Tik Tok of Oz

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When first they tumbled into the Tube all were
too dazed to think clearly, but the trip was a
long one, because the cavity led straight through
the earth to a place just opposite the Nome King's
dominions, and long before the adventurers got to
the end they had begun to recover their wits.

"This is awful, Hank!" cried Betsy in a loud
voice, and Queen Ann heard her and called out:
"Are you safe, Betsy?"

"Mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "How
could anyone be safe when she's going about
sixty miles a minute?" Then, after a pause, she
added: "But where do you s'pose we're going
to, Your Maj'sty?"

"Don't ask her that, please don't!" said
Shaggy, who was not too far away to overhear
them. "And please don't ask me why, either."

"Why?" said Betsy.

"No one can tell where we are going until
we get there," replied Shaggy, and then he
yelled "Ouch!" for Polychrome had overtaken
him and was now sitting on his head.

The Rainbow's Daughter laughed merrily,
and so infectious was this joyous laugh that
Betsy echoed it and Hank said "Hee haw!" in a
mild and sympathetic tone of voice.

"I'd like to know where and when we'll arrive,
just the same," exclaimed the little girl.

"Be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said
Polychrome. "But isn't this an odd experience?
Here am I, whose home is in the skies, making
a journey through the center of the earth--where
I never expected to be!"

"How do you know we're in the center of the
earth?" asked Betsy, her voice trembling a little
through nervousness.

"Why, we can t be anywhere else," replied
Polychrome. "I have often heard of this passage,
which was once built by a Magician who was a
great traveler. He thought it would save him the
bother of going around the earth's surface, but
he tumbled through the Tube so fast that he
shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky,
which at once exploded."

"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.

"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."

"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the
girl.

"No one knows that," answered Polychrome. "But I
don't think it matters much."

"It matters a good deal, if we also hit the
stars when we come out," said Queen Ann, with a
moan.

"Don't worry," advised Polychrome. "I believe
the Magician was going the other way, and probably
he went much faster than we are going."

"It's fast enough to suit me," remarked
Shaggy, gently removing Polychrome's heel
from his left eye. "Couldn't you manage to fall
all by yourself, my dear?"

"I'll try," laughed the Rainbow's Daughter.

All this time they were swiftly falling through
the Tube, and it was not so easy for them to talk
as you may imagine when you read their words. But
although they were so helpless and altogether in
the dark as to their fate, the fact that they were
able to converse at all cheered them,
considerably.

Files and Ozga were also conversing as they
clung tightly to one another, and the young
fellow bravely strove to reassure the Princess,
although he was terribly frightened, both on her
account and on his own.

An hour, under such trying circumstances, is
a very long time, and for more than an hour they
continued their fearful journey. Then, just as
they began to fear the Tube would never end,
Tik-Tok popped out into broad daylight and,
after making a graceful circle in the air, fell
with a splash into a great marble fountain.

Out came the officers, in quick succession,
tumbling heels over head and striking the
ground in many undignified attitudes.

"For the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a
Peculiar Person who was hoeing pink violets in a
garden. "What can all this mean?"

For answer, Queen Ann sailed up from the
Tube, took a ride through the air as high as the
treetops, and alighted squarely on top of the
Peculiar Person's head, smashing a jeweled
crown over his eyes and tumbling him to the
ground.

The mule was heavier and had Betsy clinging to
his back, so he did not go so high up. Fortunately
for his little rider he struck the ground upon his
four feet. Betsy was jarred a trifle but not hurt
and when she looked around her she saw the Queen
and the Peculiar Person struggling together upon
the ground, where the man was trying to choke Ann
and she had both hands in his bushy hair and was
pulling with all her might. Some of the officers,
when they got upon their feet, hastened to
separate the combatants and sought to restrain the
Peculiar Person so that he could not attack their
Queen again.

By this time, Shaggy, Polychrome, Ozga and Files
had all arrived and were curiously examining the
strange country in which they found themselves and
which they knew to be exactly on the opposite side
of the world from the place where they had fallen
into the Tube. It was a lovely place, indeed, and
seemed to be the garden of some great Prince, for
through the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be
seen the towers of an immense castle. But as yet
the only inhabitant to greet them was the Peculiar
Person just mentioned, who had shaken off the
grasp of the officers without effort and was now
trying to pull the battered crown from off his
eyes.

Shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to
do this and when the man was free and could
see again he looked at his visitors with evident
amazement.

"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "Where did
you come from and how did you get here?"

Betsy tried to answer him, for Queen Ann was
surly and silent.

"I can't say, exac'ly where we came from,
cause I don't know the name of the place," said
the girl, "but the way we got here was through
the Hollow Tube."

"Don't call it a 'hollow' Tube, please,"
exclaimed the Peculiar Person in an irritated tone
of voice. "If it's a tube, it's sure to be
hollow."

"Why?" asked Betsy.

"Because all tubes are made that way. But this
Tube is private property and everyone is forbidden
to fall into it."

"We didn't do it on purpose," explained Betsy,
and Polychrome added: "I am quite sure that
Ruggedo, the Nome King, pushed us down that Tube."

"Ha! Ruggedo! Did you say Ruggedo?" cried the
man, becoming much excited.

"That is what she said," replied Shaggy, "and I
believe she is right. We were on our way to
conquer the Nome King when suddenly we fell into
the Tube."

"Then you are enemies of Ruggedo?" inquired the
peculiar Person.

"Not exac'ly enemies," said Betsy, a little
puzzled by the question, "'cause we don't know him
at all; but we started out to conquer him, which
isn't as friendly as it might be."

"True," agreed the man. He looked thoughtfully
from one to another of them for a while and then
he turned his head over his shoulder and said:
"Never mind the fire and pincers, my good
brothers. It will be best to take these strangers
to the Private Citizen."

"Very well, Tubekins," responded a Voice,
deep and powerful, that seemed to come out of
the air, for the speaker was invisible.

All our friends gave a jump, at this. Even
Polychrome was so startled that her gauze
draperies fluttered like a banner in a breeze.
Shaggy shook his head and sighed; Queen Ann looked
very unhappy; the officers clung to each other,
trembling violently.

But soon they gained courage to look more
closely at the Peculiar Person. As he was a type
of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary land
whom they afterward met, I will try to tell you
what he looked like.

His face was beautiful, but lacked expression.
His eyes were large and blue in color and his
teeth finely formed and white as snow. His hair
was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at
the ends. So far no one could find any fault with
his appearance. He wore a robe of scarlet, which
did not cover his arms and extended no lower than
his bare knees. On the bosom of the robe was
embroidered a terrible dragon's head, as horrible
to look at as the man was beautiful. His arms and
legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was
bright yellow and the skin of the other arm a
vivid green. He had one blue leg and one pink one,
while both his feet--which showed through the open
sandals he wore--were jet black.

Betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous
colors were dyes or the natural tints of the skin,
but while she was thinking it over the man who
had been called "Tubekins" said:

"Follow me to the Residence--all of you!"

But just then a Voice exclaimed: "Here's another
of them, Tubekins, lying in the water of the
fountain."

"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok,
and he'll drown."

"Water is a bad thing for his clockworks,
anyway," agreed Shaggy, as with one accord they
all started for the fountain. But before they
could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-Tok
from the marble basin and set him upon his feet
beside it, water dripping from every joint of his
copper body.

"Ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and
then his copper jaws clicked together and he
could say no more. He next made an attempt to
walk but after several awkward trials found he
could not move his joints.

Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen
greeted Tik-Tok's failure, and the new arrivals in
this strange land found it very uncomfortable to
realize that there were many creatures around them
who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly.

"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very
sorry for Tik-Tok.

"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs
oiling," replied Shaggy.

At once an oil-can appeared before him, held
on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand.
Shaggy took the can and tried to oil Tik-Tok's
joints. As if to assist him, a strong current of
warm air was directed against the copper man
which quickly dried him. Soon he was able to
say "Ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his
joints worked fairly well.

"Come!" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back
upon them he walked up the path toward the castle.

"Shall we go?" asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but
just then she received a shove that almost pitched
her forward on her head; so she decided to go. The
officers who hesitated received several energetic
kicks, but could not see who delivered them;
therefore they also decided--very wisely--to go.
The others followed willingly enough, for unless
they ventured upon another terrible journey
through the Tube they must make the best of the
unknown country they were in, and the best seemed
to be to obey orders.

Chapter Eleven

The Famous Fellowship of Fairies

After a short walk through very beautiful gardens
they came to the castle and followed Tubekins
through the entrance and into a great domed
chamber, where he commanded them to be seated.

From the crown which he wore, Betsy had thought
this man must be the King of the country they were
in, yet after he had seated all the strangers upon
benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a
high throne, Tubekins bowed humbly before the
vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and
disappeared.

The hall was an immense place, but there seemed
to be no one in it beside themselves. Presently,
however, they heard a low cough near them, and
here and there was the faint rustling of a robe
and a slight patter as of footsteps. Then suddenly
there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the
sound all was changed.

Gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw
that it was filled with hundreds of men and women,
all with beautiful faces and staring blue eyes and
all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon
their heads. In fact, these people seemed exact
duplicates of Tubekins and it was difficult to
find any mark by which to tell them apart.

"My! what a lot of Kings and Queens!" whispered
Betsy to Polychrome, who sat beside her and
appeared much interested in the scene but not a
bit worried.

"It is certainly a strange sight," was
Polychrome's reply; "but I cannot see how there
can be more than one King, or Queen, in any one
country, for were these all rulers, no one could
tell who was Master."

One of the Kings who stood near and overheard
this remark turned to her and said: "One who is
Master of himself is always a King, if only to
himself. In this favored land all Kings and Queens
are equal, and it is our privilege to bow before
one supreme Ruler--the Private Citizen."

"Who's he?" inquired Betsy.

As if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell
again rang out and instantly there appeared
seated in the throne the man who was lord and
master of all these royal ones. This fact was
evident when with one accord they fell upon their
knees and touched their foreheads to the floor.

The Private Citizen was not unlike the others,
except that his eyes were black instead of blue
and in the centers of the black irises glowed red
sparks that seemed like coals of fire. But his
features were very beautiful and dignified and
his manner composed and stately. Instead of the
prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white,
and the same dragon's head that decorated the
others was embroidered upon its bosom.

"What charge lies against these people,
Tubekins?" he asked in quiet, even tones.

"They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty
Citizen," was the reply.

"You see, it was this way," said Betsy. "We
were marching to the Nome King, to conquer him and
set Shaggy's brother free, when on a sudden--"

"Who are you?" demanded the Private Citizen
sternly.

"Me? Oh, I'm Betsy Bobbin, and--"

"Who is the leader of this party?" asked the
Citizen.

"Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and--"

"Then keep quiet," said the Citizen. "Who is the
leader?"

No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn
stood up.

"Sit down!" commanded the Citizen. "I can see
that sixteen of you are merely officers, and of no
account."

"But we have an Army," said General Clock,
blusteringly, for he didn't like to be told he was
of no account.

"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.

"It's me," said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a
little rusty. "I'm the on-ly Pri-vate Sol-dier in
the par-ty."

Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed
respectfully to the Clockwork Man.

"Pardon me for not realizing your importance
before," said he. "Will you oblige me by taking
a seat beside me on my throne?"

Tik-Tok rose and walked over to the throne, all
the Kings and Queens making way for him. Then with
clanking steps he mounted the platform and sat on
the broad seat beside the Citizen.

Ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor
shown to the humble Clockwork Man, but Shaggy
seemed much pleased that his old friend's
importance had been recognized by the ruler of
this remarkable country. The Citizen now began to
question Tik-Tok, who told in his mechanical voice
about Shaggy's quest of his lost brother, and how
Ozma of Oz had sent the Clockwork Man to assist
him, and how they had fallen in with Queen Ann and
her people from Oogaboo. Also he told how Betsy
and Hank and Polychrome and the Rose Princess had
happened to join their party.

"And you intended to conquer Ruggedo, the Metal
Monarch and King of the Nomes?" asked the Citizen.

"Yes. That seemed the on-ly thing for us to do,"
was Tik-Tok's reply. "But he was too cle-ver for
us. When we got close to his cav-ern he made our
path lead to the Tube, and made the op-en-ing in-
vis-i-ble, so that we all fell in-to it be-fore we
knew it was there. It was an eas-y way to get rid
of us and now Rug-gedo is safe and we are far a-
way in a strange land."

The Citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be
thinking. Then he said:

"Most noble Private Soldier, I must inform you
that by the laws of our country anyone who comes
through the Forbidden Tube must be tortured for
nine days and ten nights and then thrown back into
the Tube. But it is wise to disregard laws when
they conflict with justice, and it seems that you
and your followers did not disobey our laws
willingly, being forced into the Tube by Ruggedo.
Therefore the Nome King is alone to blame, and he
alone must be punished."

"That suits me," said Tik-Tok. "But Rug-ge-do
is on the o-ther side of the world where he is
a-way out of your reach."

The Citizen drew himself up proudly.

"Do you imagine anything in the world or upon it
can be out of the reach of the Great Jinjin?" he
asked.

"Oh! Are you, then, the Great Jinjin?" inquired
Tik-Tok.

"I am."

"Then your name is Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?"

"It is."

Queen Ann gave a scream and began to tremble.
Shaggy was so disturbed that he took out a
handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his
brow. Polychrome looked sober and uneasy for the
first time, while Files put his arms around the
Rose Princess as if to protect her. As for the
officers, the name of the great Jinjin set them
moaning and weeping at a great rate and every one
fell upon his knees before the throne, begging for
mercy. Betsy was worried at seeing her companions
so disturbed, but did not know what it was all
about. Only Tik-Tok was unmoved at the discovery.

"Then," said he, "if you are Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo,
and think Rug-ge-do is to blame, I am sure that
some-thing queer will hap-pen to the King of the
Nomes."

"I wonder what 'twill be," said Betsy.

The Private Citizen--otherwise known as Tititi-
Hoochoo, the Great Jinjin--looked at the little
girl steadily.

"I will presently decide what is to happen to
Ruggedo," said he in a hard, stern voice. Then,
turning to the throng of Kings and Queens, he
continued: "Tik-Tok has spoken truly, for his
machinery will not allow him to lie, nor will it
allow his thoughts to think falsely. Therefore
these people are not our enemies and must be
treated with consideration and justice. Take them
to your palaces and entertain them as guests until
to-morrow, when I command that they be brought
again to my Residence. By then I shall have formed
my plans."

No sooner had Tititi-Hoochoo spoken than he
disappeared from sight. Immediately after, most of
the Kings and Queens likewise disappeared. But
several of them remained visible and approached
the strangers with great respect. One of the
lovely Queens said to Betsy:

"I trust you will honor me by being my guest. I
am Erma, Queen of Light."

"May Hank come with me?" asked the girl.

"The King of Animals will care for your mule,"
was the reply. "But do not fear for him, for he
will be treated royally. All of your party will be
reunited on the morrow."

"I--I'd like to have some one with me," said
Betsy, pleadingly.

Queen Erma looked around and smiled upon
Polychrome.

"Will the Rainbow's Daughter be an agreeable
companion?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl.

So Polychrome and Betsy became guests of the
Queen of Light, while other beautiful Kings and
Queens took charge of the others of the party.

The two girls followed Erma out of the hall
and through the gardens of the Residence to a
village of pretty dwellings. None of these was so
large or imposing as the castle of the Private
Citizen, but all were handsome enough to be
called palaces--as, in fact, they really were.

Chapter Twelve

The Lovely Lady of Light

The palace of the Queen of Light stood on a little
eminence and was a mass of crystal windows,
surmounted by a vast crystal dome. When they
entered the portals Erma was greeted by six lovely
maidens, evidently of high degree, who at once
aroused Betsy's admiration. Each bore a wand in
her hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and
their costumes were also emblematic of the lights
they represented. Erma introduced them to her
guests and each made a graceful and courteous
acknowledgment.

First was Sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very
fair; the second was Moonlight, a soft, dreamy
damsel with nut-brown hair; next came Starlight,
equally lovely but inclined to be retiring and
shy. These three were dressed in shimmering robes
of silvery white. The fourth was Daylight, a
brilliant damsel with laughing eyes and frank
manners, who wore a variety of colors. Then came
Firelight, clothed in a fleecy flame-colored robe
that wavered around her shapely form in a very
attractive manner. The sixth maiden, Electra, was
the most beautiful of all, and Betsy thought from
the first that both Sunlight and Daylight regarded
Electra with envy and were a little jealous of
her.

But all were cordial in their greetings to the
strangers and seemed to regard the Queen of Light
with much affection, for they fluttered around her
in a flashing, radiant group as she led the way to
her regal drawing-room.

This apartment was richly and cosily furnished,
the upholstery being of many tints, and both Betsy
and Polychrome enjoyed resting themselves upon the
downy divans after their strenuous adventures of
the day.

The Queen sat down to chat with her guests, who
noticed that Daylight was the only maiden now
seated beside Erma. The others had retired to
another part of the room, where they sat modestly
with entwined arms and did not intrude themselves
at all.

The Queen told the strangers all about this
beautiful land, which is one of the chief
residences of fairies who minister to the needs of
mankind. So many important fairies lived there
that, to avoid rivalry, they had elected as their
Ruler the only important personage in the country
who had no duties to mankind to perform and was,
in effect, a Private Citizen. This Ruler, or
Jinjin, as was his title, bore the name of Tititi-
Hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him was
that he had no heart. But instead of this he
possessed a high degree of Reason and Justice and
while he showed no mercy in his judgments he never
punished unjustly or without reason. To wrong-
doers Tititi-Hoochoo was as terrible as he was
heartless, but those who were innocent of evil had
nothing to fear from him.

All the Kings and Queens of this fairyland paid
reverence to Jinjin, for as they expected to be
obeyed by others they were willing to obey the one
in authority over them.

The inhabitants of the Land of Oz had heard many
tales of this fearfully just Jinjin, whose
punishments were always equal to the faults
committed. Polychrome also knew of him, although
this was the first time she had ever seen him face
to face. But to Betsy the story was all new, and
she was greatly interested in Tititi-Hoochoo, whom
she no longer feared.

Time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly
Betsy noticed that Moonlight was sitting beside
the Queen of Light, instead of Daylight.

"But tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you
all wear a dragon's head embroidered on your
gowns?"

Erma's pleasant face became grave as she
answered:

"The Dragon, as you must know, was the first
living creature ever made; therefore the Dragon is
the oldest and wisest of living things. By good
fortune the Original Dragon, who still lives, is a
resident of this land and supplies us with wisdom
whenever we are in need of it. He is old as the
world and remembers everything that has happened
since the world was created."

"Did he ever have any children?" inquired the
girl.

"Yes, many of them. Some wandered into other
lands, where men, not understanding them, made war
upon them; but many still reside in this country.
None, however, is as wise as the Original Dragon,
for whom we have great respect. As he was the
first resident here, we wear the emblem of the
dragon's head to show that we are the favored
people who alone have the right to inhabit this
fairyland, which in beauty almost equals the
Fairyland of Oz, and in power quite surpasses it."

"I understand about the dragon, now," said
Polychrome, nodding her lovely head. Betsy did not
quite understand, but she was at present
interested in observing the changing lights. As
Daylight had given way to Moonlight, so now
Starlight sat at the right hand of Erma the Queen,
and with her coming a spirit of peace and content
seemed to fill the room. Polychrome, being
herself a fairy, had many questions to ask about
the various Kings and Queens who lived in this
far-away, secluded place, and before Erma had
finished answering them a rosy glow filled the
room and Firelight took her place beside the
Queen.

Betsy liked Firelight, but to gaze upon her warm
and glowing features made the little girl sleepy,
and presently she began to nod. Thereupon Erma
rose and took Betsy's hand gently in her own.

"Come," said she; "the feast time has arrived
and the feast is spread."

"That's nice," exclaimed the small mortal.
"Now that I think of it, I'm awful hungry. But
p'raps I can't eat your fairy food."

The Queen smiled and led her to a doorway. As
she pushed aside a heavy drapery a flood of
silvery light greeted them, and Betsy saw before
her a splendid banquet hall, with a table spread
with snowy linen and crystal and silver. At one
side was a broad, throne-like seat for Erma and
beside her now sat the brilliant maid Electra.
Polychrome was placed on the Queen's right hand
and Betsy upon her left. The other five messengers
of light now waited upon them, and each person was
supplied with just the food she liked best.
Polychrome found her dish of dewdrops, all fresh
and sparkling, while Betsy was so lavishly served
that she decided she had never in her life eaten a
dinner half so good.

"I s'pose," she said to the Queen, "that Miss
Electra is the youngest of all these girls."

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