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“Iwon’t!”criedAnn;“Iwon’tsweepthefloor.Itisbeneathmydignity.”
“Someonemustsweepit,”repliedAnn’syoungersister,Salye;“elseweshallsoonbewadingindust.Andyouaretheeldest,andtheheadofthefamily.”
“I’mQueenofOogaboo,”saidAnn,proudly.“But,”sheaddedwithasigh,“mykingdomisthesmallestandthepoorestinalltheLandofOz.”
Thiswasquitetrue.Awayupinthemountains,inafarcornerofthebeautifulfairylandofOz,liesasmallvalleywhichisnamedOogaboo,andinthisvalleylivedafewpeoplewhowereusuallyhappyandcontentedandnevercaredtowanderoverthemountainpassintothemoresettledpartsoftheland.
TheyknewthatallofOz,includingtheirownterritory,wasruledbyabeautifulPrincessnamedOzma,wholivedinthesplendidEmeraldCity;yetthesimplefolkofOogaboonevervisitedOzma.
Theyhadaroyalfamilyoftheirown—notespeciallytoruleoverthem,butjustasamatterofpride.
OzmapermittedthevariouspartsofhercountrytohavetheirKingsandQueensandEmperorsandthelike,butallwereruledoverbythelovelygirlQueenoftheEmeraldCity.
TheKingofOogaboousedtobeamannamedJolJemkiphSoforth,whoformanyyearsdidallthedrudgeryofdecidingdisputesandtellinghispeoplewhentoplantcabbagesandpickleonions.
ButtheKing’swifehadasharptongueandsmallrespectfortheKing,herhusband;thereforeonenightKingJolcreptoverthepassintotheLandofOzanddisappearedfromOogabooforgoodandall.
TheQueenwaitedafewyearsforhimtoreturnandthenstartedinsearchofhim,leavinghereldestdaughter,AnnSoforth,toactasQueen.
Now,Annhadnotforgottenwhenherbirthdaycame,forthatmeantapartyandfeastinganddancing,butshehadquiteforgottenhowmanyyearsthebirthdaysmarked.
Inalandwherepeoplelivealways,thisisnotconsideredacauseforregret,sowemayjustlysaythatQueenAnnofOogaboowasoldenoughtomakejelly—andletitgoatthat.
Butshedidn’tmakejelly,ordoanymoreofthehouseworkthanshecouldhelp.
Shewasanambitiouswomanandconstantlyresentedthefactthatherkingdomwassotinyandherpeoplesostupidandunenterprising.
Oftenshewonderedwhathadbecomeofherfatherandmother,outbeyondthepass,inthewonderfulLandofOz,andthefactthattheydidnotreturntoOogabooledAnntosuspectthattheyhadfoundabetterplacetolive.
So,whenSalyerefusedtosweepthefloorofthelivingroominthepalace,andAnnwouldnotsweepit,either,shesaidtohersister:
“I’mgoingaway.ThisabsurdKingdomofOogabootiresme.”
“Go,ifyouwantto,”answeredSalye;“butyouareveryfoolishtoleavethisplace.”
“Why?”askedAnn.
“BecauseintheLandofOz,whichisOzma’scountry,youwillbeanobody,whilehereyouareaQueen.”
“Oh,yes!Queenovereighteenmen,twenty-sevenwomenandforty-fourchildren!”returnedAnnbitterly.
“Well,therearecertainlymorepeoplethanthatinthegreatLandofOz,”laughedSalye.
“Whydon’tyouraiseanarmyandconquerthem,andbeQueenofallOz?”
sheasked,tryingtotauntAnnandsotoangerher.
Thenshemadeafaceathersisterandwentintothebackyardtoswinginthehammock.
Herjeeringwords,however,hadgivenQueenAnnanidea.
ShereflectedthatOzwasreportedtobeapeacefulcountryandOzmaameregirlwhoruledwithgentlenesstoallandwasobeyedbecauseherpeoplelovedher.
EveninOogaboothestorywastoldthatOzma’ssolearmyconsistedoftwenty-sevenfineofficers,whoworebeautifuluniformsbutcarriednoweapons,becausetherewasnoonetofight.
Oncetherehadbeenaprivatesoldier,besidestheofficers,butOzmahadmadehimaCaptain-Generalandtakenawayhisgunforfearitmightaccidentallyhurtsomeone.
ThemoreAnnthoughtaboutthematterthemoreshewasconvinceditwouldbeeasytoconquertheLandofOzandsetherselfupasRulerinOzma’splace,ifshebuthadanArmytodoitwith.
Afterwardshecouldgooutintotheworldandconquerotherlands,andthenperhapsshecouldfindawaytothemoon,andconquerthat.
Shehadawarlikespiritthatpreferredtroubletoidleness.
ItalldependedonanArmy,Anndecided.
Shecarefullycountedinhermindallthemenofherkingdom.
Yes;therewereexactlyeighteenofthem,alltold.
ThatwouldnotmakeaverybigArmy,butbysurprisingOzma’sunarmedofficershermenmighteasilysubduethem.
“Gentlepeoplearealwaysafraidofthosethatbluster,”Anntoldherself.
“Idon’twishtoshedanyblood,forthatwouldshockmynervesandImightfaint;butifwethreatenandflashourweaponsIamsurethepeopleofOzwillfallupontheirkneesbeforemeandsurrender.”
Thisargument,whichsherepeatedtoherselfmorethanonce,finallydeterminedtheQueenofOogabootoundertaketheaudaciousventure.
“Whateverhappens,”shereflected,“canmakemenomoreunhappythanmystayingshutupinthismiserablevalleyandsweepingfloorsandquarrelingwithSisterSalye;soIwillventureall,andwinwhatImay.”
ThatverydayshestartedouttoorganizeherArmy.
ThefirstmanshecametowasJoApple,socalledbecausehehadanappleorchard.
“Jo,”saidAnn,“Iamgoingtoconquertheworld,andIwantyoutojoinmyArmy.”
“Don’taskmetodosuchafoolthing,forImustpolitelyrefuseYourMajesty,”saidJoApple.”
“Ihavenointentionofaskingyou.Ishallcommandyou,asQueenofOogaboo,tojoin,”saidAnn.
“Inthatcase,IsupposeImustobey,”themanremarked,inasadvoice.“ButIprayyoutoconsiderthatIamaveryimportantcitizen,andforthatreasonamentitledtoanofficeofhighrank.”
“YoushallbeaGeneral,”promisedAnn.
“Withgoldepauletsandasword?”heasked.
“Ofcourse,”saidtheQueen.
Thenshewenttothenextman,whosenamewasJoBunn,asheownedanorchardwheregraham-bunsandwheat-buns,ingreatvariety,bothhotandcold,grewonthetrees.
“Jo,”saidAnn,“Iamgoingtoconquertheworld,andIcommandyoutojoinmyArmy.”
“Impossible!”heexclaimed.“Thebuncrophastobepicked.”
“Letyourwifeandchildrendothepicking,”saidAnn.
“ButI’mamanofgreatimportance,YourMajesty,”heprotested.
“ForthatreasonyoushallbeoneofmyGenerals,andwearacockedhatwithgoldbraid,andcurlyourmustachesandclankalongsword,”shepromised.
Soheconsented,althoughsorelyagainsthiswill,andtheQueenwalkedontothenextcottage.HerelivedJoCone,socalledbecausethetreesinhisorchardborecropsofexcellentice-creamcones.
“Jo,”saidAnn,“Iamgoingtoconquertheworld,andyoumustjoinmyArmy.”
“Excuseme,please,”saidJoCone.“Iamabadfighter.Mygoodwifeconqueredmeyearsago,forshecanfightbetterthanI.Takeher,YourMajesty,insteadofme,andI’llblessyouforthefavor.”
“Thismustbeanarmyofmen—fierce,ferociouswarriors,”declaredAnn,lookingsternlyuponthemildlittleman.
“AndyouwillleavemywifehereinOogaboo?”heasked.
“Yes;andmakeyouaGeneral.”
“I’llgo,”saidJoCone,andAnnwentontothecottageofJoClock,whohadanorchardofclock-trees.
Thismanatfirstinsistedthathewouldnotjointhearmy,butQueenAnn’spromisetomakehimaGeneralfinallywonhisconsent.
“HowmanyGeneralsarethereinyourarmy?”heasked.
“Four,sofar,”repliedAnn.
“Andhowbigwillthearmybe?”washisnextquestion.
“IintendtomakeeveryoneoftheeighteenmeninOogaboojoinit,”shesaid.
“ThenfourGeneralsareenough,”announcedJoClock.“IadviseyoutomaketherestofthemColonels.”
Anntriedtofollowhisadvice.Thenextfourmenshevisited—whowereJoPlum,JoEgg,JoBanjoandJoCheese,namedafterthetreesintheirorchards—shemadeColonelsofherArmy;butthefifthone,JoNails,saidColonelsandGeneralsweregettingtobealtogethertoocommonintheArmyofOogabooandhepreferredtobeaMajor.
SoJoNails,JoCake,JoHamandJoStockingswereallfourmadeMajors,whilethenextfour—JoSandwich,JoPadlocks,JoSundaeandJoButtons—wereappointedCaptainsoftheArmy.
ButnowQueenAnnwasinaquandary.ThereremainedbuttwoothermeninallOogaboo,andifshemadethesetwoLieutenants,whiletherewerefourCaptains,fourMajors,fourColonelsandfourGenerals,therewaslikelytobejealousyinherarmy,andperhapsmutinyanddesertions.
Oneofthesemen,however,wasJoCandy,andhewouldnotgoatall.
Nopromisescouldtempthim,norcouldthreatsmovehim.
Hesaidhemustremainathometoharvesthiscropofjackson-balls,lemon-drops,bonbonsandchocolate-creams.
Alsohehadlargefieldsofcrackerjackandbutteredpopcorntobemowedandthreshed,andhewasdeterminednottodisappointthechildrenofOogaboobygoingawaytoconquertheworldandsoletthecandycropspoil.
FindingJoCandysoobstinate,QueenAnnlethimhavehisownwayandcontinuedherjourneytothehouseoftheeighteenthandlastmaninOogaboo,whowasayoungfellownamedJoFiles.
ThisFileshadtwelvetrees,whichboresteelfilesofvarioussorts;butalsohehadninebook-trees,onwhichgrewachoiceselectionofstory-books.
Incaseyouhaveneverseenbooksgrowingupontrees,IwillexplainthatthoseinJoFiles’orchardwereenclosedinbroadgreenhuskswhich,whenfullyripe,turnedtoadeepredcolor.
Thenthebookswerepickedandhuskedandwerereadytoread.
Iftheywerepickedtoosoon,thestorieswerefoundtobeconfusedanduninterestingandthespellingbad.
However,ifallowedtoripenperfectly,thestorieswerefinereadingandthespellingandgrammarexcellent.
Filesfreelygavehisbookstoallwhowantedthem,butthepeopleofOogaboocaredlittleforbooksandsohehadtoreadmostofthemhimself,beforetheyspoiled.
For,asyouprobablyknow,assoonasthebookswerereadthewordsdisappearedandtheleaveswitheredandfaded—whichistheworstfaultofallbookswhichgrowupontrees.
WhenQueenAnnspoketothisyoungmanFiles,whowasbothintelligentandambitious,hesaidhethoughtitwouldbegreatfuntoconquertheworld.
Buthecalledherattentiontothefactthathewasfarsuperiortotheothermenofherarmy.
Therefore,hewouldnotbeoneofherGeneralsorColonelsorMajorsorCaptains,butclaimedthehonorofbeingsolePrivate.
Anndidnotlikethisideaatall.
“IhatetohaveaPrivateSoldierinmyarmy,”shesaid;“they’resocommon.
IamtoldthatPrincessOzmaoncehadaprivatesoldier,butshemadehimherCaptain-General,whichisgoodevidencethattheprivatewasunnecessary.”
“Ozma’sarmydoesn’tfight,”returnedFiles;“butyourarmymustfightlikefuryinordertoconquertheworld.
Ihavereadinmybooksthatitisalwaystheprivatesoldierswhodothefighting,fornoofficeriseverbraveenoughtofacethefoe.
Also,itstandstoreasonthatyourofficersmusthavesomeonetocommandandtoissuetheirordersto;thereforeI’llbetheone.
Ilongtoslashandslaytheenemyandbecomeahero.
Then,whenwereturntoOogaboo,I’lltakeallthemarblesawayfromthechildrenandmeltthemupandmakeamarblestatueofmyselfforalltolookuponandadmire.”
AnnwasmuchpleasedwithPrivateFiles.
Heseemedindeedtobesuchawarriorassheneededinherenterprise,andherhopesofsuccesstookasuddenboundwhenFilestoldherheknewwhereagun-treegrewandwouldgothereatonceandpicktheripestandbiggestmusketthetreebore.
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