The Patchwork Girl of Oz

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"Yes," said the Scarecrow. "What is the next
thing Ojo must get?"

"A yellow butterfly," answered the boy.

"That means the Winkie Country, all right,
for it's the yellow country of Oz," remarked
Dorothy. "I think, Scarecrow, we ought to take
him to the Tin Woodman, for he's the Emp'ror
of the Winkies and will help us to find what
Ojo wants."

"Of course," replied the Scarecrow, brightening
at the suggestion. "The Tin Woodman will do
anything we ask him, for he's one of my dearest
friends. I believe we can take a crosscut into his
country and so get to his castle a day sooner
than if we travel back the way we came."

"I think so, too," said the girl; "and that means
we must keep to the left."

They were obliged to go down the mountain before
they found any path that led in the direction they
wanted to go, but among the tumbled rocks at the
foot of the mountain was a faint trail which they
decided to follow. Two or three hours walk along
this trail brought them to a clear, level country,
where there were a few farms and some scattered
houses. But they knew they were still in the
Country of the Quadlings, because everything had a
bright red color. Not that the trees and grasses
were red, but the fences and houses were painted
that color and all the wild-flowers that bloomed
by the wayside had red blossoms. This part of the
Quadling Country seemed peaceful and prosperous,
if rather lonely, and the road was more distinct
and easier to follow.

But just as they were congratulating themselves
upon the progress they had made they came upon a
broad river which swept along between high banks,
and here the road ended and there was no bridge of
any sort to allow them to cross.

"This is queer," mused Dorothy, looking at
the water reflectively. "Why should there be
any road, if the river stops everyone walking
along it?"

"Wow!" said Toto, gazing earnestly into her
face.

"That's the best answer you'll get," declared
the Scarecrow, with his comical smile, "for no
one knows any more than Toto about this road."

Said Scraps:

"Ev'ry time I see a river,
I have chills that make me shiver,
For I never can forget
All the water's very wet.
If my patches get a soak
It will be a sorry joke;
So to swim I'll never try
Till I find the water dry."

"Try to control yourself, Scraps," said Ojo;
"you're getting crazy again. No one intends to swim
that river."

"No," decided Dorothy, "we couldn't swim it
if we tried. It's too big a river, and the water
moves awful fast."

"There ought to be a ferryman with a boat,"
said the Scarecrow; "but I don't see any."

"Couldn't we make a raft?" suggested Ojo.

"There's nothing to make one of," answered
Dorothy.

"Wow!" said Toto again, and Dorothy saw he
was looking along the bank of the river.

"Why, he sees a house over there!" cried the
little girl. "I wonder we didn't notice it
ourselves. Let's go and ask the people how to
get 'cross the river."

A quarter of a mile along the bank stood a
small, round house, painted bright red, and as
it was on their side of the river they hurried
toward it. A chubby little man, dressed all in
red, came out to greet them, and with him were
two children, also in red costumes. The man's
eyes were big and staring as he examined the
Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl, and the
children shyly hid behind him and peeked
timidly at Toto.

"Do you live here, my good man?" asked the
Scarecrow.

"I think I do, Most Mighty Magician," replied
the Quadling, bowing low; "but whether I'm awake
or dreaming I can't be positive, so I'm not sure
where I live. If you'll kindly pinch me I'll find
out all about it!"

"You're awake," said Dorothy, "and this is no
magician, but just the Scarecrow."

"But he's alive," protested the man, "and he
oughtn't to be, you know. And that other dreadful
person--the girl who is all patches--seems to be
alive, too."

"Very much so," declared Scraps, making a
face at him. "But that isn't your affair, you
know."

"I've a right to be surprised, haven't I?" asked
the man meekly.

"I'm not sure; but anyhow you've no right to say
I'm dreadful. The Scarecrow, who is a gentleman of
great wisdom, thinks I'm beautiful," retorted
Scraps.

"Never mind all that," said Dorothy. "Tell us,
good Quadling, how we can get across the river."

"I don't know," replied the Quadling.

"Don't you ever cross it?" asked the girl.

"Never."

"Don't travelers cross it?"

"Not to my knowledge," said he.

They were much surprised to hear this, and
the man added: "It's a pretty big river, and the
current is strong. I know a man who lives on
the opposite bank, for I've seen him there a good
many years; but we've never spoken because
neither of us has ever crossed over."

"That's queer," said the Scarecrow. "Don't you
own a boat?"

The man shook his head.

"Nor a raft?"

"Where does this river go to?" asked Dorothy.

"That way," answered the man, pointing with
one hand, "it goes into the Country of the
Winkies, which is ruled by the Tin Emperor,
who must be a mighty magician because he's
all made of tin, and yet he's alive. And that
way," pointing with the other hand, "the river
runs between two mountains where dangerous
people dwell."

The Scarecrow looked at the water before them.

"The current flows toward the Winkie Country,"
said he; "and so, if we had a boat, or a raft, the
river would float us there more quickly and more
easily than we could walk."

"That is true," agreed Dorothy; and then they
all looked thoughtful and wondered what could
be done.

"Why can't the man make us a raft?" asked Ojo.

"Will you?" inquired Dorothy, turning to the
Quadling.

The chubby man shook his head.

"I'm too lazy," he said. "My wife says I'm the
laziest man in all Oz, and she is a truthful
woman. I hate work of any kind, and making a raft
is hard work."

"I'll give you my em'rald ring," promised the
girl.

"No; I don't care for emeralds. If it were a
ruby, which is the color I like best, I might work
a little while."

"I've got some Square Meal Tablets," said the
Scarecrow. "Each one is the same as a dish of
soup, a fried fish, a mutton pot-pie, lobster
salad, charlotte russe and lemon jelly--all made
into one little tablet that you can swallow
without trouble."

"Without trouble!" exclaimed the Quadling,
much interested; "then those tablets would be
fine for a lazy man. It's such hard work to chew
when you eat."

"I'll give you six of those tablets if you'll
help us make a raft," promised the Scarecrow.
"They're a combination of food which people who
eat are very fond of. I never eat, you know, being
straw; but some of my friends eat regularly. What
do you say to my offer, Quadling?"

"I'll do it," decided the man. "I'll help, and
you can do most of the work. But my wife has
gone fishing for red eels to-day, so some of you
will have to mind the children."

Scraps promised to do that, and the children
were not so shy when the Patchwork Girl sat
down to play with them. They grew to like
Toto, too, and the little dog allowed them to
pat him on his head, which gave the little ones
much joy.

There were a number of fallen trees near the
house and the Quadling got his axe and chopped
them into logs of equal length. He took his wife's
clothesline to bind these logs together, so that
they would form a raft, and Ojo found some strips
of wood and nailed them along the tops of the
logs, to render them more firm. The Scarecrow and
Dorothy helped roll the logs together and carry
the strips of wood, but it took so long to make
the raft that evening came just as it was
finished, and with evening the Quadling's wife
returned from her fishing.

The woman proved to be cross and bad-tempered,
perhaps because she had only caught one red eel
during all the day. When she found that her
husband had used her clothesline, and the logs she
had wanted for firewood, and the boards she had
intended to mend the shed with, and a lot of gold
nails, she became very angry. Scraps wanted to
shake the woman, to make her behave, but Dorothy
talked to her in a gentle tone and told the
Quadling's wife she was a Princess of Oz and a
friend of Ozma and that when she got back to the
Emerald City she would send them a lot of things
to repay them for the raft, including a new
clothesline. This promise pleased the woman and
she soon became more pleasant, saying they could
stay the night at her house and begin their voyage
on the river next morning.

This they did, spending a pleasant evening
with the Quadling family and being entertained
with such hospitality as the poor people were
able to offer them. The man groaned a good
deal and said he had overworked himself by
chopping the logs, but the Scarecrow gave him
two more tablets than he had promised, which
seemed to comfort the lazy fellow.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Trick River

Next morning they pushed the raft into the water
and all got aboard. The Quadling man had to hold
the log craft fast while they took their places,
and the flow of the river was so powerful that it
nearly tore the raft from his hands. As soon as
they were all seated upon the logs he let go and
away it floated and the adventurers had begun
their voyage toward the Winkie Country.

The little house of the Quadlings was out of
sight almost before they had cried their good-
byes, and the Scarecrow said in a pleased voice:
"It won't take us long to get to the Winkie
Country, at this rate."

They had floated several miles down the stream
and were enjoying the ride when suddenly the raft
slowed up, stopped short, and then began to float
back the way it had come.

"Why, what's wrong?" asked Dorothy, in
astonishment; but they were all just as bewildered
as she was and at first no one could answer the
question. Soon, however, they realized the truth:
that the current of the river had reversed and the
water was now flowing in the opposite direction--
toward the mountains.

They began to recognize the scenes they had
passed, and by and by they came in sight of the
little house of the Quadlings again. The man
was standing on the river bank and he called
to them:

"How do you do? Glad to see you again. I forgot
to tell you that the river changes its direction
every little while. Sometimes it flows one way,
and sometimes the other."

They had no time to answer him, for the raft
was swept past the house and a long distance on
the other side of it.

"We're going just the way we don't want to
go," said Dorothy, "and I guess the best thing
we can do is to get to land before we're carried
any farther."

But they could not get to land. They had
no oars, nor even a pole to guide the raft with.
The logs which bore them floated in the middle
of the stream and were held fast in that position
by the strong current.

So they sat still and waited and, even while
they were wondering what could be done, the raft
slowed down, stopped, and began drifting the other
way--in the direction it had first followed. After
a time they repassed the Quadling house and the
man was still standing on the bank. He cried out
to them:

"Good day! Glad to see you again. I expect
I shall see you a good many times, as you go
by, unless you happen to swim ashore."

By that time they had left him behind and
were headed once more straight toward the
Winkie Country.

"This is pretty hard luck," said Ojo in a
discouraged voice. "The Trick River keeps
changing, it seems, and here we must float back
and forward forever, unless we manage in some way
to get ashore."

"Can you swim?" asked Dorothy.

"No; I'm Ojo the Unlucky."

"Neither can I. Toto can swim a little, but
that won't help us to get to shore."

"I don't know whether I could swim, or not,"
remarked Scraps; "but if I tried it I'd surely ruin
my lovely patches."

"My straw would get soggy in the water and
I would sink," said the Scarecrow.

So there seemed no way out of their dilemma
and being helpless they simply sat still. Ojo,
who was on the front of the raft, looked over
into the water and thought he saw some large
fishes swimming about. He found a loose end
of the clothesline which fastened the logs
together, and taking a gold nail from his pocket
he bent it nearly double, to form a hook, and
tied it to the end of the line. Having baited the
hook with some bread which he broke from his
loaf, he dropped the line into the water and
almost instantly it was seized by a great fish.

They knew it was a great fish, because it
pulled so hard on the line that it dragged the
raft forward even faster than the current of the
river had carried it. The fish was frightened,
and it was a strong swimmer. As the other end
of the clothesline was bound around the logs
he could not get it away, and as he had greedily
swallowed the gold hook at the first bite he
could not get rid of that, either.

When they reached the place where the current
had before changed, the fish was still swimming
ahead in its wild attempt to escape. The raft
slowed down, yet it did not stop, because the fish
would not let it. It continued to move in the same
direction it had been going. As the current
reversed and rushed backward on its course it
failed to drag the raft with it. Slowly, inch by
inch, they floated on, and the fish tugged and
tugged and kept them going.

"I hope he won't give up," said Ojo anxiously.
"If the fish can hold out until the current
changes again, we'll be all right."

The fish did not give up, but held the raft
bravely on its course, till at last the water in
the river shifted again and floated them the way
they wanted to go. But now the captive fish
found its strength failing. Seeking a refuge, it
began to drag the raft toward the shore. As they
did not wish to land in this place the boy cut
the rope with his pocket-knife and set the fish
free, just in time to prevent the raft from
grounding.

The next time the river backed up the Scarecrow
managed to seize the branch of a tree that
overhung the water and they all assisted him to
hold fast and prevent the raft from being carried
backward. While they waited here, Ojo spied a long
broken branch lying upon the bank, so he leaped
ashore and got it. When he had stripped off the
side shoots he believed he could use the branch as
a pole, to guide the raft in case of emergency.

They clung to the tree until they found the
water flowing the right way, when they let go
and permitted the raft to resume its voyage. In
spite of these pauses they were really making
good progress toward the Winkie Country and
having found a way to conquer the adverse
current their spirits rose considerably. They
could see little of the country through which
they were passing, because of the high banks,
and they met with no boats or other craft upon
the surface of the river.

Once more the trick river reversed its current,
but this time the Scarecrow was on guard and
used the pole to push the raft toward a big
rock which lay in the water. He believed the
rock would prevent their floating backward with
the current, and so it did. They clung to this
anchorage until the water resumed its proper
direction, when they allowed the raft to drift on.

Floating around a bend they saw ahead a high
bank of water, extending across the entire river,
and toward this they were being irresistibly
carried. There being no way to arrest the progress
of the raft they clung fast to the logs and let
the river sweep them on. Swiftly the raft climbed
the bank of water and slid down on the other side,
plunging its edge deep into the water and
drenching them all with spray.

As again the raft righted and drifted on,
Dorothy and Ojo laughed at the ducking they had
received; but Scraps was much dismayed and the
Scarecrow took out his handkerchief and wiped the
water off the Patchwork Girl's patches as well as
he was able to. The sun soon dried her and the
colors of her patches proved good, for they did
not run together nor did they fade.

After passing the wall of water the current did
not change or flow backward any more but continued
to sweep them steadily forward. The banks of the
river grew lower, too, permitting them to see more
of the country, and presently they discovered
yellow buttercups and dandelions growing amongst
the grass, from which evidence they knew they had
reached the Winkie Country.

"Don't you think we ought to land?" Dorothy
asked the Scarecrow.

"Pretty soon," he replied. "The Tin Woodman's
castle is in the southern part of the Winkie
Country, and so it can't be a great way from
here."

Fearing they might drift too far, Dorothy and
Ojo now stood up and raised the Scarecrow in
their arms, as high as they could, thus allowing
him a good view of the country. For a time he
saw nothing he recognized, but finally he cried:

"There it is! There it is!"

"What?" asked Dorothy.

"The Tin Woodman's tin castle. I can see
its turrets glittering in the sun. It's quite a way
off, but we'd better land as quickly as we can."

They let him down and began to urge the raft
toward the shore by means of the pole. It obeyed
very well, for the current was more sluggish
now, and soon they had reached the bank and
landed safely.

The Winkie Country was really beautiful,
and across the fields they could see afar the
silvery sheen of the tin castle. With light hearts
they hurried toward it, being fully rested by
their long ride on the river.

By and by they began to cross an immense
field of splendid yellow lilies, the delicate
fragrance of which was very delightful.

"How beautiful they are!" cried Dorothy,
stopping to admire the perfection of these
exquisite flowers.

"Yes," said the Scarecrow, reflectively, "but
we must be careful not to crush or injure any
of these lilies."

"Why not?" asked Ojo.

"The Tin Woodman is very kind-hearted,"
was the reply, "and he hates to see any living
thing hurt in any way."

"Are flowers alive?" asked Scraps.

"Yes, of course. And these flowers belong to
the Tin Woodman. So, in order not to offend
him, we must not tread on a single blossom."

"Once," said Dorothy, "the Tin Woodman
stepped on a beetle and killed the little creature.
That made him very unhappy and he cried until
his tears rusted his joints, so he couldn't move
'em."

"What did he do then?" asked Ojo.

"Put oil on them, until the joints worked
smooth again."

"Oh!" exclaimed the boy, as if a great discovery
had flashed across his mind. But he did not tell
anybody what the discovery was and kept the idea
to himself.

It was a long walk, but a pleasant one, and
they did not mind it a bit. Late in the afternoon
they drew near to the wonderful tin castle of
the Emperor of the Winkies, and Ojo and
Scraps, who had never seen it before, were
filled with amazement.

Tin abounded in the Winkie Country and
the Winkies were said to be the most skillful
tinsmiths in all the world. So the Tin Woodman
had employed them in building his magnificent
castle, which was all of tin, from the ground to
the tallest turret, and so brightly polished that
it glittered in the sun's rays more gorgeously
than silver. Around the grounds of the castle
ran a tin wall, with tin gates; but the gates stood
wide open because the Emperor had no enemies
to disturb him.

When they entered the spacious grounds our
travelers found more to admire. Tin fountains sent
sprays of clear water far into the air and there
were many beds of tin flowers, all as perfectly
formed as any natural flowers might be. There
were tin trees, too, and here and there shady
bowers of tin, with tin benches and chairs to sit
upon. Also, on the sides of the pathway leading up
to the front door of the castle, were rows of tin
statuary, very cleverly executed. Among these Ojo
recognized statues of Dorothy, Toto, the
Scarecrow, the Wizard, the Shaggy Man, Jack
Pumpkinhead and Ozma, all standing upon neat
pedestals of tin.

Toto was well acquainted with the residence of
the Tin Woodman and, being assured a joyful
welcome, he ran ahead and barked so loudly at the
front door that the Tin Woodman heard him and came
out in person to see if it were really his old
friend Toto. Next moment the tin man had clasped
the Scarecrow in a warm embrace and then turned
to hug Dorothy. But now his eye was arrested by
the strange sight of the Patchwork Girl, and he
gazed upon her in mingled wonder and admiration.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Tin Woodman Objects

The Tin Woodman was one of the most important
personages in all Oz. Though Emperor of the
Winkies, he owed allegiance to Ozma, who ruled all
the land, and the girl and the tin man were warm
personal friends. He was something of a dandy and
kept his tin body brilliantly polished and his tin
joints well oiled. Also he was very courteous in
manner and so kind and gentle that everyone loved
him. The Emperor greeted Ojo and Scraps with
cordial hospitality and ushered the entire party
into his handsome tin parlor, where all the
furniture and pictures were made of tin. The walls
were paneled with tin and from the tin ceiling
hung tin chandeliers.

The Tin Woodman wanted to know, first of
all, where Dorothy had found the Patchwork
Girl, so between them the visitors told the story
of how Scraps was made, as well as the accident
to Margolotte and Unc Nunkie and how Ojo
had set out upon a journey to procure the things
needed for the Crooked Magician's magic
charm. Then Dorothy told of their adventures
in the Quadling Country and how at last they
succeeded in getting the water from a dark well.

While the little girl was relating these
adventures the Tin Woodman sat in an easy chair
listening with intense interest, while the others
sat grouped around him. Ojo, however, had kept his
eyes fixed upon the body of the tin Emperor, and
now he noticed that under the joint of his left
knee a tiny drop of oil was forming. He watched
this drop of oil with a fast-beating heart, and
feeling in his pocket brought out a tiny vial of
crystal, which he held secreted in his hand.

Presently the Tin Woodman changed his
position, and at once Ojo, to the astonishment
of all, dropped to the floor and held his crystal
vial under the Emperor's knee joint. Just then
the drop of oil fell, and the boy caught it in
his bottle and immediately corked it tight. Then,
with a red face and embarrassed manner, he rose
to confront the others.

"What in the world were you doing?" asked
the Tin Woodman.

"I caught a drop of oil that fell from your
knee-joint," confessed Ojo.

"A drop of oil!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman.
"Dear me, how careless my valet must have
been in oiling me this morning. I'm afraid I
shall have to scold the fellow, for I can't be
dropping oil wherever I go."

"Never mind," said Dorothy. "Ojo seems glad
to have the oil, for some reason."

"Yes," declared the Munchkin boy, "I am
glad. For one of the things the Crooked Magician
sent me to get was a drop of oil from a live man's
body. I had no idea, at first, that there was such
a thing; but it's now safe in the little crystal
vial."

"You are very welcome to it, indeed," said
the Tin Woodman. "Have you now secured all
the things you were in search of?"

"Not quite all," answered Ojo. "There were five
things I had to get, and I have found four of
them. I have the three hairs in the tip of a
Woozy's tail, a six-leaved clover, a gill of water
from a dark well and a drop of oil from a live
man's body. The last thing is the easiest of all
to get, and I'm sure that my dear Unc Nunkie--and
good Margolotte, as well--will soon be restored to
life."

The Munchkin boy said this with much pride and
pleasure.

"Good!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman; "I
congratulate you. But what is the fifth and last
thing you need, in order to complete the magic
charm?"

"The left wing of a yellow butterfly," said
Ojo. "In this yellow country, and with your
kind assistance, that ought to be very easy to
find."

The Tin Woodman stared at him in amazement.

"Surely you are joking!" he said.

"No," replied Ojo, much surprised; "I am in
earnest."

"But do you think for a moment that I would
permit you, or anyone else, to pull the left wing
from a yellow butterfly?" demanded the Tin Woodman
sternly.

"Why not, sir?"

"Why not? You ask me why not? It would be
cruel--one of the most cruel and heartless deeds
I ever heard of," asserted the Tin Woodman.
"The butterflies are among the prettiest of all
created things, and they are very sensitive to
pain. To tear a wing from one would cause it
exquisite torture and it would soon die in great
agony. I would not permit such a wicked deed
under any circumstances!"

Ojo was astounded at hearing this. Dorothy, too,
looked grave and disconcerted, but she knew in her
heart that the Tin Woodman was right. The
Scarecrow nodded his head in approval of his
friend's speech, so it was evident that he agreed
with the Emperor's decision. Scraps looked from
one to another in perplexity.

"Who cares for a butterfly?" she asked.

"Don't you?" inquired the Tin Woodman.

"Not the snap of a finger, for I have no heart,"
said the Patchwork Girl. "But I want to help
Ojo, who is my friend, to rescue the uncle whom
he loves, and I'd kill a dozen useless butterflies
to enable him to do that."

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