose colored, one violet, one yellow, one
blue and one orange.

Once a little fish swam too near the surface, and the kitten grabbed it
in her mouth and ate it up as quick as a wink; but Dorothy cautioned
her to be careful what she ate in this valley of enchantments, and no
more fishes were careless enough to swim within reach.

"We got to San Francisco a week
ago, and Uncle Henry went right on to Hugson's Ranch for a visit while
I stayed a few days in the city with some friends we had met."

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

But here comes Ozma; so I'd better hush up,
for the Princess doesn't like me to chatter since she changed her name
from Tip to Ozma."

The man had taken a step or two across the glass roof before he noticed
the presence of the strangers; but then he stopped abruptly.

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

"But Jim
knows his business all right--don't you, Jim?" patting the long nose of
the animal.

"Did you not wear green whiskers at one time?" he asked.

"You're dreadfully
skinny."

Presently he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes
briskly.

"Phoo!" snarled the kitten; "I wouldn't touch the nasty things!"

People began to come out of the glass doors to look at the new
arrivals, and pretty soon quite a crowd had assembled.

But
at length they came unexpectedly upon a huge rock that shut off the
passage and blocked them from proceeding a single step farther.

I wish
you would go and fetch my satchel, two lanterns, and a can of kerosene
oil that is under the seat.

"Do I? Can you remember any breakfast that I've had today?" growled
Jim, as if he resented Zeb's speech.

"I have nine lives," said the kitten, purring softly as it walked
around in a circle and then came back to the roof; "but I can't lose
even one of them by falling in this country, because I really couldn't
manage to fall if I wanted to."

"Yes; but it's lots of fun, if it IS strange," remarked the small voice
of the kitten, and Dorothy turned to find her pet walking in the air a
foot or so away from the edge of the roof.

"Oh, what cunning things!" cried Dorothy, catching up one and petting
it.

"Where's my milk?" asked the kitten, looking up into Dorothy's face.

Before long they neared the Black Pit, where a busy swarm of Mangaboos,
headed by their Princess, was engaged in piling up glass rocks before
the entrance.

With a wild neigh of terror the animal fell bodily into the pit,
drawing the buggy and its occupants after him.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and
did not look very inviting.

Half
of the bullet stuck in the wood and half stuck out, so it had been the
jar and the sudden noise that had knocked the creature down, more than
the fact that it was really hurt.

Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.

There were men
and women, but no children at all, and the folks were all beautifully
formed and attractively dressed and had wonderfully handsome faces.

The blues and greys were very beautiful, and Dorothy noticed that on
the cloud banks sat or reclined fleecy, shadowy forms of beautiful
beings who must have been the Cloud Fairies.

"A nice country this is," he grumbled, "where a respectable horse has
to eat pink grass!"

"He's pretty well.

As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any
person in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and
buggy standing near a group of trees a short distance away.

"I will lead you to it.

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

"Tastes differ," murmured the dragonette, slowly drooping its scaley
eyelids over its yellow eyes, until they looked like half-moons.

At once the Mangaboos began piling up the rocks of glass
again, and as the little man realized that they were all about to be
entombed in the mountain he said to the children:

"My dears, what shall we do?

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

"Of course," he answered.

The little party of strangers now followed the Prince across a few more
of the glass bridges and along several paths until they came to a
garden enclosed by a high hedge.

And Ozma has an enchanted picture hanging
in her room that shows her the exact scene where any of her friends may
be, at any time she chooses.

Just behind the royal standard-bearers came the Princess Ozma in her
royal chariot, which was of gold encrusted with emeralds and diamonds
set in exquisite designs.

Dorothy stretched out a hand to him and Zeb put one foot out and let it
rest in the air a little over the edge of the roof.

"Well, I make Assorted Flutters for flags and bunting, and a superior
grade of Rustles for ladies' silk gowns."

Pretty soon a man joined the group who wore a glistening star in the
dark hair just over his forehead.

"Tut-tut! be careful how you criticise your neighbors," spoke a rasping
voice near by.

Pretty soon a man joined the group who wore a glistening star in the
dark hair just over his forehead.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

The fruit was so daintily colored and so fragrant, and looked so
appetizing and delicious that Dorothy stopped and exclaimed:

"What is it, do you s'pose?"

"Once, when I was young," said Jim, "I was a race horse, and defeated
all who dared run against me.

"It's the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Haven't you heard of him?"

The Sorcerer, hearing the laugh, looked toward the little girl with
cold, cruel eyes, and his glance made her grow sober in an instant.

"In that case," said the little man, gravely, "I will cancel all of my
engagements before the crowned heads of Europe and America and devote
myself to the people of Oz, for I love you all so well that I can deny
you nothing."

"You are welcome to what we have."

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at
once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot
down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

Dorothy grabbed fast hold of the buggy top and the boy did the same.

"What are those holes up there?" enquired the boy, pointing to some
openings that appeared near the top of the dome.

The horse had stopped short, and stood firm as a rock.

The little Princess seemed fresh and rosy
and in good spirits.

On the table were
plates, knives and forks, and dishes of bread, meat and fruits.

How long this state of things continued Dorothy could not even guess,
she was so greatly bewildered.

The girl, greatly astonished, ran to lean over the edge of the roof,
and saw the man walking rapidly through the air toward the ground.

"We can't keep falling forever, you know."

"If we
keep cool and moist, and meet with no accidents, we often live for five
years.

"It's all wrong," said Zeb, gravely.

He turned and walked down the street, and after a moment's hesitation
Dorothy caught Eureka in her arms and climbed into the buggy.

Just then a loud cackling was heard outside; and, when a servant threw
open the door with a low bow, a yellow hen strutted in.

"Well, I make Assorted Flutters for flags and bunting, and a superior
grade of Rustles for ladies' silk gowns."

The Wizard reached out, caught the wee creature in his
hand, and holding its head between one thumb and finger and its tail
between the other thumb and finger he pulled it apart, each of the two
parts becoming a whole and separate piglet in an instant.

Also, turning her head, she found that she could see the boy beside
her, who had until now remained as still and silent as she herself.

Dorothy and Zeb now got out of the buggy and walked beside the Prince,
so that they might see and examine the flowers and plants better.

"Never mind," answered the Prince, hastily, "she will be all right for
a few days longer, and it is best for me to rule until I can dispose of
you strangers, who have come to our land uninvited and must be attended
to at once."

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

It should have arrived at
Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the
gray dawn was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled
up to the open shed that served for the station-house.

"That is right, Eureka," remarked the Wizard, earnestly.

Presently he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes
briskly.

Finally I invented a new Adjustable Post-hole,
which I thought would make my fortune.

The boy became silent, having no reply to so sensible a speech, and
soon both were fully occupied in staring at the strange scenes spread
out below them.

"If I were as big as you
are, Jim, I'd fight these miserable turnip-roots!"

Dorothy thought he just wiggled one of his
drooping ears, but that was all.

But the road was nothing more than a series of rifts or
cracks in the mountain, and it went zig-zag in every direction,
slanting first up and then down until they were puzzled as to whether
they were any nearer to the top of the earth than when they had
started, hours before.

Then she looked at Zeb, whose face was blue and
whose hair was pink, and gave a little laugh that sounded a bit nervous.

There were odd wooden
houses, with carved wooden flowers in the front yards.

The Sorcerer, hearing the laugh, looked toward the little girl with
cold, cruel eyes, and his glance made her grow sober in an instant.

Yes; there was land below them; and not so very far away,
either.

And we are of an excellent family and have a
pedigree that I challenge any humans to equal, as it extends back about
twenty thousand years, to the time of the famous Green Dragon of
Atlantis, who lived in a time when humans had not yet been created.

Dorothy saw, underneath the roof on which she stood, several rooms used
for rest chambers, and even thought she could make out a number of
queer forms huddled into the corners of these rooms.

He
was not going very fast, but on his flanks specks of foam began to
appear and at times he would tremble like a leaf.

"I'm 'most starved to death."

Everything the vines
touched they crushed, and our adventurers were indeed thankful to have
escaped being cast among them.

It was all they could do, for to go
away and leave that strange sight was impossible; nor could they hurry
its fall in any way.

After the people had been dismissed with this promise our friends
joined Princess Ozma at an elaborate luncheon in the palace, where even
the Tiger and the Lion were sumptuously fed and Jim the Cab-horse ate
his oatmeal out of a golden bowl with seven rows of rubies, sapphires
and diamonds set around the rim of it.

Dorothy grabbed fast hold of the buggy top and the boy did the same.

Dorothy stretched out a hand to him and Zeb put one foot out and let it
rest in the air a little over the edge of the roof.

"But if you remain visible the bears will see you and devour you," said
a girlish young voice, that belonged to one of the children.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

The boy laughed cheerfully and jumped out.

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the
girl saw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

Jim had refused to leave the field of
grass, where he was engaged in busily eating; so the Wizard got out of
the buggy and joined Zeb and Dorothy, and the kitten followed demurely
at their heels.

In the first
place, I must tell you that I was born in Omaha, and my father, who was
a politician, named me Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle
Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, Diggs being the last name because he could
think of no more to go before it.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

There were odd wooden
houses, with carved wooden flowers in the front yards.

The maiden's gown was soft as satin and fell about her in ample folds,
while dainty lace-like traceries trimmed the bodice and sleeves.

Dorothy screamed and expected to see a terrible sight; but as the two
halves of the Sorcerer fell apart on the floor she saw that he had no
bones or blood inside of him at all, and that the place where he was
cut looked much like a sliced turnip or potato.

She could
count his ribs easily where they showed through the skin of his body,
and his head was long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it
did not fit.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

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.

The roof beside them had a great hole smashed through it, and pieces of
glass were lying scattered in every direction.

Crash after crash echoed far
above their heads, as the earth came together where it had split, and
stones and chunks of clay rattled around them on every side.

There was not an ugly person in all the throng, yet Dorothy was not
especially pleased by the appearance of these people because their
features had no more expression than the faces of dolls.

"The Wizard of Oz has always been a humbug," agreed Dorothy.

These were so long that
they reached to his feet, and both the hair and the beard were
carefully plaited into many braids, and the end of each braid fastened
with a bow of colored ribbon.

Crash after crash echoed far
above their heads, as the earth came together where it had split, and
stones and chunks of clay rattled around them on every side.

It was a pretty place, with vines growing thickly
over the broad front porch.

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Zeb.

"That is a matter I have not quite decided upon," was the reply.

But Dorothy, seeing
his perplexity, answered:

"It's a shaking of the earth.

A balloon meant to her some other arrival from the
surface of the earth, and she hoped it would be some one able to assist
her and Zeb out of their difficulties.

"Suppose the stairs get steeper?" suggested Zeb, doubtfully.

"To be accused of being a real wizard, when I'm not, is a
slander I will not tamely submit to.

"It's good, anyway," said Zeb, "or those little rascals wouldn't have
gobbled it up so greedily."

So the boy went willingly upon the errand, and by the time he had
returned Dorothy was awake.

"We had a lot of earthquakes," said Dorothy.

"I have no money with me," said the Wizard, evasively.

Swiftly they drew near to the flaming colored suns, and passed close
beside them.

Sometimes the tunnel was so narrow that the wheels of the buggy grazed
the sides; then it would broaden out as wide as a street; but the floor
was usually smooth, and for a long time they travelled on without any
accident.

It was a big horse,
tall and bony, with long legs and large knees and feet.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

The Wizard reached out, caught the wee creature in his
hand, and holding its head between one thumb and finger and its tail
between the other thumb and finger he pulled it apart, each of the two
parts becoming a whole and separate piglet in an instant.

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

In the closets he discovered many fancy
costumes of rich velvets and brocades, and one of the attendants told
him to dress himself in any of the clothes that pleased him and to be
prepared to dine with the Princess and Dorothy in an hour's time.

Here and there
were groups of houses that seemed made of clear glass, because they
sparkled so brightly.

After that other people brought water from a brook and
sprinkled the earth.

Gradually the balloon grew bigger, which was proof that it was settling
down upon the Land of the Mangaboos.

Slowly they walked along the path toward the
nearest cottage, the piglets racing and gambolling beside them and Jim
pausing at every step for another mouthful of grass.

"Dear me!" cried the Wizard; "they must have run away.

"Never mind," answered the Prince, hastily, "she will be all right for
a few days longer, and it is best for me to rule until I can dispose of
you strangers, who have come to our land uninvited and must be attended
to at once."

That was why the people were so
glad to see you, and why they thought from your initials that you were
their rightful ruler."

"We who
live here much prefer to be invisible; for we can still hug and kiss
one another, and are quite safe from the bears."

This splendid group of colored suns sent rays
darting in every direction, and as the horse and buggy--with Dorothy
and Zeb--sank steadily downward and came nearer to the lights, the rays
began to take on all the delicate tintings of a rainbow, growing more
and more distinct every moment until all the space was brilliantly
illuminated.

Instantly a cloud of smoke appeared and rolled over the floor; then it
slowly spread and ascended into the dome, disclosing a strange
personage seated upon a glass throne just before Jim's nose.

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

"But don't let us
worry over such things, Zeb; we can't help ourselves just now, you
know, and I've always been told it's foolish to borrow trouble."

"No; she's a yellow hen, and a great friend of mine.

She could
count his ribs easily where they showed through the skin of his body,
and his head was long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it
did not fit.

"In the
forest he would be thought ungainly, because his face is stretched out
and his neck is uselessly long.

"My school-teacher said so; and she knows a lot, Jim."

"To 'climb down' is sometimes used as a figure of speech," remarked the
Wizard.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and
did not look very inviting.

When he lighted the oil a
hundred tongues of flame shot up, and the effect was really imposing.

The beautiful creature passed her hands over her eyes an instant,
tucked in a stray lock of hair that had become disarranged, and after a
look around the garden made those present a gracious bow and said, in a
sweet but even toned voice:

"I thank you very much."

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.

How long this state of things continued Dorothy could not even guess,
she was so greatly bewildered.

"You don't weigh as much as you ought to, Jim," remarked the girl,
shaking her head as she looked at the animal.

But the blood, I
suppose is tucked away inside."

Tik-tok moved by clockwork, and was made all of burnished copper.

Some of the wooden beings fell flat upon the ground, where they
quivered and trembled in every limb; but most of them managed to wheel
and escape again to a distance.

Noticing that the light was growing dim he picked up his nine piglets,
patted each one lovingly on its fat little head, and placed them
carefully in his inside pocket.

Some of the Mangaboos fell down and had to be
dragged from the fire, and all were so withered that it would be
necessary to plant them at once.

We've been away for a long time, you know, and so we're anxious to get
home again."

The horrible sensation of falling, the darkness and the terrifying
noises, proved more than Dorothy could endure and for a few moments the
little girl lost consciousness.

His clothing fitted his form snugly and was
gorgeously colored in brilliant shades of green, which varied as the
sunbeams touched them but was not wholly influenced by the solar rays.

The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track.

However, the Wizard went once more to his
satchel--which seemed to contain a surprising variety of odds and
ends--and brought out a spool of strong wire, by means of which they
managed to fasten four of the wings to Jim's harness, two near his head
and two near his tail.

"Do you take me for a
salamander?"

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

Calling the piglets to him he picked them all up, one by one, and put
them away in his pocket; for although he could not see them he could
feel them, and when he had buttoned his coat he knew they were safe for
the present.

There was not an ugly person in all the throng, yet Dorothy was not
especially pleased by the appearance of these people because their
features had no more expression than the faces of dolls.

With this he caught up two of the piglets and pushed them together, so
that the two were one.

Then the Wizard bent a pin for a hook and took a long piece of string
from his pocket for a fish-line.

"Guess I'm half asleep yet," he said, untying the horse.

So, with a snort and a neigh and a whisk of
his short tail he trotted off the roof into the air and at once began
floating downward to the street.

Inside the hedge they came upon row after row of large and handsome
plants with broad leaves gracefully curving until their points nearly
reached the ground.

"Here,--piggy, piggy, piggy!" called their master, anxiously.

"Those were the first words I ever said," called out the horse, who had
overheard them, "and I can't explain why I happened to speak then.

Our greatest Champion, Overman-Anu, once
climbed the spiral stairway and fought nine days with the Gargoyles
before he could escape them and come back; but he could never be
induced to describe the dreadful creatures, and soon afterward a bear
caught him and ate him up."

"Why have you dared to intrude your unwelcome persons into the secluded
Land of the Mangaboos?" he asked, sternly.

They saw a landscape with mountains and plains, lakes and rivers, very
like those upon the earth's surface; but all the scene was splendidly
colored by the variegated lights from the six suns.

Behind him stalked with regular, jerky steps, the famous machine-man
called Tik-tok, who had been wound up by Dorothy for the occasion.

"Our people do not acquire their real life until they leave their
bushes," said the Prince.

I work as well as I sleep," he added, with a laugh.

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."

Half way up the steep was a yawning cave, black as night beyond the
point where the rainbow rays of the colored suns reached into it.

He and Uncle Hugson have been having a fine visit."

Just behind the royal standard-bearers came the Princess Ozma in her
royal chariot, which was of gold encrusted with emeralds and diamonds
set in exquisite designs.

"I only bossed the job, as we say
in Omaha."

She walked
toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless,
with its head hanging down almost to the ground.

Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.

The group of these queer creatures which was discovered clustered near
the stairs at first remained staring and motionless, glaring with evil
eyes at the intruders who had so suddenly appeared in their land.

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm.

"Are they real?" asked Zeb, in an awed voice.

"But don't let us
worry over such things, Zeb; we can't help ourselves just now, you
know, and I've always been told it's foolish to borrow trouble."

The children were inclined to be frightened by the sight of the small
animal, which reminded them of the bears; but Dorothy reassured them by
explaining that Eureka was a pet and could do no harm even if she
wished to.

The Mangaboos saw her escape, and several of them caught up their
thorns and gave chase, mounting through the air after her.

"But only for a time," replied the Wizard, shaking his head gloomily.

"I
think I shall keep this Wizard until a new Sorcerer is ready to pick,
for he seems quite skillful and may be of use to us.

"Nothing is more dangerous than being without food," declared the
horse, with a sniff at the rebuke of his young master; "and just at
present no one can tell whether there are any oats in this queer
country or not.

One of the chairs pushed back from the
table, and this was so astonishing and mysterious that Dorothy was
almost tempted to run away in fright.

"Uncle
Henry says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'"

The Vegetable Kingdom


After the Wizard had wiped the dampness from his sword and taken it
apart and put the pieces into their leathern case again, the man with
the star ordered some of his people to carry the two halves of the
Sorcerer to the public gardens.

He placed the hat upon the glass floor, made a pass with his hand, and
then removed the hat, displaying a little white piglet no bigger than a
mouse, which began to run around here and there and to grunt and squeal
in a tiny, shrill voice.

Also, turning her head, she found that she could see the boy beside
her, who had until now remained as still and silent as she herself.

"Why have you dared to intrude your unwelcome persons into the secluded
Land of the Mangaboos?" he asked, sternly.

She could
count his ribs easily where they showed through the skin of his body,
and his head was long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it
did not fit.

On some of the bushes might be seen a bud, a blossom, a baby, a
half-grown person and a ripe one; but even those ready to pluck were
motionless and silent, as if devoid of life.

"We're coming to something now," announced the horse.

Everything visible was made of
wood, and the scene seemed stiff and extremely unnatural.

Around it were arranged, like the five points of a star, the other five
brilliant balls; one being rose colored, one violet, one yellow, one
blue and one orange.

This is a nice scrape you've got me into, isn't it?"

Blackness engulfed them on every side, and in breathless silence they
waited for the fall to end and crush them against jagged rocks or for
the earth to close in on them again and bury them forever in its
dreadful depths.

The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers.

"Ahem!" said the Wizard, "will somebody please loan me a handkerchief?"