Tik Tok of Oz
L >>
L. Frank Baum >> Tik Tok of Oz
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 | 9 |
10 |
11
"Where is my brother now?" inquired Shaggy.
"In the Metal Forest."
"Where is that?"
"The Metal Forest is in the Great Domed Cavern,
the largest in all our dominions," replied Kaliko.
"It is almost like being out of doors, it is so
big, and Ruggedo made the wonderful forest to
amuse himself, as well as to tire out his hard-
working nomes. All the trees are gold and silver
and the ground is strewn with precious stones, so
it is a sort of treasury."
"Let us go there at once and rescue my dear
brother," pleaded Shaggy earnestly.
Kaliko hesitated.
"I don't believe I can find the way," said he.
"Ruggedo made three secret passages to the Metal
Forest, but he changes the location of these
passages every week, so that no one can get to the
Metal Forest without his permission. However, if
we look sharp, we may be able to discover one of
these secret ways."
"That reminds me to ask what has become of Queen
Ann and the Officers of Oogaboo," said Files.
"I'm sure I can't say," replied Kaliko.
"Do you suppose Ruggedo destroyed them?"
"Oh, no; I'm quite sure he didn't. They fell
into the big pit in the passage, and we put the
cover on to keep them there; but when the
executioners went to look for them they had all
disappeared from the pit and we could find no
trace of them."
"That's funny," remarked Betsy thoughtfully. "I
don't believe Ann knew any magic, or she'd have
worked it before. But to disappear like that seems
like magic; now, doesn't it?"
They agreed that it did, but no one could
explain the mystery.
"However," said Shaggy, "they are gone, that is
certain, so we cannot help them or be helped by
them. And the important thing just now is to
rescue my dear brother from captivity."
"Why do they call him the Ugly One?" asked
Betsy.
"I do not know," confessed Shaggy. "I can not
remember his looks very well, it is so long since
I have seen him; but all of our family are noted
for their handsome faces."
Betsy laughed and Shaggy seemed rather hurt; but
Polychrome relieved his embarrassment by saying
softly: "One can be ugly in looks, but lovely in
disposition."
"Our first task," said Shaggy, a little
comforted by this remark, "is to find one of those
secret passages to the Metal Forest."
"True," agreed Kaliko. "So I think I will
assemble the chief nomes of my kingdom in this
throne room and tell them that I am their new
King. Then I can ask them to assist us in
searching for the secret passages.
"That's a good idea," said the dragon, who
seemed to be getting sleepy again.
Kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it
just as Ruggedo used to do; but no one answered
the summons.
"Of course not," said he, jumping up from the
throne, where he had seated himself. "That is my
call, and I am still the Royal Chamberlain, and
will be until I appoint another in my place."
So he ran out of the room and found Guph and
told him to answer the summons of the King's gong.
Having returned to the royal cavern, Kaliko first
pounded the gong and then sat in the throne,
wearing Ruggedo's discarded ruby crown and holding
in his hand the sceptre which Ruggedo had so often
thrown at his head.
When Guph entered he was amazed.
"Better get out of that throne before old
Ruggedo comes back," he said warningly.
"He isn't coming back, and I am now the King of
the Nomes, in his stead," announced Kaliko.
"All of which is quite true," asserted the
dragon, and all of those who stood around the
throne bowed respectfully to the new King.
Seeing this, Guph also bowed, for he was glad to
be rid of such a hard master as Ruggedo. Then
Kaliko, in quite a kingly way, informed Guph that
he was appointed the Royal Chamberlain, and
promised not to throw the sceptre at his head
unless he deserved it.
All this being pleasantly arranged, the new
Chamberlain went away to tell the news to all the
nomes of the underground Kingdom, every one of
whom would be delighted with the change in Kings.
Chapter Twenty
Quox Quietly Quits
When the chief nomes assembled before their new
King they joyfully saluted him and promised to
obey his commands. But, when Kaliko questioned
them, none knew the way to the Metal Forest,
although all had assisted in its making. So the
King instructed them to search carefully for one
of the passages and to bring him the news as soon
as they had found it.
Meantime Quox had managed to back out of the
rocky corridor and so regain the open air and his
old station on the mountain-side, and there he lay
upon the rocks, sound asleep, until the next day.
The others of the party were all given as good
rooms as the caverns of the nomes afforded, for
King Kaliko felt that he was indebted to them for
his promotion and was anxious to be as hospitable
as he could.
Much wonderment had been caused by the absolute
disappearance of the sixteen officers of Oogaboo
and their Queen. Not a nome had seen them, nor
were they discovered during the search for the
passages leading to the Metal Forest. Perhaps no
one was unhappy over their loss, but all were
curious to know what had become of them.
On the next day, when our friends went to visit
the dragon, Quox said to them: "I must now bid you
good-bye, for my mission here is finished and I
must depart for the other side of the world,
where I belong."
"Will you go through the Tube again?" asked
Betsy.
"To be sure. But it will be a lonely trip this
time, with no one to talk to, and I cannot invite
any of you to go with me. Therefore, as soon as I
slide into the hole I shall go to sleep, and when
I pop out at the other end I will wake up at
home."
They thanked the dragon for befriending them and
wished him a pleasant journey. Also they sent
their thanks to the great Jinjin, whose just
condemnation of Ruggedo had served their interests
so well. Then Quox yawned and stretched himself
and ambled over to the Tube, into which he slid
headforemost and disappeared.
They really felt as if they had lost a friend,
for the dragon had been both kind and sociable
during their brief acquaintance with him; but they
knew it was his duty to return to his own country.
So they went back to the caverns to renew the
search for the hidden passages that led to the
forest, but for three days all efforts to find
them proved in vain.
It was Polychrome's custom to go every day to
the mountain and watch for her father, the
Rainbow, for she was growing tired with wandering
upon the earth and longed to rejoin her sisters in
their sky palaces. And on the third day, while she
sat motionless upon a point of rock, whom should
she see slyly creeping up the mountain but
Ruggedo!
The former King looked very forlorn. His clothes
were soiled and torn and he had no sandals upon
his feet or hat upon his head. Having left his
crown and sceptre behind when he fled, the old
nome no longer seemed kingly, but more like a
beggerman.
Several times had Ruggedo crept up to the
mouth of the caverns, only to find the six eggs
still on guard. He knew quite well that he must
accept his fate and become a homeless wanderer,
but his chief regret now was that he had neglected
to fill his pockets with gold and jewels. He was
aware that a wanderer with wealth at his command
would fare much better than one who was a pauper,
so he still loitered around the caverns wherein he
knew so much treasure was stored, hoping for a
chance to fill his pockets.
That was how he came to recollect the Metal
Forest.
"Aha!" said he to himself, "I alone know the way
to that Forest, and once there I can fill my
pockets with the finest jewels in all the world."
He glanced at his pockets and was grieved to
find them so small. Perhaps they might be
enlarged, so that they would hold more. He knew of
a poor woman who lived in a cottage at the foot of
the mountain, so he went to her and begged her to
sew pockets all over his robe, paying her with the
gift of a diamond ring which he had worn upon his
finger. The woman was delighted to possess so
valuable a ring and she sewed as many pockets on
Ruggedo's robe as she possibly could.
Then he returned up the mountain and, after
gazing cautiously around to make sure he was
not observed, he touched a spring in a rock and
it swung slowly backward, disclosing a broad
passageway. This he entered, swinging the rock
in place behind him.
However, Ruggedo had failed to look as carefully
as he might have done, for Polychrome was seated
only a little distance off and her clear eyes
marked exactly the manner in which Ruggedo had
released the hidden spring. So she rose and
hurried into the cavern, where she told Kaliko and
her friends of her discovery.
"I've no doubt that that is a way to the Metal
Forest," exclaimed Shaggy. "Come, let us follow
Ruggedo at once and rescue my poor brother!"
They agreed to this and King Kaliko called
together a band of nomes to assist them by
carrying torches to light their way.
"The Metal Forest has a brilliant light of its
own," said he, "but the passage across the valley
is likely to be dark."
Polychrome easily found the rock and touched the
spring, so in less than an hour after Ruggedo had
entered they were all in the passage and following
swiftly after the former King.
"He means to rob the Forest, I'm sure," said
Kaliko; "but he will find he is no longer of any
account in this Kingdom and I will have my nomes
throw him out."
"Then please throw him as hard as you can," said
Betsy, "for he deserves it. I don't mind an
honest, out-an'-out enemy, who fights square; but
changing girls into fiddles and ordering 'em put
into Slimy Caves is mean and tricky, and Ruggedo
doesn't deserve any sympathy. But you'll have to
let him take as much treasure as he can get in his
pockets, Kaliko."
"Yes, the Jinjin said so; but we won't miss it
much. There is more treasure in the Metal Forest
than a million nomes could carry in their
pockets."
It was not difficult to walk through this
passage, especially when the torches lighted the
way, so they made good progress. But it proved to
be a long distance and Betsy had tired herself
with walking and was seated upon the back of the
mule when the passage made a sharp turn and a
wonderful and glorious light burst upon them. The
next moment they were all standing upon the edge
of the marvelous Metal Forest.
It lay under another mountain and occupied a
great domed cavern, the roof of which was higher
than a church steeple. In this space the
industrious nomes had built, during many years of
labor, the most beautiful forest in the world. The
trees--trunks, branches and leaves--were all of
solid gold, while the bushes and underbrush were
formed of filigree silver, virgin pure. The trees
towered as high as natural live oaks do and were
of exquisite workmanship.
On the ground were thickly strewn precious gems
of every hue and size, while here and there among
the trees were paths pebbled with cut diamonds of
the clearest water. Taken all together, more
treasure was gathered in this Metal Forest than is
contained in all the rest of the world--if we
except the land of Oz, where perhaps its value is
equalled in the famous Emerald City.
Our friends were so amazed at the sight that for
a while they stood gazing in silent wonder. Then
Shaggy exclaimed.
"My brother! My dear lost brother! Is he indeed
a prisoner in this place?"
"Yes," replied Kaliko. "The Ugly One has been
here for two or three years, to my positive
knowledge."
"But what could he find to eat?" inquired
Betsy. "It's an awfully swell place to live in, but
one can't breakfast on rubies and di'monds, or
even gold."
"One doesn't need to, my dear," Kaliko assured
her. "The Metal Forest does not fill all of this
great cavern, by any means. Beyond these gold and
silver trees are other trees of the real sort,
which bear foods very nice to eat. Let us walk in
that direction, for I am quite sure we will find
Shaggy's brother in that part of the cavern,
rather than in this."
So they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbled
paths, and at every step they were more and more
bewildered by the wondrous beauty of the golden
trees with their glittering foliage.
Suddenly they heard a scream. Jewels scattered
in every direction as some one hidden among the
bushes scampered away before them. Then a loud
voice cried: "Halt!" and there was the sound of a
struggle.
Chapter Twenty-One
A Bashful Brother
With fast beating hearts they all rushed forward
and, beyond a group of stately metal trees, came
full upon a most astonishing scene.
There was Ruggedo in the hands of the officers
of Oogaboo, a dozen of whom were clinging to the
old nome and holding him fast in spite of his
efforts to escape. There also was Queen Ann,
looking grimly upon the scene of strife; but when
she observed her former companions approaching she
turned away in a shamefaced manner.
For Ann and her officers were indeed a sight to
behold. Her Majesty's clothing, once so rich and
gorgeous, was now worn and torn into shreds by her
long crawl through the tunnel, which, by the way,
had led her directly into the Metal Forest. It
was, indeed, one of the three secret passages, and
by far the most difficult of the three. Ann had
not only torn her pretty skirt and jacket, but her
crown had become bent and battered and even her
shoes were so cut and slashed that they were ready
to fall from her feet.
The officers had fared somewhat worse than their
leader, for holes were worn in the knees of their
trousers, while sharp points of rock in the roof
and sides of the tunnel had made rags of every
inch of their once brilliant uniforms. A more
tattered and woeful army never came out of a
battle, than these harmless victims of the rocky
passage. But it had seemed their only means of
escape from the cruel Nome King; so they had
crawled on, regardless of their sufferings.
When they reached the Metal Forest their eyes
beheld more plunder than they had ever dreamed of;
yet they were prisoners in this huge dome and
could not escape with the riches heaped about
them. Perhaps a more unhappy and homesick lot of
"conquerors" never existed than this band from
Oogaboo.
After several days of wandering in their
marvelous prison they were frightened by the
discovery that Ruggedo had come among them.
Rendered desperate by their sad condition, the
officers exhibited courage for the first time
since they left home and, ignorant of the fact
that Ruggedo was no longer King of the nomes, they
threw themselves upon him and had just succeeded
in capturing him when their fellow adventurers
reached the spot.
"Goodness gracious!" cried Betsy. "What has
happened to you all?"
Ann came forward to greet them, sorrowful and
indignant.
"We were obliged to escape from the pit through
a small tunnel, which was lined with sharp and
jagged rocks," said she, "and not only was our
clothing torn to rags but our flesh is so bruised
and sore that we are stiff and lame in every
joint. To add to our troubles we find we are still
prisoners; but now that we have succeeded in
capturing the wicked Metal Monarch we shall force
him to grant us our liberty."
"Ruggedo is no longer Metal Monarch, or King of
the nomes," Files informed her. "He has been
deposed and cast out of his kingdom by Quox; but
here is the new King, whose name is Kaliko, and I
am pleased to assure Your Majesty that he is our
friend."
"Glad to meet Your Majesty, I'm sure," said
Kaliko, bowing as courteously as if the Queen
still wore splendid raiment.
The officers, having heard this explanation, now
set Ruggedo free; but, as he had no place to go,
he stood by and faced his former servant, who was
now King in his place, in a humble and pleading
manner.
"What are you doing here?" asked Kaliko sternly.
"Why, I was promised as much treasure as I
could carry in my pockets," replied Ruggedo;
"so I came here to get it, not wishing to disturb
Your Majesty."
"You were commanded to leave the country of the
nomes forever!" declared Kaliko.
"I know; and I'll go as soon as I have filled my
pockets," said Ruggedo, meekly.
"Then fill them, and be gone," returned the new
King.
Ruggedo obeyed. Stooping down, he began
gathering up jewels by the handful and stuffing
them into his many pockets. They were heavy
things, these diamonds and rubies and emeralds and
amethysts and the like, so before long Ruggedo was
staggering with the weight he bore, while the
pockets were not yet filled. When he could no
longer stoop over without falling, Betsy and
Polychrome and the Rose Princess came to his
assistance, picking up the finest gems and tucking
them into his pockets.
At last these were all filled and Ruggedo
presented a comical sight, for surely no man ever
before had so many pockets, or any at all filled
with such a choice collection of precious stones.
He neglected to thank the young ladies for their
kindness, but gave them a surly nod of farewell
and staggered down the path by the way he had
come. They let him depart in silence, for with all
he had taken, the masses of jewels upon the ground
seemed scarcely to have been disturbed, so
numerous were they. Also they hoped they had seen
the last of the degraded King.
"I'm awful glad he's gone," said Betsy, sighing
deeply. "If he doesn't get reckless and spend his
wealth foolishly, he's got enough to start a bank
when he gets to Oklahoma."
"But my brother--my dear brother! Where is he?"
inquired Shaggy anxiously. "Have you seen him,
Queen Ann?"
"What does your brother look like?" asked the
Queen.
Shaggy hesitated to reply, but Betsy said: "He's
called the Ugly One. Perhaps you'll know him by
that."
"The only person we have seen in this cavern,"
said Ann, "has run away from us whenever we
approached him. He hides over yonder, among the
trees that are not gold, and we have never been
able to catch sight of his face. So I can not tell
whether he is ugly or not."
"That must be my dear brother!" exclaimed
Shaggy.
"Yes, it must be," assented Kaliko. "No one else
inhabits this splendid dome, so there can be no
mistake."
"But why does he hide among those green trees,
instead of enjoying all these glittery golden
ones?" asked Betsy.
"Because he finds food among the natural trees,"
replied Kaliko, "and I remember that he has built
a little house there, to sleep in. As for these
glittery golden trees, I will admit they are very
pretty at first sight. One cannot fail to admire
them, as well as the rich jewels scattered beneath
them; but if one has to look at them always, they
become pretty tame."
"I believe that is true," declared Shaggy. "My
dear brother is very wise to prefer real trees to
the imitation ones. But come; let us go there and
find him."
Shaggy started for the green grove at once, and
the others followed him, being curious to witness
the final rescue of his long-sought, long-lost
brother.
Not far from the edge of the grove they came
upon a small hut, cleverly made of twigs and
golden branches woven together. As they approached
the place they caught a glimpse of a form that
darted into the hut and slammed the door tight
shut after him.
Shaggy Man ran to the door and cried aloud:
"Brother! Brother!"
"Who calls," demanded a sad, hollow voice
from within.
"It is Shaggy--your own loving brother--who has
been searching for you a long time and has now
come to rescue you."
"Too late!" replied the gloomy voice. "No one
can rescue me now."
"Oh, but you are mistaken about that," said
Shaggy. "There is a new King of the nomes, named
Kaliko, in Ruggedo's place, and he has promised
you shall go free."
"Free! I dare not go free!" said the Ugly One,
in a voice of despair.
"Why not, Brother?" asked Shaggy, anxiously.
"Do you know what they have done to me?" came
the answer through the closed door.
"No. Tell me, Brother, what have they done?"
"When Ruggedo first captured me I was very
handsome. Don't you remember, Shaggy?"
"Not very well, Brother; you were so young when
I left home. But I remember that mother thought
you were beautiful."
"She was right! I am sure she was right," wailed
the prisoner. "But Ruggedo wanted to injure me--to
make me ugly in the eyes of all the world--so he
performed a wicked enchantment. I went to bed
beautiful--or you might say handsome--to be very
modest I will merely claim that I was good-
looking--and I wakened the next morning the
homeliest man in all the world! I am so repulsive
that when I look in a mirror I frighten myself."
"Poor Brother!" said Shaggy softly, and all the
others were silent from sympathy.
"I was so ashamed of my looks," continued the
voice of Shaggy's brother, "that I tried to hide;
but the cruel King Ruggedo forced me to appear
before all the legion of nomes, to whom he said:
'Behold the Ugly One!' But when the nomes saw my
face they all fell to laughing and jeering, which
prevented them from working at their tasks. Seeing
this, Ruggedo became angry and pushed me into a
tunnel, closing the rock entrance so that I could
not get out. I followed the length of the tunnel
until I reached this huge dome, where the
marvelous Metal Forest stands, and here I have
remained ever since."
"Poor Brother!" repeated Shaggy. "But I beg you
now to come forth and face us, who are your
friends. None here will laugh or jeer, however
unhandsome you may be."
"No, indeed," they all added pleadingly.
But the Ugly One refused the invitation.
"I cannot," said he; "indeed, I cannot face
strangers, ugly as I am."
Shaggy Man turned to the group surrounding him.
"What shall I do?" he asked in sorrowful tones.
"I cannot leave my dear brother here, and he
refuses to come out of that house and face us."
"I'll tell you," replied Betsy. "Let him put on
a mask."
"The very idea I was seeking!" exclaimed Shaggy
joyfully; and then he called out: "Brother, put a
mask over your face, and then none of us can see
what your features are like."
"I have no mask," answered the Ugly One.
"Look here," said Betsy; "he can use my
handkerchief."
Shaggy looked at the little square of cloth and
shook his head.
"It isn't big enough," he objected; "I'm sure it
isn't big enough to hide a man's face. But he can
use mine."
Saying this he took from his pocket his own
handkerchief and went to the door of the hut.
"Here, my Brother," he called, "take this
handkerchief and make a mask of it. I will also
pass you my knife, so that you may cut holes for
the eyes, and then you must tie it over your
face."
The door slowly opened, just far enough for the
Ugly One to thrust out his hand and take the
handkerchief and the knife. Then it closed again.
"Don't forget a hole for your nose," cried
Betsy. "You must breathe, you know."
For a time there was silence. Queen Ann and her
army sat down upon the ground to rest. Betsy sat
on Hank's back. Polychrome danced lightly up and
down the jeweled paths while Files and the
Princess wandered through the groves arm in arm.
Tik-Tok, who never tired, stood motionless.
By and by a noise sounded from within the hut.
"Are you ready?" asked Shaggy.
"Yes, Brother," came the reply and the door was
thrown open to allow the Ugly One to step forth.
Betsy might have laughed aloud had she not
remembered how sensitive to ridicule Shaggy's
brother was, for the handkerchief with which he
had masked his features was a red one covered with
big white polka dots. In this two holes had been
cut--in front of the eyes--while two smaller ones
before the nostrils allowed the man to breathe
freely. The cloth was then tightly drawn over the
Ugly One's face and knotted at the back of his
neck.
He was dressed in clothes that had once been
good, but now were sadly worn and frayed. His silk
stockings had holes in them, and his shoes were
stub-toed and needed blackening. "But what can you
expect," whispered Betsy, "when the poor man has
been a prisoner for so many years?"
Shaggy had darted forward, and embraced his
newly found brother with both his arms. The
brother also embraced Shaggy, who then led him
forward and introduced him to all the assembled
company.
"This is the new Nome King," he said when he
came to Kaliko. "He is our friend, and has granted
you your freedom."
"That is a kindly deed," replied Ugly in a sad
voice, "but I dread to go back to the world in
this direful condition. Unless I remain forever
masked, my dreadful face would curdle all the milk
and stop all the clocks."
"Can't the enchantment be broken in some way?"
inquired Betsy.
Shaggy looked anxiously at Kaliko, who shook his
head.
"I am sure I can't break the enchantment," he
said. "Ruggedo was fond of magic, and learned a
good many enchantments that we nomes know
nothing of."
"Perhaps Ruggedo himself might break his own
enchantment," suggested Ann; "but unfortunately we
have allowed the old King to escape."
"Never mind, my dear Brother," said Shaggy
consolingly; "I am very happy to have found you
again, although I may never see your face. So let
us make the most of this joyful reunion."
The Ugly One was affected to tears by this
tender speech, and the tears began to wet the red
handkerchief; so Shaggy gently wiped them away
with his coat sleeve.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 | 9 |
10 |
11