L. Frank Baum - Oz 37 Read online

  The Wizard found it necessary to bend over to get in the doorway, so small was the cottage. Once inside, his head nearly touched the ceiling. The cottage was neatly and attractively furnished with comfortable pine chairs,

  tables and a large davenport drawn before a fireplace on which a log fire crackled cheerfully. The air was sharp on the mountaintop, so the bright fire was a welcome sight to the two wanderers. All the furniture glowed with the cheerful, gaudy hues of glassy enamel. Dorothy thought that the wholesome aroma of pine scent that filled the cottage was especially delightful.

  “Great pine cones!” exclaimed Mrs. Hi-Lo. “You must be half starved. I’ll get you something to eat in no time at all. Tell me, would you like a delicious cross-cut of pine steak with pine-dust pudding, fresh, crisp pine-needle salad with turpentine dressing and a strawberry pine cone for dessert?”

  Dorothy almost laughed aloud at this strange food, but the little Wizard answered courteously, “You are most kind, Madame, but I fear our systems would not be able to digest the delicacies you suggest. Perhaps you have something that meat folks like us could eat.”

  “Of course!” cried Mrs. Hi-Lo. “How stupid of me! You are meat folks. Too bad,” she added critically, “it must be a terrible bother to take off and put on all those clothes and to keep your hair trimmed and your nails pared.”

  “Now, Mother, let’s not draw unkind comparisons,” cautioned Hi-Lo diplomatically as he settled himself into a comfortable chair. “None of us is perfect, you know. Remember that spring when you sprouted a green twig on your right shoulder?”

  “You are right,” said Mrs. Hi-Lo with a laugh. “We all have our weak

  points.” And with that the little lady bustled off into the kitchen.

  Dorothy and the Wizard sat down gingerly on two of the largest chairs the

  room contained. But small as the chairs were, they proved quite sturdy and readily supported their weight. “Is there any way,” asked the Wizard, “that we can leave this mountaintop?”

  Hi-Lo sat bolt upright in his chair and stared at the Wizard in amazement. “Leave the mountaintop?” he repeated as if he couldn’t believe his own ears. “Do I understand you to say that you want to leave this delightful place, this most favored spot in the universe?”

  “We do,” said the Wizard emphatically. “Our home is in the Land of Oz, and

  we desire to return there as quickly as possible.”

  “But why?” asked Hi-Lo. “No place could be as delightful as this

  mountaintop. Just wait until you have become acquainted with it C4 our

  healthful, refreshing climate, our beautiful pine forest, our handsome

  village of Pineville and its delightful people.”

  “Have you ever been anywhere else?” asked the Wizard quietly.

  “No, never, butFF20C4”

  “Then permit me to say,” replied the Wizard, “that you are not qualified to judge. Little Dorothy and I have traveled in many strange lands all over the world, and we prefer the Land of Oz for our home.”

  “Well, everyone to his own taste, of course,” muttered Hi-Lo, unconvinced and a trifle crestfallen.

  Just then Mrs. Hi-Lo re-entered the room bearing a tray laden with steaming hot foods. At her invitation Dorothy and the Wizard pulled their chairs up to a table, and Mrs. Hi-Lo served the food on gleaming white enameled pine platters and dishes. There was savory vegetable soup, scrambled eggs, cheese, lettuce and tomato salad, chocolate layer cake and lemonade. The

  food was delicious, and as Dorothy and the Wizard had not eaten since breakfast and it was now nearly evening, they did full justice to the meal. Mr. and Mrs. Hi-Lo looked on with polite curiosity, marveling that the strangers could enjoy such odd food.

  When they had finished, the Wizard sighed with satisfaction and sat back in his chair. “Where did you get this excellent food, if there are no human beings on the mountaintop?” he asked.

  “Oh, but there is one meat person like yourselves on Mount Illuso,” said Mrs. Hi-Lo. “She is our ruler, and many years ago she gave me the magic recipe for the preparation of human food. As you are the first human visitors we have ever had, this is the first time I have had occasion to use the recipe.”

  “Who is this ruler of yours?” inquired Dorothy.

  “She is a beautiful Fairy Princess named Ozana,” Hi-Lo replied.

  “Ozana!” exclaimed Dorothy. “Wizard, did you hear that? Ozana C4 doesn’t

  that sound an awful lot like an Oz name?”

  “It certainly does,” agreed the little man. “May we see this Princess Ozana of yours?” he asked Hi-Lo.

  “I was about to mention,” replied Hi-Lo, “that it was Ozana’s orders when

  she appointed me Keeper of the Elevator that I was to instruct any

  passengers I might have to seek her out at her home in Pineville.”

  “Oh, let’s go see her right away!” exclaimed Dorothy.

  “Not tonight,” objected Hi-Lo. “You would never find your way through the

  Pine Forest in the dark. You may stay with us tonight and be on your way to

  see Princess Ozana early in the morning.”

  Dorothy and the Wizard could offer no objection to this sensible and kindly

  offer of hospitality. Since it was now quite dark outside and the little cottage was cheerful and cozy with the log fire casting dancing reflections in the brightly enameled furniture, they were quite content to spend the night there. After several more questions about the ruler who called herself Ozana, Dorothy and the Wizard decided that Hi-Lo and his wife knew nothing more beyond the facts that Princess Ozana had created the pine folks and built the village for them to live in.

  “Have you and Hi-Lo always lived here alone?” Dorothy asked Mrs. Hi-Lo. The little woman’s expression was sad as she answered, “No. Once we had a son. He was not a very good boy and was continually getting into mischief. He was the only one of our wooden folks who ever was discontented with life here on Mount Illuso. He wanted to travel and see the world. We could do nothing at all with him.” Mrs. Hi-Lo sighed and continued, “One day a friendly stork paused in a long flight to rest on Mount Illuso, and the naughty boy persuaded the stork to carry him into the great outside world. From that time on we have never heard anything more of him. I often wonder what happened to our poor son,” the little woman concluded in a sorrowful tone.

  “How big was your boy?” asked the Wizard. “Was he just a little shaver?” “Oh, no,” replied Mrs. Hi-Lo. “He was almost fully grown C4 a young stripling, I should call him.”

  “And was his name Charlie?” inquired the Wizard thoughtfully.

  “Yes! Yes, it was! Oh, tell me, Sir,” implored Mrs. Hi-Lo, “do you perchance

  know my son?”

  “Not personally,” replied the Wizard. “But I can assure you, Madame, that

  you have nothing to worry about where your son Charlie is concerned. That friendly stork knew his business and left Charlie on the right doorstep.” The Wizard had a small radio in his apartment in the Royal Palace in the Emerald City which he sometimes turned on and listened to with much curiosity. But he never listened for long, as he was subject to headaches when listening to anything but good music.

  “Oh, thank you!” exclaimed Mrs. Hi-Lo. “It is such a relief to know that our Charlie turned out all right after all. There were times,” the woman confessed, “when I had a horrible suspicion that he was made from a bad grade of pine C4 knotty pine, you know.”

  “There are those who share that opinion,” murmured the Wizard. But Mrs. Hi-Lo was so overjoyed to hear of her son that she paid no attention to the Wizard’s words.

  Hi-Lo, who seemed totally uninterested in this conversation concerning his wayward son, merely muttered, “A bad one, that youngster,” and then yawned somewhat pointedly and remarked that since their beds were far too small for their guests to occupy, he and his wife would retire to their bedrooms and Dorothy and the Wizard could pass the night in
the living room. Mrs. Hi-Lo supplied them with warm blankets and soft pillows, and then she and Hi-Lo bid them a happy goodnight. Dorothy made a snug bed on the davenport, while the Wizard curled up cozily before the fire. Just before she dropped off to sleep, she asked, “Do you suppose this Princess Ozana has any connection with Oz, Wizard?” “It is possible, and then again, the name may be merely a coincidence, my dear,” the little man answered sleepily, “so don’t build you hopes too high.”

  A moment later Dorothy’s eyes closed, and she was sound asleep dreaming that Toto, in a bright-blue uniform with big gold buttons and a little red cap was operating the elevator and saying, “Right this way, Dorothy! Step lively, please. Going up C4 next stop, Princess Ozana!”

  CHAPTER 10

  THE VILLAGE OF PINEVILLE

  Dorothy and the Wizard awakened bright and early the next morning, eager to pursue their adventures. Mrs. Hi-Lo prepared a hearty breakfast for them from her magic recipe, and as they made ready to leave the pretty little cottage, Hi-Lo advised them, “Just follow the trail that leads through the Pine Forest and you will come to the Village of Pineville where Princess Ozana lives. You can’t miss it, and if you walk steadily you should be there by noon.”

  Stepping from the cottage, Dorothy and the Wizard found the morning sun bright and warm and the air filled with the pungent aroma of pine from the forest. “Goodbye!” called Mrs. Hi-Lo from the door of the cottage. “Goodbye!” called Mr. Hi-Lo. “Don’t forget to remember us to the Princess!” “We won’t,” promised Dorothy. “We’ll tell her how kind you’ve been to us.” In a short time the cottage was lost to their view, and the two travelers were deep in the cool shade of the Pine Forest. The trail over which they walked was carpeted with pine needles, making a soft and pleasant path for their feet.

  Once when they paused to rest for a few moments, a red squirrel frisked down a nearby tree and, sitting on a stump before Dorothy, asked saucily, “Where

  to, strangers?”

  “We’re on our way to see Princess Ozana,” said Dorothy. “Oh, are you indeed!” exclaimed the squirrel with a flirt of his whiskers. “Well, you are just halfway there. If you walk briskly, you’ll find yourselves out of the forest in another two hours.” “How do you know we are just halfway there?” asked Dorothy. “Because I’ve measured the distance many times,” replied the squirrel. “I should think you would prefer to live nearer the village of Pineville,” remarked Dorothy. “It must be very lonesome here in this deep pine forest.” “Oho! That shows how unobserving you mortals are!” exclaimed the red squirrel. “My family and I wouldn’t think of living anywhere but here, no matter how lonely it is. Know why?” “No, I must say I don’t,” confessed the girl.” “Look at my tree, look at my tree!” chattered the squirrel, flirting his big, bushy tail in the direction of the tree from which he had appeared. “Of course!” chuckled the Wizard. “It’s a hickory tree!” “But I don’t seeFF20C4” began Dorothy in perplexity. “What do squirrels like best of all, my dear?” asked the Wizard, smiling with amusement.

  “Oh, Wizard, why didn’t I think of that? They like nuts, of course!” “Exactly!” snapped the little red squirrel. “And since pine trees do not bear nuts and hickory trees do C4 well, city life and fine company may be all right for some folks, but I prefer to remain here in comfort where I know my family will be well provided for.” And with that the wise little creature gave a leap and a bound and darted up the trunk of the one and only nut tree in all the Pine Forest.

  Dorothy and the Wizard followed the pine-needle trail on through the Pine Forest until finally the trees thinned and they stepped out into an open meadow bright with yellow buttercups. The sun was almost directly overhead by this time.

  Below the two travelers, in a pretty green valley that formed the center of the mountaintop, lay a small village of several hundred cottages, all similar to Hi-Lo’s. The buildings were painted with glossy blue enamel and shone brilliantly in the sun. They were grouped in a circle about one large central cottage that differed from the others in that it was considerably larger and, from where Dorothy and the Wizard stood, appeared to be surrounded by rather extensive gardens and grounds. Dorothy and the Wizard followed the trail over the meadow to a point where it broadened into a street that led among the houses. The two travelers set out on this street, which was wide and pleasant and paved with blocks of white pine. As Dorothy and the Wizard walked through the village, they saw that the cottages were occupied by wooden folks much like Hi-Lo and his wife. A wooden woman was washing the windows of her cottage. A wooden man with wooden shears was trimming the hedge around his house. Another was repairing the white picket fence around his cottage. Tiny wooden children, almost doll-like they were so small, played in the yards. From one cottage a spotted wooden dog ran into the road and barked at the strangers. “I suppose he’s made of dogwood,” observed Dorothy with a smile. Dorothy and the Wizard aroused much curiosity among the little wooden folk, most of whom paused in their work to stare at the strangers as they passed. But none of them seemed to fear the meat people. A wooden lady approached

  them, walking down the street with quick, lively steps. On her arm was a

  market basket full of green pine cones. Pausing, the Wizard removed his hat

  and in his most polite manner addressed her. “Pardon me, Madame. Can you

  tell me if this street leads to the palace of Princess Ozana?”

  “Palace? What’s that?” asked the woman with a puzzled expression on her

  face. “I don’t know what a palace is, Sir, but if you follow this street

  you will come to the cottage where our Princess Ozana dwells.”

  “Thank you, Madame,” said the Wizard, and the little woman trotted busily

  down the street. In a few minutes more, Dorothy and the Wizard had reached

  the central part of Pineville. Here a trim, white picket fence encircled a

  large area that seemed to be one huge flower garden with every sort of

  flower imaginable growing in it. In the exact center of this enclosure

  stood an attractive blue cottage, large enough to accommodate comfortably

  full-sized human beings. Just in front of the cottage was a pond of placid

  blue water. In the pond grew water lilies and all sorts of flowering plants

  that one finds in lakes and ponds.

  The path that led from the entrance of the cottage divided at the pond’s edge and encircled the water, meeting on the opposite side of the pond and running again as a single path to a gate in the fence before which Dorothy and the Wizard stood. Forming a bower over the gate was a white wooden trellis covered with roses. From the center of the pretty trellis hung a blue sign with these words in white enameled letters:

  WELCOME

  COTTAGE OF PRINCESS OZANA

  WALK IN

  “Well, I guess that means us,” said the Wizard with a smile as he read the

  sign and pushed open the gate.

  CHAPTER 11 PRINCESS OZANA

  Dorothy exclaimed with delight as they stepped through the garden gate. She had no idea any garden could be so beautiful. Flowers of every known variety grew in profusion. Save for the mossy paths that wound through the garden, there was not a spot of ground that was without blossoming plants. As for the pond, it was like a small sea of lovely blossoming water plants. At the far edge of the pond Dorothy noted three graceful white swans sleeping in the shade of a large flowering bush that grew at the edge of the pond and trailed its blossoms into the water. The air was sweet with the perfume of thousands and thousands of flowers. “Oh, Wizard,” gasped Dorothy, “did you ever see anything so lovely?” “It is indeed a beautiful sight,” replied the little man admiringly. Here and there throughout the garden, a score or more of little wooden men were busily at work. Some were watering plants from blue wooden pails, others were trimming blossoming bushes and hedges, some were digging out weeds, and others were building trellises for climbing vines. None
of them took the slightest notice of Dorothy and the Wizard, so absorbed were they in their work.

  Not far from where Dorothy and the Wizard stood was a little maid on her knees digging with a trowel in the soft earth about a beautiful rambling rose bush that climbed above her in a blue trellis. “Let’s ask her where we can find Princess Ozana,” suggested Dorothy.

  A few steps brought them to the side of the maiden, who wore a pretty blue apron with a pink petal design. On her hands were gardening gloves, and her golden hair fell loosely down her back. “I wonder,” began the Wizard, “if you can tell us if the Princess Ozana is in.”

  The little maid looked up, regarding the strangers with friendly curiosity. Dorothy saw that she was very lovely. Her eyes were as soft as shy woodland violets, and of the same purple hue; her skin as delicately colored as fragile petals, and her lips were like rosebuds. “No,” the maid replied with a suspicion of a smile in her voice, “Princess Ozana is not in her cottage at the moment.”

  “Perhaps you know where we can find her,” suggested the Wizard. At this the little maid gave a silvery laugh and exclaimed, “You $$have&& found her C4 I am Princess Ozana!”

  “Of course, Wizard,” said Dorothy, “Princess Ozana is the only flesh and

  blood person on Mount Illuso ‘cept for us, so this just must be she.

  Besides,” she added, “no one else could be so beautiful.”