The Patchwork Girl of Oz
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L. Frank Baum >> The Patchwork Girl of Oz
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The adventurers now found themselves alone,
and Dorothy asked anxiously:
"Is anybody hurt?"
"Not me," answered the Scarecrow. "They have
given my straw a good shaking up and taken all the
lumps out of it. I am now in splendid condition
and am really obliged to the Tottenhots for their
kind treatment."
"I feel much the same way," said Scraps.
"My cotton stuffing had sagged a good deal with
the day's walking and they've loosened it up
until I feel as plump as a sausage. But the play
was a little rough and I'd had quite enough of
it when you interfered."
"Six of them sat on me," said Ojo, "but as
they are so little they didn't hurt me much."
Just then the roof of the house in front of
them opened and a Tottenhot stuck his head
out, very cautiously, and looked at the strangers.
"Can't you take a joke?" he asked,
reproachfully; "haven't you any fun in you at
all?"
"If I had such a quality," replied the
Scarecrow, "your people would have knocked it out
of me. But I don't bear grudges. I forgive you."
"So do I," added Scraps. "That is, if you behave
yourselves after this."
"It was just a little rough-house, that's all,"
said the Tottenhot. "But the question is not if
we will behave, but if you will behave? We
can't be shut up here all night, because this
is our time to play; nor do we care to come out
and be chewed up by a savage beast or slapped
by an angry girl. That slapping hurts like sixty;
some of my folks are crying about it. So here's
the proposition: you let us alone and we'll let
you alone."
"You began it," declared Dorothy.
"Well, you ended it, so we won't argue the
matter. May we come out again? Or are you still
cruel and slappy?"
"Tell you what we'll do," said Dorothy. "We're
all tired and want to sleep until morning. If
you'll let us get into your house, and stay there
until daylight, you can play outside all you want
to."
"That's a bargain!" cried the Tottenhot
eagerly, and he gave a queer whistle that
brought his people popping out of their houses
on all sides. When the house before them was
vacant, Dorothy and Ojo leaned over the hole
and looked in, but could see nothing because
it was so dark. But if the Tottenhots slept there
all day the children thought they could sleep
there at night, so Ojo lowered himself down
and found it was not very deep.
"There's a soft cushion all over," said he.
"Come on in."
Dorothy handed Toto to the boy and then climbed
in herself. After her came Scraps and the
Scarecrow, who did not wish to sleep but preferred
to keep out of the way of the mischievous
Tottenhots.
There seemed no furniture in the round den, but
soft cushions were strewn about the floor and
these they found made very comfortable beds. They
did not close the hole in the roof but left it
open to admit air. It also admitted the shouts and
ceaseless laughter of the impish Tottenhots as
they played outside, but Dorothy and Ojo, being
weary from their journey, were soon fast asleep.
Toto kept an eye open, however, and uttered low,
threatening growls whenever the racket made by the
creatures outside became too boisterous; and the
Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl sat leaning
against the wall and talked in whispers all night
long. No one disturbed the travelers until
daylight, when in popped the Tottenhot who owned
the place and invited them to vacate his premises.
Chapter Twenty
The Captive Yoop
As they were preparing to leave, Dorothy asked:
"Can you tell us where there is a dark well?"
"Never heard of such a thing," said the
Tottenhot. "We live our lives in the dark, mostly,
and sleep in the daytime; but we've never seen a
dark well, or anything like one."
"Does anyone live on those mountains beyond
here?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Lots of people. But you'd better not visit
them. We never go there," was the reply.
"What are the people like?" Dorothy inquired.
"Can't say. We've been told to keep away
from the mountain paths, and so we obey. This
sandy desert is good enough for us, and we're
not disturbed here," declared the Tottenhot.
So they left the man snuggling down to sleep in
his dusky dwelling, and went out into the
sunshine, taking the path that led toward the
rocky places. They soon found it hard climbing,
for the rocks were uneven and full of sharp points
and edges, and now there was no path at all.
Clambering here and there among the boulders they
kept steadily on, gradually rising higher and
higher until finally they came to a great rift in
a part of the mountain, where the rock seemed to
have split in two and left high walls on either
side.
"S'pose we go this way," suggested Dorothy;
"it's much easier walking than to climb over
the hills."
"How about that sign?" asked Ojo.
"What sign?" she inquired.
The Munchkin boy pointed to some words
painted on the wall of rock beside them, which
Dorothy had not noticed. The words read:
"LOOK OUT FOR YOOP."
The girl eyed this sign a moment and turned to
the Scarecrow, asking:
"Who is Yoop; or what is Yoop?"
The straw man shook his head. Then looked at
Toto and the dog said "Woof!"
"Only way to find out is to go on," said Scraps.
This being quite true, they went on. As they
proceeded, the walls of rock on either side grew
higher and higher. Presently they came upon
another sign which read:
"BEWARE THE CAPTIVE YOOP."
"Why, as for that," remarked Dorothy, "if Yoop
is a captive there's no need to beware of him.
Whatever Yoop happens to be, I'd much rather have
him a captive than running around loose."
"So had I," agreed the Scarecrow, with a nod of
his painted head.
"Still," said Scraps, reflectively:
"Yoop-te-hoop-te-loop-te-goop!
Who put noodles in the soup?
We may beware but we don't care,
And dare go where we scare the Yoop."
"Dear me! Aren't you feeling a little queer,
just now?" Dorothy asked the Patchwork Girl.
"Not queer, but crazy," said Ojo. "When she
says those things I'm sure her brains get mixed
somehow and work the wrong way.
"I don't see why we are told to beware the Yoop
unless he is dangerous," observed the Scarecrow in
a puzzled tone.
"Never mind; we'll find out all about him when
we get to where he is," replied the little girl.
The narrow canyon turned and twisted this way
and that, and the rift was so small that they were
able to touch both walls at the same time by
stretching out their arms. Toto had run on ahead,
frisking playfully, when suddenly he uttered a
sharp bark of fear and came running back to them
with his tail between his legs, as dogs do when
they are frightened.
"Ah," said the Scarecrow, who was leading
the way, "we must be near Yoop."
Just then, as he rounded a sharp turn, the
Straw man stopped so suddenly that all the
others bumped against him.
"What is it?" asked Dorothy, standing on
tip-toes to look over his shoulder. But then she
saw what it was and cried "Oh!" in a tone of
astonishment.
In one of the rock walls--that at their left--
was hollowed a great cavern, in front of which was
a row of thick iron bars, the tops and bottoms
being firmly fixed in the solid rock. Over this
cavern was a big sign, which Dorothy read with
much curiosity, speaking the words aloud that all
might know what they said:
"MISTER YOOP--HIS CAVE
The Largest Untamed Giant in Captivity.
Height, 21 Feet.--(And yet he has but 2 feet.)
Weight, 1640 Pounds.--(But he waits all the time.)
Age, 400 Years 'and Up' (as they say in the
Department Store advertisements).
Temper, Fierce and Ferocious.--(Except when asleep.)
Appetite, Ravenous.--(Prefers Meat People and
Orange Marmalade.)
STRANGERS APPROACHING THIS CAVE DO SO AT THEIR
OWN PERIL!
P.S.--Don't feed the Giant yourself."
"Very well," said Ojo, with a sigh; "let's go back."
"It's a long way back," declared Dorothy.
"So it is," remarked the Scarecrow, "and it
means a tedious climb over those sharp rocks if
we can't use this passage. I think it will be best
to run by the Giant's cave as fast as we can go.
Mister Yoop seems to be asleep just now."
But the Giant wasn't asleep. He suddenly
appeared at the front of his cavern, seized the
iron bars in his great hairy hands and shook
them until they rattled in their sockets. Yoop
was so tall that our friends had to tip their heads
way back to look into his face, and they noticed
he was dressed all in pink velvet, with silver
buttons and braid. The Giant's boots were of
pink leather and had tassels on them and his
hat was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich
feather, carefully curled.
"Yo-ho!" he said in a deep bass voice; "I smell
dinner."
"I think you are mistaken," replied the
Scarecrow. "There is no orange marmalade around
here."
"Ah, but I eat other things," asserted Mister
Yoop. "That is, I eat them when I can get them.
But this is a lonely place, and no good meat has
passed by my cave for many years; so I'm hungry."
"Haven't you eaten anything in many years?"
asked Dorothy.
"Nothing except six ants and a monkey. I thought
the monkey would taste like meat people, but the
flavor was different. I hope you will taste
better, for you seem plump and tender."
"Oh, I'm not going to be eaten," said Dorothy.
"Why not?"
"I shall keep out of your way," she answered.
"How heartless!" wailed the Giant, shaking the
bars again. "Consider how many years it is since
I've eaten a single plump little girl! They tell
me meat is going up, but if I can manage to catch
you I'm sure it will soon be going down. And I'll
catch you if I can."
With this the Giant pushed his big arms,
which looked like tree-trunks (except that tree-
trunks don't wear pink velvet) between the iron
bars, and the arms were so long that they
touched the opposite wall of the rock passage.
Then he extended them as far as he could reach
toward our travelers and found he could almost
touch the Scarecrow--but not quite.
"Come a little nearer, please," begged the
Giant.
"I'm a Scarecrow."
"A Scarecrow? Ugh! I don't care a straw for
a scarecrow. Who is that bright-colored delicacy
behind you?"
"Me?" asked Scraps. "I'm a Patchwork Girl,
and I'm stuffed with cotton."
"Dear me," sighed the Giant in a disapointed
tone; "that reduces my dinner from four to two--
and the dog. I'll save the dog for dessert."
Toto growled, keeping a good distance away.
"Back up," said the Scarecrow to those behind
him. "Let us go back a little way and talk this
over."
So they turned and went around the bend in
the passage, where they were out of sight of the
cave and Mister Yoop could not hear them.
"My idea," began the Scarecrow, when they
had halted, "is to make a dash past the cave,
going on a run."
"He'd grab us," said Dorothy.
"Well, he can't grab but one at a time, and
I'll go first. As soon as he grabs me the rest of
you can slip past him, out of his reach, and he
will soon let me go because I am not fit to eat."
They decided to try this plan and Dorothy
took Toto in her arms, so as to protect him. She
followed just after the Scarecrow. Then came
Ojo, with Scraps the last of the four. Their
hearts beat a little faster than usual as they again
approached the Giant's cave, this time moving
swiftly forward.
It turned out about the way the Scarecrow had
planned. Mister Yoop was quite astonished to see
them come flying toward him, and thrusting his
arms between the bars he seized the Scarecrow in a
firm grip. In the next instant he realized, from
the way the straw crunched between his fingers,
that he had captured the non-eatable man, but
during that instant of delay Dorothy and Ojo had
slipped by the Giant and were out of reach.
Uttering a howl of rage the monster threw the
Scarecrow after them with one hand and grabbed
Scraps with the other.
The poor Scarecrow went whirling through the air
and so cleverly was he aimed that he struck Ojo's
back and sent the boy tumbling head over heels,
and he tripped Dorothy and sent her, also,
sprawling upon the ground. Toto flew out of the
little girl's arms and landed some distance ahead,
and all were so dazed that it was a moment before
they could scramble to their feet again. When they
did so they turned to look toward the Giant's
cave, and at that moment the ferocious Mister Yoop
threw the Patchwork Girl at them.
Down went all three again, in a heap, with
Scraps on top. The Giant roared so terribly that
for a time they were afraid he had broken loose;
but he hadn't. So they sat in the road and looked
at one another in a rather bewildered way, and
then began to feel glad.
"We did it!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, with
satisfaction. "And now we are free to go on
our way."
"Mister Yoop is very impolite," declared
Scraps. "He jarred me terribly. It's lucky my
stitches are so fine and strong, for otherwise such
harsh treatment might rip me up the back."
"Allow me to apologize for the Giant," said
the Scarecrow, raising the Patchwork Girl to
her feet and dusting her skirt with his stuffed
hands. "Mister Yoop is a perfect stranger to me,
but I fear, from the rude manner in which he
has acted, that he is no gentleman."
Dorothy and Ojo laughed at this statement
and Toto barked as if he understood the joke,
after which they all felt better and resumed the
journey in high spirits.
"Of course," said the little girl, when they had
walked a way along the passage, "it was lucky for
us the Giant was caged; for, if he had happened to
be loose, he--he--"
"Perhaps, in that case, he wouldn't be hungry
any more," said Ojo gravely.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hip Hopper the Champion
They must have had good courage to climb all those
rocks, for after getting out of the canyon they
encountered more rock hills to be surmounted. Toto
could jump from one rock to another quite easily,
but the others had to creep and climb with care,
so that after a whole day of such work Dorothy and
Ojo found themselves very tired.
As they gazed upward at the great mass of
tumbled rocks that covered the steep incline,
Dorothy gave a little groan and said:
"That's going to be a ter'ble hard climb,
Scarecrow. I wish we could find the dark well
without so much trouble."
"Suppose," said Ojo, "you wait here and let
me do the climbing, for it's on my account
we're searching for the dark well. Then, if I
don't find anything, I'll come back and join
you."
"No," replied the little girl, shaking her head
positively, "we'll all go together, for that way
we can help each other. If you went alone,
something might happen to you, Ojo."
So they began the climb and found it indeed
difficult, for a way. But presently, in creeping
over the big crags, they found a path at their
feet which wound in and out among the masses of
rock and was quite smooth and easy to walk upon.
As the path gradually ascended the mountain,
although in a roundabout way, they decided to
follow it.
"This must be the road to the Country of
the Hoppers," said the Scarecrow.
"Who are the Hoppers?" asked Dorothy.
"Some people Jack Pumpkinhead told me about," he
replied.
"I didn't hear him," replied the girl.
"No; you were asleep," explained the Scarecrow.
"But he told Scraps and me that the Hoppers
and the Horners live on this mountain."
"He said in the mountain," declared Scraps;
"but of course he meant on it."
"Didn't he say what the Hoppers and Horners were
like?" inquired Dorothy.
"No; he only said they were two separate
nations, and that the Horners were the most
important."
"Well, if we go to their country we'll find out
all about 'em," said the girl. "But I've never
heard Ozma mention those people, so they can't
be very important."
"Is this mountain in the Land of Oz?" asked
Scraps.
"Course it is," answered Dorothy. "It's in the
South Country of the Quadlings. When one comes to
the edge of Oz, in any direction, there is nothing
more to be seen at all. Once you could see sandy
desert all around Oz; but now it's diff'rent, and
no other people can see us, any more than we can
see them."
"If the mountain is under Ozma's rule, why
doesn't she know about the Hoppers and the
Horners?" Ojo asked.
"Why, it's a fairyland," explained Dorothy, "and
lots of queer people live in places so tucked away
that those in the Emerald City never even hear of
'em. In the middle of the country it's diff'rent,
but when you get around the edges you're sure to
run into strange little corners that surprise you.
I know, for I've traveled in Oz a good deal, and
so has the Scarecrow."
"Yes," admitted the straw man, "I've been
considerable of a traveler, in my time, and I like
to explore strange places. I find I learn much
more by traveling than by staying at home."
During this conversation they had been walking
up the steep pathway and now found themselves well
up on the mountain. They could see nothing around
them, for the rocks beside their path were higher
than their heads. Nor could they see far in front
of them, because the path was so crooked. But
suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and
there was no place to go. Ahead was a big rock
lying against the side of the mountain, and this
blocked the way completely.
"There wouldn't be a path, though, if it
didn't go somewhere," said the Scarecrow,
wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.
"This is somewhere, isn't it?" asked the
Patchwork Girl, laughing at the bewildered
looks of the others.
"The path is locked, the way is blocked,
Yet here we've innocently flocked;
And now we're here it's rather queer
There's no front door that can be knocked."
"Please don't, Scraps," said Ojo. "You make me nervous."
"Well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little
rest, for that's a drea'ful steep path."
As she spoke she leaned against the edge of
the big rock that stood in their way. To her
surprise it slowly swung backward and showed
behind it a dark hole that looked like the mouth
of a tunnel.
"Why, here's where the path goes to!" she
exclaimed.
"So it is," answered the Scarecrow. "But the
question is, do we want to go where the path
does?"
"It's underground; right inside the mountain,"
said Ojo, peering into the dark hole. "Perhaps
there's a well there; and, if there is, it's sure
to be a dark one."
"Why, that's true enough!" cried Dorothy
with eagerness. "Let's go in, Scarecrow; 'cause,
if others have gone, we're pretty safe to go, too."
Toto looked in and barked, but he did not
venture to enter until the Scarecrow had bravely
gone first. Scraps followed closely after the
straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped
inside the tunnel. As soon as all of them had
passed the big rock, it slowly turned and filled
up the opening again; but now they were no longer
in the dark, for a soft, rosy light enabled them
to see around them quite distinctly.
It was only a passage, wide enough for two
of them to walk abreast--with Toto in between
them--and it had a high, arched roof. They
could not see where the light which flooded the
place so pleasantly came from, for there were
no lamps anywhere visible. The passage ran
straight for a little way and then made a bend
to the right and another sharp turn to the left,
after which it went straight again. But there
were no side passages, so they could not lose
their way.
After proceeding some distance, Toto, who
had gone on ahead, began to bark loudly. They
ran around a bend to see what was the matter
and found a man sitting on the floor of the
passage and leaning his back against the wall.
He had probably been asleep before Toto's barks
aroused him, for he was now rubbing his eyes
and staring at the little dog with all his might.
There was something about this man that Toto
objected to, and when he slowly rose to his foot
they saw what it was. He had but one leg, set just
below the middle of his round, fat body; but it
was a stout leg and had a broad, flat foot at the
bottom of it, on which the man seemed to stand
very well. He had never had but this one leg,
which looked something like a pedestal, and when
Toto ran up and made a grab at the man's ankle he
hopped first one way and then another in a very
active manner, looking so frightened that Scraps
laughed aloud.
Toto was usually a well behaved dog, but this
time he was angry and snapped at the man's leg
again and again. This filled the poor fellow with
fear, and in hopping out of Toto's reach he
suddenly lost his balance and tumbled heel over
head upon the floor. When he sat up he kicked Toto
on the nose and made the dog howl angrily, but
Dorothy now ran forward and caught Toto's collar,
holding him back.
"Do you surrender?" she asked the man.
"Who? Me?" asked the Hopper.
"Yes; you," said the little girl.
"Am I captured?" he inquired.
"Of course. My dog has captured you," she said.
"Well," replied the man, "if I'm captured I must
surrender, for it's the proper thing to do. I like
to do everything proper, for it saves one a lot of
trouble."
"It does, indeed," said Dorothy. "Please tell us
who you are."
"I'm Hip Hopper--Hip Hopper, the Champion."
"Champion what?" she asked in surprise.
"Champion wrestler. I'm a very strong man,
and that ferocious animal which you are so
kindly holding is the first living thing that has
ever conquered me."
"And you are a Hopper?" she continued.
"Yes. My people live in a great city not far
from here. Would you like to visit it?"
"I'm not sure," she said with hesitation. "Have
you any dark wells in your city?"
"I think not. We have wells, you know, but
they're all well lighted, and a well lighted well
cannot well be a dark well. But there may be
such a thing as a very dark well in the Horner
Country, which is a black spot on the face of
the earth."
"Where is the Horner Country?" Ojo inquired.
"The other side of the mountain. There's a
fence between the Hopper Country and the
Horner Country, and a gate in the fence; but
you can't pass through just now, because we
are at war with the Horners."
"That's too bad," said the Scarecrow. "What
seems to be the trouble?"
"Why, one of them made a very insulting remark
about my people. He said we were lacking in
understanding, because we had only one leg to a
person. I can't see that legs have anything to do
with understanding things. The Horners each have
two legs, just as you have. That's one leg too
many, it seems to me."
"No," declared Dorothy, "it's just the right
number."
"You don't need them," argued the Hopper,
obstinately. "You've only one head, and one
body, and one nose and mouth. Two legs are
quite unnecessary, and they spoil one's shape."
"But how can you walk, with only one leg?" asked
Ojo.
"Walk! Who wants to walk?" exclaimed the man.
"Walking is a terribly awkward way to travel. I
hop, and so do all my people. It's so much more
graceful and agreeable than walking."
"I don't agree with you," said the Scarecrow.
"But tell me, is there any way to get to the
Horner Country without going through the city of
the Hoppers?"
"Yes; there is another path from the rocky
lowlands, outside the mountain, that leads
straight to the entrance of the Horner Country.
But it's a long way around, so you'd better come
with me. Perhaps they will allow you to go
through the gate; but we expect to conquer
them this afternoon, if we get time, and then
you may go and come as you please."
They thought it best to take the Hopper's
advice, and asked him to lead the way. This he
did in a series of hops, and he moved so swiftly
in this strange manner that those with two legs
had to run to keep up with him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Joking Horners
It was not long before they left the passage and
came to a great cave, so high that it must have
reached nearly to the top of the mountain within
which it lay. It was a magnificent cave, illumined
by the soft, invisible light, so that everything
in it could be plainly seen. The walls were of
polished marble, white with veins of delicate
colors running through it, and the roof was arched
and fantastic and beautiful.
Built beneath this vast dome was a pretty
village--not very large, for there seemed not more
than fifty houses altogether--and the dwellings
were of marble and artistically designed. No grass
nor flowers nor trees grew in this cave, so the
yards surrounding the houses carved in designs
both were smooth and bare and had low walls around
them to mark their boundaries.
In the streets and the yards of the houses
were many people all having one leg growing
below their bodies and all hopping here and
there whenever they moved. Even the children
stood firmly upon their single legs and never
lost their balance.
"All hail, Champion!" cried a man in the first
group of Hoppers they met; "whom have you
captured?"
"No one," replied the Champion in a gloomy
voice; "these strangers have captured me."
"Then," said another, "we will rescue you, and
capture them, for we are greater in number."
"No," answered the Champion, "I can't allow it.
I've surrendered, and it isn't polite to capture
those you've surrendered to."
"Never mind that," said Dorothy. "We will give
you your liberty and set you free."
"Really?" asked the Champion in joyous tones.
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