English
JimtheCab-horsefoundhimselfinpossessionofalargeroomwithagreenmarblefloorandcarvedmarblewainscoting,whichwassostatelyinitsappearancethatitwouldhaveawedanyoneelse.
Jimaccepteditasameredetail,andathiscommandtheattendantsgavehiscoatagoodrubbing,combedhismaneandtail,andwashedhishoofsandfetlocks.
Thentheytoldhimdinnerwouldbeserveddirectlyandherepliedthattheycouldnotserveittooquicklytosuithisconvenience.
Firsttheybroughthimasteamingbowlofsoup,whichthehorseeyedindismay.
“Takethatstuffaway!”hecommanded.“Doyoutakemeforasalamander?”
Theyobeyedatonce,andnextservedafinelargeturbotonasilverplatter,withdrawngravypouredoverit.
“Fish!”criedJim,withasniff.“Doyoutakemeforatom-cat?Awaywithit!”
Theservantswerealittlediscouraged,butsoontheybroughtinagreattraycontainingtwodozennicelyroastedquailontoast.
“Well,well!”saidthehorse,nowthoroughlyprovoked.“Doyoutakemeforaweasel?
Howstupidandignorantyouare,intheLandofOz,andwhatdreadfulthingsyoufeedupon!
Istherenothingthatisdecenttoeatinthispalace?”
ThetremblingservantssentfortheRoyalSteward,whocameinhasteandsaid:
“WhatwouldyourHighnesslikefordinner?”
“Highness!”repeatedJim,whowasunusedtosuchtitles.
“Youareatleastsixfeethigh,andthatishigherthananyotheranimalinthiscountry,”saidtheSteward.
“Well,myHighnesswouldlikesomeoats,”declaredthehorse.
“Oats?Wehavenowholeoats,”theStewardreplied,withmuchdeference.
“Butthereisanyquantityofoatmeal,whichweoftencookforbreakfast.
Oatmealisabreakfastdish,”addedtheSteward,humbly.
“I’llmakeitadinnerdish,”saidJim.“Fetchiton,butdon’tcookit,asyouvalueyourlife.”
Yousee,therespectshowntheworn-outoldcab-horsemadehimalittlearrogant,andheforgothewasaguest,neverhavingbeentreatedotherwisethanasaservantsincethedayhewasborn,untilhisarrivalintheLandofOz.
Buttheroyalattendantsdidnotheedtheanimal’silltemper.
Theysoonmixedatubofoatmealwithalittlewater,andJimateitwithmuchrelish.
Thentheservantsheapedalotofrugsuponthefloorandtheoldhorsesleptonthesoftestbedhehadeverknowninhislife.
Inthemorning,assoonasitwasdaylight,heresolvedtotakeawalkandtrytofindsomegrassforbreakfast;soheambledcalmlythroughthehandsomearchofthedoorway,turnedthecornerofthepalace,whereinallseemedasleep,andcamefacetofacewiththeSawhorse.
Jimstoppedabruptly,beingstartledandamazed.
TheSawhorsestoppedatthesametimeandstaredattheotherwithitsstrangeprotrudingeyes,whichweremereknotsinthelogthatformeditsbody.
ThelegsoftheSawhorsewerefoursticksdrivingintoholesboredinthelog;itstailwasasmallbranchthathadbeenleftbyaccidentanditsmouthaplacechoppedinoneendofthebodywhichprojectedalittleandservedasahead.
Theendsofthewoodenlegswereshodwithplatesofsolidgold,andthesaddleofthePrincessOzma,whichwasofredleathersetwithsparklingdiamonds,wasstrappedtotheclumsybody.
Jim’seyesstuckoutasmuchasthoseoftheSawhorse,andhestaredatthecreaturewithhisearserectandhislongheaddrawnbackuntilitrestedagainsthisarchedneck.
Inthiscomicalpositionthetwohorsescircledslowlyaroundeachotherforawhile,eachbeingunabletorealizewhatthesingularthingmightbewhichitnowbeheldforthefirsttime.ThenJimexclaimed:
“Forgoodnesssake,whatsortofabeingareyou?”
“I’maSawhorse,”repliedtheother.
“Oh;IbelieveI’veheardofyou,”saidthecab-horse;“butyouareunlikeanythingthatIexpectedtosee.”
“Idonotdoubtit,”theSawhorseobserved,withatoneofpride.“Iamconsideredquiteunusual.”
“Youare,indeed.Butaricketywoodenthinglikeyouhasnorighttobealive.”
“Icouldn’thelpit,”returnedtheother,rathercrestfallen.
“Ozmasprinkledmewithamagicpowder,andIjusthadtolive.
IknowI’mnotmuchaccount;butI’mtheonlyhorseinalltheLandofOz,sotheytreatmewithgreatrespect.”
“You,ahorse!”
“Oh,notarealone,ofcourse.Therearenorealhorseshereatall.ButI’masplendidimitationofone.”
Jimgaveanindignantneigh.
“Lookatme!”hecried.“Beholdarealhorse!”
Thewoodenanimalgaveastart,andthenexaminedtheotherintently.
“IsitpossiblethatyouareaRealHorse?”hemurmured.
“Notonlypossible,buttrue,”repliedJim,whowasgratifiedbytheimpressionhehadcreated.“Itisprovedbymyfinepoints.
Forexample,lookatthelonghairsonmytail,withwhichIcanwhiskawaytheflies.”
“Thefliesnevertroubleme,”saidtheSawhorse.
“Andnoticemygreatstrongteeth,withwhichInibblethegrass.”
“Itisnotnecessaryformetoeat,”observedtheSawhorse.
“Alsoexaminemybroadchest,whichenablesmetodrawdeep,fullbreaths,”saidJim,proudly.
“Ihavenoneedtobreathe,”returnedtheother.
“No;youmissmanypleasures,”remarkedthecab-horse,pityingly.
“Youdonotknowthereliefofbrushingawayaflythathasbittenyou,northedelightofeatingdeliciousfood,northesatisfactionofdrawingalongbreathoffresh,pureair.
Youmaybeanimitationofahorse,butyou’reamightypoorone.”
“Oh,Icannothopeevertobelikeyou,”sighedtheSawhorse.“ButIamgladtomeetatlastaRealHorse.YouarecertainlythemostbeautifulcreatureIeverbeheld.”
ThispraisewonJimcompletely.Tobecalledbeautifulwasanoveltyinhisexperience.Saidhe:
“Yourchieffault,myfriend,isinbeingmadeofwood,andthatIsupposeyoucannothelp.Realhorses,likemyself,aremadeoffleshandbloodandbones.”
“Icanseethebonesallright,”repliedtheSawhorse,“andtheyareadmirableanddistinct.AlsoIcanseetheflesh.Buttheblood,Isupposeistuckedawayinside.”
“Exactly,”saidJim.
“Whatgoodisit?”askedtheSawhorse.
Jimdidnotknow,buthewouldnottelltheSawhorsethat.
“Ifanythingcutsme,”hereplied,“thebloodrunsouttoshowwhereIamcut.You,poorthing!Cannotevenbleedwhenyouarehurt.”
“ButIamneverhurt,”saidtheSawhorse.“OnceinawhileIgetbrokenupsome,butIameasilyrepairedandputingoodorderagain.AndIneverfeelabreakorasplinterintheleast.”
Jimwasalmosttemptedtoenvythewoodenhorseforbeingunabletofeelpain;butthecreaturewassoabsurdlyunnaturalthathedecidedhewouldnotchangeplaceswithitunderanycircumstances.
“Howdidyouhappentobeshodwithgold?”heasked.
“PrincessOzmadidthat,”wasthereply;“anditsavesmylegsfromwearingout.We’vehadagoodmanyadventurestogether,OzmaandI,andshelikesme.”
Thecab-horsewasabouttoreplywhensuddenlyhegaveastartandaneighofterrorandstoodtremblinglikealeaf.
Foraroundthecornerhadcometwoenormoussavagebeasts,treadingsolightlythattheywereuponhimbeforehewasawareoftheirpresence.
JimwasintheactofplungingdownthepathtoescapewhentheSawhorsecriedout:
“Stop,mybrother!Stop,RealHorse!Thesearefriends,andwilldoyounoharm.”
Jimhesitated,eyeingthebeastsfearfully.
OnewasanenormousLionwithclear,intelligenteyes,atawnymanebushyandwellkept,andabodylikeyellowplush.
TheotherwasagreatTigerwithpurplestripesaroundhislithebody,powerfullimbs,andeyesthatshowedthroughthehalfclosedlidslikecoalsoffire.
Thehugeformsofthesemonarchsoftheforestandjunglewereenoughtostriketerrortothestoutestheart,anditisnowonderJimwasafraidtofacethem.
ButtheSawhorseintroducedthestrangerinacalmtone,saying:
“This,nobleHorse,ismyfriendtheCowardlyLion,whoisthevaliantKingoftheForest,butatthesametimeafaithfulvassalofPrincessOzma.
AndthisistheHungryTiger,theterrorofthejungle,wholongstodevourfatbabiesbutispreventedbyhisconsciencefromdoingso.
TheseroyalbeastsarebothwarmfriendsoflittleDorothyandhavecometotheEmeraldCitythismorningtowelcomehertoourfairyland.”
HearingthesewordsJimresolvedtoconquerhisalarm.Hebowedhisheadwithasmuchdignityashecouldmustertowardthesavagelookingbeasts,whoinreturnnoddedinafriendlyway.
“IsnottheRealHorseabeautifulanimal?”askedtheSawhorseadmiringly.
“Thatisdoubtlessamatteroftaste,”returnedtheLion.
“Intheforesthewouldbethoughtungainly,becausehisfaceisstretchedoutandhisneckisuselesslylong.
Hisjoints,Inotice,areswollenandovergrown,andhelacksfleshandisoldinyears.”
“Anddreadfullytough,”addedtheHungryTiger,inasadvoice.“MyconsciencewouldneverpermitmetoeatsotoughamorselastheRealHorse.”
“I’mgladofthat,”saidJim;“forI,also,haveaconscience,andittellsmenottocrushinyourskullwithablowofmypowerfulhoof.”
Ifhethoughttofrightenthestripedbeastbysuchlanguagehewasmistaken.TheTigerseemedtosmile,andwinkedoneeyeslowly.
“Youhaveagoodconscience,friendHorse,”itsaid,“andifyouattendtoitsteachingsitwilldomuchtoprotectyoufromharm.
SomedayIwillletyoutrytocrushinmyskull,andafterwardyouwillknowmoreabouttigersthanyoudonow.”
“AnyfriendofDorothy,”remarkedtheCowardlyLion,“mustbeourfriend,aswell.
Soletusceasethistalkofskullcrushingandconverseuponmorepleasantsubjects.Haveyoubreakfasted,SirHorse?”
“Notyet,”repliedJim.“Buthereisplentyofexcellentclover,soifyouwillexcusemeIwilleatnow.”
“He’savegetarian,”remarkedtheTiger,asthehorsebegantomunchtheclover.“IfIcouldeatgrassIwouldnotneedaconscience,fornothingcouldthentemptmetodevourbabiesandlambs.”
JustthenDorothy,whohadrisenearlyandheardthevoicesoftheanimals,ranouttogreetheroldfriends.
ShehuggedboththeLionandtheTigerwitheagerdelight,butseemedtolovetheKingofBeastsalittlebetterthanshedidhishungryfriend,havingknownhimlonger.
BythistimetheyhadindulgedinagoodtalkandDorothyhadtoldthemallabouttheawfulearthquakeandherrecentadventures,thebreakfastbellrangfromthepalaceandthelittlegirlwentinsidetojoinherhumancomrades.
Assheenteredthegreathallavoicecalledout,inaratherharshtone:
“What!AreYOUhereagain?”
“Yes,Iam,”sheanswered,lookingallaroundtoseewherethevoicecamefrom.
“Whatbroughtyouback?”wasthenextquestion,andDorothy’seyerestedonanantleredheadhangingonthewalljustoverthefireplace,andcaughtitslipsintheactofmoving.
“Goodgracious!”sheexclaimed.“Ithoughtyouwerestuffed.”
“SoIam,”repliedthehead.“ButonceonatimeIwaspartoftheGump,whichOzmasprinkledwiththePowderofLife.
IwasthenforatimetheHeadofthefinestFlyingMachinethatwaseverknowntoexist,andwedidmanywonderfulthings.
AfterwardtheGumpwastakenapartandIwasputbackonthiswall;butIcanstilltalkwhenIfeelinthemood,whichisnotoften.”
“It’sverystrange,”saidthegirl.“Whatwereyouwhenyouwerefirstalive?”
“ThatIhaveforgotten,”repliedtheGump’sHead,“andIdonotthinkitisofmuchimportance.
ButherecomesOzma;soI’dbetterhushup,forthePrincessdoesn’tlikemetochattersinceshechangedhernamefromTiptoOzma.”
JustthenthegirlishRulerofOzopenedthedoorandgreetedDorothywithagood-morningkiss.ThelittlePrincessseemedfreshandrosyandingoodspirits.
“Breakfastisserved,dear,”shesaid,“andIamhungry.Sodon’tletuskeepitwaitingasingleminute.”
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