English
WhentheWizardawokethesixcoloredsunswereshiningdownupontheLandoftheMangaboosjustastheyhaddoneeversincehisarrival.
Thelittleman,havinghadagoodsleep,feltrestedandrefreshed,andlookingthroughtheglasspartitionoftheroomhesawZebsittinguponhisbenchandyawning.SotheWizardwentintohim.
“Zeb,”saidhe,“myballoonisofnofurtheruseinthisstrangecountry,soImayaswellleaveitonthesquarewhereitfell.
Butinthebasket-cararesomethingsIwouldliketokeepwithme.
Iwishyouwouldgoandfetchmysatchel,twolanterns,andacanofkeroseneoilthatisundertheseat.
ThereisnothingelsethatIcareabout.”
Sotheboywentwillinglyupontheerrand,andbythetimehehadreturnedDorothywasawake.
Thenthethreeheldacounseltodecidewhattheyshoulddonext,butcouldthinkofnowaytobettertheircondition.
“Idon’tliketheseveg’tablepeople,”saidthelittlegirl.“They’recoldandflabby,likecabbages,inspiteoftheirprettiness.”
“Iagreewithyou.Itisbecausethereisnowarmbloodinthem,”remarkedtheWizard.
“Andtheyhavenohearts;sotheycan’tloveanyone—noteventhemselves,”declaredtheboy.
“ThePrincessislovelytolookat,”continuedDorothy,thoughtfully;“butIdon’tcaremuchforher,afterall.Iftherewasanyotherplacetogo,I’dliketogothere.”
“ButISthereanyotherplace?”askedtheWizard.
“Idon’tknow,”sheanswered.
JustthentheyheardthebigvoiceofJimthecab-horsecallingtothem,andgoingtothedoorwayleadingtothedometheyfoundthePrincessandathrongofherpeoplehadenteredtheHouseoftheSorcerer.
Sotheywentdowntogreetthebeautifulvegetablelady,whosaidtothem:
“Ihavebeentalkingwithmyadvisorsaboutyoumeatpeople,andwehavedecidedthatyoudonotbelongintheLandoftheMangaboosandmustnotremainhere.”
“Howcanwegoaway?”askedDorothy.
“Oh,youcannotgoaway,ofcourse;soyoumustbedestroyed,”wastheanswer.
“Inwhatway?”enquiredtheWizard.
“WeshallthrowyouthreepeopleintotheGardenoftheTwiningVines,”saidthePrincess,“andtheywillsooncrushyouanddevouryourbodiestomakethemselvesgrowbigger.
TheanimalsyouhavewithyouwewilldrivetothemountainsandputintotheBlackPit.
Thenourcountrywillberidofallitsunwelcomevisitors.”
“ButyouareinneedofaSorcerer,”saidtheWizard,“andnotoneofthosegrowingisyetripeenoughtopick.
Iamgreaterthananythorn-coveredsorcererthatevergrewinyourgarden.Whydestroyme?”
“ItistrueweneedaSorcerer,”acknowledgedthePrincess,“butIaminformedthatoneofourownwillbereadytopickinafewdays,totaketheplaceofGwig,whomyoucutintwobeforeitwastimeforhimtobeplanted.
Letusseeyourarts,andthesorceriesyouareabletoperform.
ThenIwilldecidewhethertodestroyyouwiththeothersornot.”
AtthistheWizardmadeabowtothepeopleandrepeatedhistrickofproducingtheninetinypigletsandmakingthemdisappearagain.
Hediditverycleverly,indeed,andthePrincesslookedatthestrangepigletsasifshewereastrulyastonishedasanyvegetablepersoncouldbe.Butafterwardshesaid:
“Ihaveheardofthiswonderfulmagic.Butitaccomplishesnothingofvalue.Whatelsecanyoudo?”
TheWizardtriedtothink.Thenhejointedtogetherthebladesofhisswordandbalanceditveryskillfullyupontheendofhisnose.ButeventhatdidnotsatisfythePrincess.
JustthenhiseyefelluponthelanternsandthecanofkeroseneoilwhichZebhadbroughtfromthecarofhisballoon,andhegotacleverideafromthosecommonplacethings.
“YourHighness,”saidhe,“Iwillnowproceedtoprovemymagicbycreatingtwosunsthatyouhaveneverseenbefore;alsoIwillexhibitaDestroyermuchmoredreadfulthatyourClingingVines.”
SoheplacedDorothyupononesideofhimandtheboyupontheotherandsetalanternuponeachoftheirheads.
“Don’tlaugh,”hewhisperedtothem,“oryouwillspoiltheeffectofmymagic.”
Then,withmuchdignityandalookofvastimportanceuponhiswrinkledface,theWizardgotouthismatch-boxandlightedthetwolanterns.
Theglaretheymadewasverysmallwhencomparedwiththeradianceofthesixgreatcoloredsuns;butstilltheygleamedsteadilyandclearly.
TheMangaboosweremuchimpressedbecausetheyhadneverbeforeseenanylightthatdidnotcomedirectlyfromtheirsuns.
NexttheWizardpouredapoolofoilfromthecanupontheglassfloor,whereitcoveredquiteabroadsurface.
Whenhelightedtheoilahundredtonguesofflameshotup,andtheeffectwasreallyimposing.
“Now,Princess,”exclaimedtheWizard,“thoseofyouradvisorswhowishedtothrowusintotheGardenofClingingVinesmuststepwithinthiscircleoflight.
Iftheyadvisedyouwell,andwereintheright,theywillnotbeinjuredinanyway.
Butifanyadvisedyouwrongly,thelightwillwitherhim.”
TheadvisorsofthePrincessdidnotlikethistest;butshecommandedthemtostepintotheflameandonebyonetheydidso,andwerescorchedsobadlythattheairwassoonfilledwithanodorlikethatofbakedpotatoes.
SomeoftheMangaboosfelldownandhadtobedraggedfromthefire,andallweresowitheredthatitwouldbenecessarytoplantthematonce.
“Sir,”saidthePrincesstotheWizard,“youaregreaterthananySorcererwehaveeverknown.
Asitisevidentthatmypeoplehaveadvisedmewrongly,IwillnotcastyouthreepeopleintothedreadfulGardenoftheClingingVines;butyouranimalsmustbedrivenintotheBlackPitinthemountain,formysubjectscannotbeartohavethemaround.”
TheWizardwassopleasedtohavesavedthetwochildrenandhimselfthathesaidnothingagainstthisdecree;butwhenthePrincesshadgonebothJimandEurekaprotestedtheydidnotwanttogototheBlackPit,andDorothypromisedshewoulddoallthatshecouldtosavethemfromsuchafate.
Fortwoorthreedaysafterthis—ifwecalldaystheperiodsbetweensleep,therebeingnonighttodividethehoursintodays—ourfriendswerenotdisturbedinanyway.
TheywereevenpermittedtooccupytheHouseoftheSorcererinpeace,asifithadbeentheirown,andtowanderinthegardensinsearchoffood.
OncetheycameneartotheenclosedGardenoftheClingingVines,andwalkinghighintotheairlookeddownuponitwithmuchinterest.
Theysawamassoftoughgreenvinesallmattedtogetherandwrithingandtwistingaroundlikeanestofgreatsnakes.
Everythingthevinestouchedtheycrushed,andouradventurerswereindeedthankfultohaveescapedbeingcastamongthem.
WhenevertheWizardwenttosleephewouldtaketheninetinypigletsfromhispocketandletthemrunaroundonthefloorofhisroomtoamusethemselvesandgetsomeexercise;andonetimetheyfoundhisglassdoorajarandwanderedintothehallandthenintothebottompartofthegreatdome,walkingthroughtheairaseasilyasEurekacould.
Theyknewthekitten,bythistime,sotheyscamperedovertowhereshelaybesideJimandcommencedtofriskandplaywithher.
Thecab-horse,whoneversleptlongatatime,satuponhishaunchesandwatchedthetinypigletsandthekittenwithmuchapproval.
“Don’tberough!”hewouldcallout,ifEurekaknockedoveroneoftheround,fatpigletswithherpaw;butthepigsneverminded,andenjoyedthesportverygreatly.
Suddenlytheylookeduptofindtheroomfilledwiththesilent,solemn-eyedMangaboos.
Eachofthevegetablefolksboreabranchcoveredwithsharpthorns,whichwasthrustdefiantlytowardthehorse,thekittenandthepiglets.
“Here—stopthisfoolishness!”Jimroared,angrily;butafterbeingprickedonceortwicehegotuponhisfourlegsandkeptoutofthewayofthethorns.
TheMangaboossurroundedtheminsolidranks,butleftanopeningtothedoorwayofthehall;sotheanimalsslowlyretreateduntiltheyweredrivenfromtheroomandoutuponthestreet.
Hereweremoreofthevegetablepeoplewiththorns,andsilentlytheyurgedthenowfrightenedcreaturesdownthestreet.
Jimhadtobecarefulnottostepuponthetinypiglets,whoscamperedunderhisfeetgruntingandsquealing,whileEureka,snarlingandbitingatthethornspushedtowardher,alsotriedtoprotecttheprettylittlethingsfrominjury.
SlowlybutsteadilytheheartlessMangaboosdrovethemon,untiltheyhadpassedthroughthecityandthegardensandcometothebroadplainsleadingtothemountain.
“Whatdoesallthismean,anyhow?”askedthehorse,jumpingtoescapeathorn.
“Why,theyaredrivingustowardtheBlackPit,intowhichtheythreatenedtocastus,”repliedthekitten.“IfIwereasbigasyouare,Jim,I’dfightthesemiserableturnip-roots!”
“Whatwouldyoudo?”enquiredJim.
“I’dkickoutwiththoselonglegsandiron-shodhoofs.”
“Allright,”saidthehorse;“I’lldoit.”
AninstantlaterhesuddenlybackedtowardthecrowdofMangaboosandkickedouthishindlegsashardashecould.
Adozenofthemsmashedtogetherandtumbledtotheground,andseeinghissuccessJimkickedagainandagain,chargingintothevegetablecrowd,knockingtheminalldirectionsandsendingtheothersscatteringtoescapehisironheels.
Eurekahelpedhimbyflyingintothefacesoftheenemyandscratchingandbitingfuriously,andthekittenruinedsomanyvegetablecomplexionsthattheMangaboosfearedherasmuchastheydidthehorse.
Butthefoesweretoomanytoberepulsedforlong.
TheytiredJimandEurekaout,andalthoughthefieldofbattlewasthicklycoveredwithmashedanddisabledMangaboos,ouranimalfriendshadtogiveupatlastandallowthemselvestobedriventothemountain.
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