L. Frank Baum - Oz 34 Read online

  Number Nine turned away in disappointment. But the Sawhorse went on, “She did not pass by, but passed in. After she got in, it flew away, and they vanished.”

  “Who? What? When? Where?” Number Nine asked in bewilderment.

  “Why, the ozoplane, of course,” said the Sawhorse impatiently. “With Jenny, Scraps, and Jack Pumpkinhead and the Glee Club. And here I’ve been standing without any company for many hours.”

  “Oh, if they have gone up in the plane, maybe

  they crashed somewhere,” wailed Number Nine. “Jenny Jump might be hurt. I must find her now, more than ever. I won’t stop searching until I’ve looked over the four lands of Oz.”

  “Get on my back, and I’ll take you,” said the Sawhorse. “I can go fast, and I never grow tired.”

  Number Nine mounted. “First, to the red Quadling country,” said the boy. “Red stands for danger, and I fear Jenny is in danger.” The Sawhorse galloped toward the south.

  The sun sank, and darkness came over all the lands of Oz. The wooden Sawhorse ran through the valleys and rumbled slowly up the red mountains of the Quadling country. Number Nine looked up every highroad and byroad. Nowhere did he see any sign of Jenny. All night he rode, until the morning star showed its bright face in the east. A little light spread over the red country. The Quadling farmers came out of their red houses and drove their red cattle toward the red rivers for their morning drink.

  Number Nine now steered the Sawhorse across country, thinking, “I have not seen the ozoplane on any of the roads. Maybe it has fallen into one of the forests or Quadling quagmires.”

  Suddenly he heard a yoice beside him, “Hello, my boy. How are your parents and your thirteen sisters

  and brothers?”

  “Fine, thanks,” replied Number Nine, turning around. He could see nobody.

  “Hullo! Are you the Voice That Lost His Man? Haven’t you found him yet?” asked Number Nine.

  “The same,” said the Voice. “I have searched through every corner of the land, and the deadly deserts beyond. No trace of my Man have I found. But I like this wandering life, and I am no longer sad.” The Voice sounded very cheerful.

  “Have you seen anything of an ozoplane?” asked Number Nine.

  “No, that I haven’t. But if you’re looking for it, I’ll be glad to come along and have you keep me company.”

  While Number Nine rode on, the Voice kept beside him, talking.

  “This is great fun,” the Voice said. But Number Nine could not agree. He was too worried about Jenny. When they had gone on for another hour, they came to a red stream, beside which grew a red oak. Number Nine halted the Sawhorse in the red shade of this tree. At this instant the whistlebreeches began to play. It was the hour when the office boy was due at the Style Shop. Number Nine

  clapped his hands angrily to his breeches.

  “I should think they’d keep quiet while I am trying to find my Boss,” he said. “I’ve only stopped for a drink of water.”

  Number Nine dismounted, knelt by the water, and took a long drink. The water was the color of cherry soda. When Number Nine raised his head, his eye caught a shadow in the river.

  “What can that be?” he thought. “That’s the reflection of something in the sky.”

  Jerking his head up, the boy saw a large, winged object, partly covered with pumpkins, plunging toward the earth. Its tail was whirling like a top. Number Nine jumped up, shouting, “There’s the ozoplane! It’s in a tail-spin! It’s going to smash!”

  CHAPTER 22

  The Attack on the Emerald City

  GOODBYE! Goodbye! This is the end of Jenny Jump!” Jenny cried wildly to the shoes. She clutched the controls, but she could not stop the ozoplane. The earth seemed to be flying up to meet her.

  ZONG! Red thunder filled Jenny’s head. She lay stunned. “Oh, oh,” she groaned, “my head-. But

  I’m still alive!” She got up slowly and felt herself. “And unhurt.”

  “Leaping Leprechauns, I must have nine lives!” she exclaimed and she climbed out of the ozoplane. “Where am I? Everything is red. This must be the Quadling country. I must warn Ozma by nightfall. How shall I ever get to her in time?”

  From the other side of the plane came the sound of galloping hooves. Then, from under the broken wing, came the Sawhorse with Number Nine on its back.

  “Whistlebreeches!” Jenny sprang toward him. She had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. “Oh, dear Whistlebreeches !”

  Number Nine’s face was shining a neon blue, he was so pleased. His dear Boss was back, and unhurt!

  Jenny said, “Tonight the giant chocolate soldiers will attack the Emerald City. The ozoplane is broken. How can I get to Ozma to warn her in time?”

  The Sawhorse began prancing up and down. “Why are we standing here talking?” it asked impatiently. “Get on my back, both of you!”

  Jenny mounted behind Number Nine.

  “I’ll come later,” said the Voice That Lost His Man, “seeing that I’m not in a great hurry.”

  Jenny cried, “Why, hello, I didn’t know you were here, Voice That Lost His Man.”

  “Hello and goodbye, Jenny,” said the Voice.

  Jenny turned and waved at the ozoplane, where all the shoes were standing in the windows.

  “I’ll send someone to rescue you. Just wait patiently for a few days,” she called to them. “Or perhaps you can have someone hitch you together and hitch-hike home.”

  Next moment the Sawhorse was galloping across the red country with Number Nine and Jenny on its back. It dashed through forests, and leaped over brooks. Running up a mountainside, it went somewhat slower.

  “Hurry, hurry!” Jenny cried.

  “We have a long way to go,” Number Nine added. At the top of the mountain, Jenny saw a strange silver mass sailing up from the horizon into the sky.

  “Look, whistlebreeches,” she pointed, “what’s

  that?”

  “I don’t know,” said the boy. “It looks like a silver cloud with a dark lining.”

  “Oh, that is the chocolate army coming to attack the Emerald City. Faster, faster, Sawhorse !” cried Jenny.

  The wooden animal plunged down the mountainside, racing so fast that the wind sounded like a fifth whistle in Number Nine’s breeches. In the valley the Sawhorse leaped over the red boulders, its four stiff legs throwing up banners of red dust.

  Jenny watched the silver cloud with the dark lining. It was coming closer! It now seemed to be of such size that a fourth of the sky was covered. Now it was over the Land of Oz!

  “Will we reach the Emerald City before it does?” Jenny cried. “Faster, faster, good Sawhorse!”

  The animal’s hooves hardly touched the ground. It sped out of the Quadling wilderness and into the farmlands. The red farmers ran out to the road to see what was speeding like unbolted lightning.

  Closer and closer to the Emerald City sailed the cloud. “We are lost!” thought Jenny. “They will get there before us.”

  Number Nine dug his heels hard against the sides of the Sawhorse. The Sawhorse galloped faster, and got ahead of the cloud. On and on it galloped through the day. At times the cloud would sail ahead, and at times the Sawhorse gained on it.

  Toward evening, Jenny and Number Nine saw the green wall of the Emerald City in the distance. The silver cloud with the dark lining was directly above

  them.

  “We must reach the gate of the Emerald City before the chocolate soldiers steer that cloud down to earth,” cried Jenny.

  The Sawhorse doubled its speed in a final effort. It could go no faster. But the cloud sailed ahead, and began to drop to the field outside the city gate.

  “Too late!” groaned Jenny, as she saw the chocolate soldiers leap from the cloud and begin to form their ranks.

  Number Nine cried hopefully, “It will take them a few minutes to get in battle formation. We may still make it!”

  The Sawhorse dashed straight on, and then around the soldie
rs, who were blocking the way. Cries of “Halt!” came from a thousand chocolate throats, and a volley of chocolate bullets came after the speeding three. When they reached the city gate, it opened before them, for the Guardian had seen everything. The gate slammed shut behind them.

  “To the palace!” Jenny ordered the Sawhorse. It galloped through the streets and parks, while the people scattered out of its way. The trees drew up their lowest branches, and the houses lifted their stoops out of the way.

  “It must be Choose Day,” said Jenny, “for the city

  is full of visitors.”

  At the palace stairs the Sawhorse stopped so suddenly that Number Nine and Jenny were pitched over its head.

  Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were rocking peacefully in the palace pavilion.

  “What’s the rush?” asked Uncle Henry, as Jenny and Number Nine picked themselves up from the grass.

  “Land sakes, children, are you hurt?” asked Aunt

  Eni.

  “Where is Ozma?” cried Jenny as soon as she was on her feet. “The city is about to be attacked!”

  Aunt Em stopped her rocking. “Why, Ozma and Dorothy went off in the carriage to visit Glinda the GOOd. What’s that you said about a tack?”

  “No time now!” cried Jenny, leaping back upon the Sawhorse. “Come on, Whistlebreeches!” Scores of people scurried out of the path of the racing Sawhorse.

  In another minute they were at the Style Shop. Jenny and Number Nine ran inside. The shop was filled with Choose Day shoppers, but Jenny and Number Nine pulled the turn-style loose from the floor, and ran out without speaking to the amazed Sister

  Six, or the shoppers waiting to be served.

  Holding the turn-style, the two remounted the Sawhorse and sent it dashing to the city gate. When they came up, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, who was the Army of Oz, was hiding under the tower stairs. He peeped out fearfully. He was trembling so hard that his long green whiskers fluttered like a flag. The Guardian of the Gate was running down from the tower, carrying an extra key and lock with which to fortify the city.

  “That won’t do any good,” cried Jenny, dragging the turn-style up to the gate. “The chocolate army has a cloud and can sail right over the wall if it has to. Open the gate a little way, so that only one chocolate soldier can get through at a time.”

  “No, no, no!” screamed the Soldier with the Green Whiskers. “Opening the gate to an enemy is not in the Army Rule Book.”

  “I don’t care a chocolate drop about the Army Rule Book,” retorted Jenny. “The city must be saved!”

  On the other side of the wall the thunder of march-mg feet could be heard.

  “There is no time to waste! Open the gate!” cried Jenny to the Guardian.

  The old Guardian, with bones and keys rattling, hastened to obey. As he opened the gate a short way,

  Jenny set the turn-style in the opening and quickly pressed some buttons.

  From outside the gate came an order, out of a thousand throats.

  “Forward march! Through that gate!”

  The first chocolate giant appeared in the opening and pushed into the turn-style.

  Plink! A tiny tin soldier, no bigger than a thumb, marched out of the turn-style!

  Another soldier appeared in the opening. Plink! He had become a toy man, as small as a thumb. He marched after the first.

  Plink! Plink! Plink! The chocolate giants kept pushing themselves into the turn-style and coming out no bigger than thumbs, and turned to tin.

  Number Nine gave a shout. “Oh, Jenny, how clever you are!”

  Some children, who had run after the Sawhorse, seeing the little tin soldiers marching, pounced upon them, crying, “Toys! Tin soldiers to play with!” They carried them off to the park, where they set them up in formation and laughed to see the tiny things marching and shouldering arms.

  As the giants on the other side of the gate did not suspect what was happening to their comrades,

  they kept coming on, with fierce steps, prepared to capture the Emerald City for their moody-faced General. When they were changed to toy tin soldiers, they no longer remembered anything, and were as pleased as the children to play games in the park.

  When the last chocolate giant had been changed like the others, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers crept out from behind the steps.

  “We have saved the city!” he said, and saluted. “I shall go to the supply room and get myself a medal.” He marched away.

  The Guardian locked the gate. Jenny and Number Nine took the turn-style, mounted the Sawhorse, and rode triumphantly back to the Style Shop.

  CHAPTER 23

  The Slide to Freedom

  BUT WHAT of poor Scraps and Jack Pumpkinhead?” exclaimed Jenny as soon as they reached the Style Shop. “I had nearly forgotten that they are in prison, waiting to be rescued.”

  “Must we do that now? Choose Day is the most important shopping day in the week, and the shop is filled with out-of-town visitors. We have a busy

  day ahead of us,” said the boy. “Besides, we ought to celebrate our victory.”

  “No time to celebrate when two friends are in prison!” Jenny said sternly. “We will set up the turn-style, and then Sister Six and I will get down to serving customers. I don’t want to disappoint them. But you must go to the palace and find the Wizard of Oz. He will help you rescue Jack and Scraps. When the chocolate General learns that his army has been captured, he may revenge himself on our two friends.”

  The turn-style was soon set up. “Perhaps you had better not wear the whistlebreeches in the palace. They might disturb the Wizard. Step through the turn-style, and I’ll change your suit for today,” said Jenny.

  Number Nine stepped through the turn-style, while Jenny pushed some buttons. He came out wearing a neat cutaway jacket and well-fitting trousers of green velvet. He was delighted and hastened to mount the Sawhorse to start for the palace.

  “Hurry!” called Jenny. “Every minute means danger for Scraps and Jack Pumpkinhead.” The boy tried to urge the wooden animal to go fast, but the visitors had become so numerous that

  the streets were crowded, and the Sawhorse moved slowly through the throng.

  “Try to go faster!” said the boy. “Something may happen to our friends while we are dallying.” Just then a soft voice close to the boy said, “Hello, Master Number Nine!” The boy turned and saw a lovely young girl, dressed in all the colors of the rainbow, dancing beside him.

  “Why, Miss Polychrome !” he said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve played together in the rain. How is your parent, the Rainbow?”

  “As beautiful as ever,” said the girl, dancing along. “Must you hurry so, or can you stay and play

  now?”

  “I am on my way to find the Wizard and ask him to rescue two friends from the wrath of an angry General.”

  “Goodbye, then, till a rainy day.” The girl danced

  away.

  Number Nine looked after her, thinking, “Now, I hope no one else slows me up.” Just then his path was blocked by the round, copper figure of Tik Tok, the clock man, walking arm in arm with a fierce-looking Pirate. “I wish they’d get out of my way,” thought the boy. But he dared not say anything. The Pirate was talking in a loud, swaggering voice

  that frightened Number Nine.

  “You shine like the sun, my friend Tik Tok. But look at me. Never before has Captain Salt appeared in public with such muddy sea boots. Where can I get a shine?”

  “At-the-zoo-you-can-get-a mon-key-shine,” tocked the clock man, not in the least frightened by the loud voice. The two turned in the direction of the animal enclosure.

  “Come on, Sawhorse, run a bit!” urged the boy. But another obstacle arose. This was the public soda fountain, crowded with thirsty visitors. The Sawhorse went around it. Number Nine saw many of his brothers and sisters, who waved to him as he went by.

  “Poor Scraps and Jack Pumpkinhead. Will I reach the Wizard before something happens to them?”
the boy thought. At last he arrived at the palace. “I hope I am not too late!” he cried, as he sprang down and ran into the palace.

  He could see no one about. He glanced timidly around him, for he had never been in such splendor. Then he walked briskly, hoping to meet someone who would lead him to the Wizard. He crossed the green glass floor of the reception hall and mounted

  a flight of spiral stairs built of black mirrors. Turning at the top into a long corridor, he entered a passage that led into a Grand Reception Hall, with a high, vaulted roof of green crystal. The palace seemed deserted.

  He walked through many passages, and past hundreds of doors. The doors had name plates on them, but none of them said WIZARD. Number Nine was becoming discouraged. “So much time going to waste! I wish Jenny had come with me,” he thought He passed through room after room, both large and small. Then he mounted endless stairs and finally went up the highest flight in the palace. These were narrow stone steps that wound around and around, up to the very top of the highest spire. When he reached the top, he saw nothing but another closed door.

  “All that climbing for nothing!” he exclaimed in disappointment.

  Just then the door opened, and out stepped a little man with a shiny bald head and a ruddy complexion, carrying a broom and wearing a dressing gown. The man began to sweep the dust from the floor. “Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked. Number Nine said, “Can you tell me where the

  Wizard is?”

  “He is somewhere; with someone you may be sure,” said the man with a chuckle. “That is the sum

  of it.”

  “That isn’t some of it, but all of it,” snapped Number Nine. “I’ve come all the way up here looking for him. Please hurry and tell me where he is !”

  “Let’s start at the bottom of the matter,” said man with the broom. “Maybe I can help you.”