The Hidden Valley of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

  Soon they were winding their way amid the high trees, whose leafy branches shut out most of the sunlight from above. Jam began to wonder if there were any savage animals living in this jungle, when suddenly the group heard a terrible commotion ahead of them. There were fierce growls and roars, which sounded as if a whole zoo had escaped and was engaged in a pitched battle. They had come to the edge of a clearing and as they paused, hesitating to go in the direction from which the noise was coming, they heard a loud crashing in the underbrush as if some huge creature were rushing toward them.

  "Quick," said the Tin Woodman to Jam and Dorothy, "hop off the backs of the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger. If this is some vicious beast, they may have to fight to protect us. I, myself, will stand ready with my stalwart axe."

  "Stand behind me," said the Scarecrow, "for I cannot be harmed; while you flesh and blood people must fear wild beasts."

  Percy, too, was on the alert, for he was not as big and strong as these animals of the jungle. Suddenly a huge beast bounded into the clearing and stopped short when he saw the lion and the tiger crouched ready to pounce and the Tin Woodman with his shiny axe. The animal was a large leopard, but a more curious leopard has never been seen; for while the party watched to see if he planned to attack them, his black spots on the tawny background changed to green stars, and again in a minute to red circles, and again to orange bars. The people were nearly blinded by this peculiar changing of spots.

  "Who are you?" Growled the Cowardly Lion, "and what do you want? Are you a friend or foe?"

  "Speak up," snarled the Hungry Tiger, "before we leap upon you and tear you to bits."

  "Please do not attack me," cried the Leopard with the Changing Spots, "for I have just escaped another group of fierce animals who were ready to destroy me, and I am too tired to run from you, too."

  The beast did not sound unfriendly, so the Tin Woodman said, "Why were the other animals making war upon you? What had you done to them to incur their wrath?"

  "Nothing, Tin Man," asserted the Leopard. "The other animals hated and distrusted me because I could change my spots, which no other leopard can do. So, because I was different, they have driven me from my home and threatened to tear me to bits if I ever return."

  All the while he spoke, the Leopard's spots were changing, from pink diamonds, to violet hearts, to spinning pinwheels; and so on and on.

  "I have always heard that a Leopard can't change his spots," spoke up the Scarecrow, "But I see before me evidence which proves the statement to be false.

  You certainly are different."

  "Yes," moaned the Leopard with the Changing Spots, "that is the main trouble. The animals dislike me, only because I am different from them." And he sat down and sighed a long, sad sigh.

  "That is often the case, "philosophized the Scarecrow." I have seen it happen again and again.

  People seem to think that if you are not like them there must be something wrong with you."

  "So now I am an outcast, "the Leopard continued" I have no friends and everyone hates me. "As he said this, all his spots became blue teardrops.

  "We don't hate you," Dorothy said stoutly. "I think you're nice.

  "You do!" Cried the Leopard with the Changing Spots. "You aren't just saying that because you feel sorry for me?" He added suspiciously.

  " 'Course not. You're the most spectacular Leopard I've ever seen, and I think it's fun that you're different."

  "You should be in a zoo," said Jam. "Everyone would come from miles around to see you. I'm sure that you are the only leopard in the whole wide world that can change his spots."

  At this the Leopard with the Changing Spots began to cheer up, and his spots once more were bright and sparkling as they changed from one colored design to another.

  "How do you like me?" He timidly asked of the Hungry Tiger and the Cowardly Lion and Percy.

  "I don't mind what your spots are like," said the Cowardly Lion. "I, too, am different from other lions, instead of being brave as lions should be, I am very cowardly."

  "And I don't mind," said the Hungry Tiger, "because I crave fat little babies to eat, but I have a conscience, which other tigers do not possess, so I can't bring myself to touch such tempting morsels."

  "Don't worry about me, kiddo," added Percy. "I like being different, and so should you. Did you ever see a rat my size?"

  "No, you are rather larger than usual," said the Leopard, as the yellow spots on his back faded into violet and then became deep purple.

  "And we don't mind being different," said the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. "In fact, we much prefer our bodies to the usual variety."

  "You'll never know how happy you've made me,"

  said the Leopard. "I had begun to feel that I didn't have a friend in the world until I met you. But where can such an oddly assorted company be going?"

  "We are headed for the Land of the Gillikens,"

  said the Scarecrow.

  "To chop down a magic muffin tree," continued the Tin Woodman, whirling his gleaming axe through the air.

  "If you eat the muffins, you grow ten times as big as you were, kiddo," added Percy. "That's what happened to me, you know."

  "My, my, imagine that," murmured the Leopard with the Changing Spots.

  "There's a wicked giant there called Terp, the Terrible," said Jam, "and he wanted to eat me on his muffins instead of grape jam."

  "How did you escape such a horrible fate?" Asked the Leopard.

  "I dragged a vine up to his window, and he swung down to earth, just like the monkeys in the jungle,"

  laughed Percy.

  "Now we're going back to destroy Terp and free the Gillikens whom he has enslaved."

  "This sounds like a fine adventure," wistfully said the Leopard with the Changing Spots. "I have never had any adventures, for I have spent my life trying to find some living thing that didn't hate me because I could change my markings."

  "Would you like to come with us?" Asked the Tin Woodman, who had a very kind heart. "We would be glad to have your company."

  "You would?" Cried the Leopard joyfully. "Honest and truly?"

  "Sure thing, kiddo," said Percy. "The more the merrier."

  "Why not," asked the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger.

  "One more great beast will mean added protection," said the Scarecrow.

  "We'd be glad to have you," said Dorothy, who liked to watch his spots change from golden snow flakes to silver crosses.

  "Then we are agreed," said the Tin Woodman cheerfully.

  "And may we call you 'Spots'?" Asked Jam. "It's so short and simple and easy to remember."

  "Call me anything you like, "said the Leopard" for you are the first friends that I have ever had; and I'll be pleased with any name you wish to give me."

  "O. K., Spots," said Percy. "You're one of the gang, now."

  With these words, Dorothy and Jam remounted the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, who followed the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman through the forest, while Percy and Spots brought up the rear. Spots was so happy that he frisked along like a kitten, his spots fairly dancing from one brilliant shape to another.

  The little group journeyed on through the forest until noon, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman entertaining them with tales of the adventures they had had on previous journeys through the Land of Oz.

  Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger had been with them on some of the trips, but the stories were new to Jam, Percy, and Spots, who enjoyed them very much. At lunch time, the wayfarers stopped beside a clear, rippling brook and ate their meal, drinking with it the cool water from the stream. Then they continued northeast, hoping to get out of the forest before nightfall.

  The sun was sinking low in the west, however, and they were still walking along the wooded paths; so they decided to make camp for the night. The Tin Woodman chopped some boughs for beds for Jam and Dorothy, who, after they had eaten their suppers fell fast asleep. Soon the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, Spot
s, and Percy were slumbering, too; and the stillness of the night was broken only by the low whispers of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman who never slept, but sat up and chatted quietly through the dark hours of the night until dawn broke in the east.

  Chapter 13

  Life in Bookville

  IN the morning after breakfast the travelers continued their journey, hoping to reach the Gilliken border that day. After traveling for an hour, they came to a place where the path branched. Noticing a sign post, the Scarecrow stepped up to it and read: "One mile to Bookville; or one mile to Icetown."

  The sign to Bookville pointed to the right; the one that pointed the other way indicated that the left-hand path led to Icetown.

  "Which way do we go from here?" Asked the Tin Woodman.

  "I've never heard of either of these places," said Spots, his spots changing rapidly to blue Question marks.

  "There are lots of places in the Winkie forests that have not been fully explored, "said Nick Chopper" 5o I myself am unfamiliar with these two towns."

  "Icetown sounds like it might be cold," said Dorothy thoughtfully, "so let's try the road to Bookville."

  "Maybe we'll find some good adventure stories there," added Jam.

  "Then, if we're all agreed, on to Bookville," cried the Scarecrow, turning onto the right-hand branch of the path and leading the group forward.

  After proceeding along the path for some distance the Scarecrow, who was in the lead, came to a bend in the path. When he had gone around it, his friends heard him exclaim: "Well, for goodness sakes! Isn't that amazing!"

  The Tin Woodman, who was next in line, looked over his old friend's shoulder and said, "Imagine that!"

  The Cowardly Lion, with Dorothy on his back crowded past the two of them and uttered a low growl of astonishment, while the little girl was so surprised that she let go of the lion's mane and almost tumbled from his back to the ground.

  Jam, anxious to see what they all were looking at urged the Hungry Tiger forward, and when they could see around the others, they cried "What an odd looking place!"

  Percy and Spots, not be left in the dark, climbed into the branches of a small tree near the path, and looking over the heads of the others, saw a most astounding sight. In front of them was a high wall made entirely of book shelves filled with books. As the people advanced slowly, they heard a chorus of voices crying: "Stop, stop, come not here! Go back, go back, go back!"

  "Who said that?" Asked Dorothy, for she could see no one in front of them.

  "The path seems to go right through that wall,"

  said the Scarecrow, "so if we are to proceed in this direction, we'll have to go through the wall, around it, over it, or under it. Take your choice."

  "It looks pretty solid," said Jam, "so how could we possibly go through it?"

  "Maybe there's a door in it," suggested the Tin Woodman. "Surely the path wouldn't lead us to a blank wall."

  "The forest is too dense to allow us to go around the wall," said the Leopard, his spots crowding close together on his back.

  "Tell you what, kiddos," piped up Percy. "I'm pretty good at climbing, so I'll climb up that bookcase and will see what's on the other side."

  "That's right," agreed Jam. "Percy certainly can climb up those shelves if he could climb up a bare wall as he did when he rescued me from Terp, the Terrible."

  "Very well, then," said the Tin Man, "you scale the wall and take a peek over the top. Then, after your report, we'll be better able to decide whether to go in this direction or to go back and try our luck with Icetown."

  Percy hurried down out of the branches of the tree which he had climbed in order to see over the others and walked closer to the wall. He was within a few yards of the bottom shelf when the chorus of voices began again.

  "Stop, stop, come not here! Go back, go back, go back!"

  Percy hesitated, but seeing no signs of life, he decided to start his climb. Advancing to the wall, he hopped up on the first shelf, and was reaching upward to get a hand hold on another shelf, when suddenly something flung him off the shelf to the ground.

  "Say, wait a minute," he cried angrily. "Who pushed me?"

  He was answered by a chorus of mocking laughter.

  He picked himself up from the ground where he had fallen and again moved to the wall, determined now to climb to the top, just to prove that he could. But again he was tossed from the wall; and again he had failed to see his assailant.

  "What's wrong, Percy?" Asked Jam anxiously.

  "You keep falling. Is the wall slippery?"

  "Somebody pushed me," said the disgruntled rat.

  "Somebody pushed you?" Asked Dorothy in surprise. "Who? I didn't see anybody at all."

  "Neither did we," chimed in the others. "Are you sure that you just didn't fall?"

  Percy was getting angrier by the minute. "Of course I'm sure," he said "I guess I should know if somebody pushes me, shouldn't I?"

  "Well," said Dorothy doubtfully, "I guess maybe you should."

  "Why don't you try again," suggested the Scarecrow after rubbing his forehead for a minute," and we'll all watch very closely. If someone pushes you we'll be able to see them."

  Percy was a little tired of being tossed from the wall to the ground, which was hard and rocky and bruised him when he hit it; but he was also determined to convince his friends that he really was being pushed from the wall and not just losing his footing.

  So once more he stalked up to the wall, while Jam Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the three big cats followed closely behind him and formed a semicircle around the spot where he planned to climb the wall again. Gritting his teeth, Percy made a quick leap up to a higher shelf and hung there for a moment, planning to pull himself up to the shelf. But the poor rat was doomed to defeat.

  He felt something shoving his fingers, and he had to let go and drop to the ground.

  "I didn't see anything," said Dorothy, and Jam agreed with her. The Tin Woodman, however, was not so sure that Percy had fallen through any fault of his own.

  "It seemed to me," he said thoughtfully, "that one of the books moved to the front of the shelf and pushed Percy's paws until he was forced to let go and drop back to the ground."

  "Something pushed me, kiddo," said the rat ruefully, "and since there's nothing on the shelves but books, maybe you're right."

  "How could a book move all by itself?" Asked Jam.

  "My books never moved out of the shelves unless I moved them."

  "Queer things happen in the Land of Oz, though,"

  said the little girl from Kansas, "so maybe these books can move all by themselves."

  "You are so right, you are so right," came the chorus that they had heard before, and the books all began shifting around on the shelves.

  "They're alive," exclaimed the Scarecrow. "Imagine that!"

  "So they are," replied his tin friend.

  "Of course we are, of course we are," went on the chorus. "Didn't you know that books live on and on and on and on?"

  "Since you are alive," said the Tin Woodman, "can you tell us how to get over your bookcase wall? We wish to journey along this path, and the road seems to lead through here."

  A storm of laughter greeted his speech. "Who are you, who are you, who are you that you want through?" Cried the chorus.

  "I am Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, Emperor of the Winkies."

  "And that makes him your ruler, too," the Scarecrow reminded them, "for you are living in a part of the Winkie land."

  "You must be wrong, you must be wrong," chanted The books in one voice. "We have a King, we have a King."

  "Then I demand to see him," ordered the Tin Woodman," for if there is another king in my land I wish to know all about him."

  "He wants to see our King," they cried, "he wants to see our King."

  As they finished speaking, a strange thing happened. A section of the bookcase wall swung open and the group moved forward, through the portal into Bookville. No sooner had they
all passed through the door, than it slammed shut behind them with a loud noise, and the little party realized that they were trapped within the bookshelf walls.

  The Scarecrow rushed back and tried to find the door through which they had come, but the wall was as solid as if it had been made of stone. As he searched for some sort of opening in the wall, he heard again the mocking laughter that had taunted them before.

  "Looks like we're trapped, kiddos, "said Percy watching the Scarecrow's frantic efforts to find the swinging panel in the bookshelves.

  "We were going in this direction anyway," said Dorothy, "so it doesn't really matter if the door behind is locked, does it?"

  "Well," said the Tin Woodman slowly," I guess it doesn't. But I'd feel happier if it hadn't happened somehow."

  "Me, too," said the Hungry Tiger, looking around him with distaste.

  Once inside the wall, the little party found a most curious village, with streets running between rows of bookcases. While they stood there, debating whether they should go on or try to go back, a strange creature approached them. It was a book with a thin body and arms and legs, so that it looked like a stick man with a book for a head.

  "Where do you wish to go?" Inquired the book.

  "We want to see the King," said the Tin Woodman in a voice of authority.

  "Follow me. I am the Guide Book," stated this strange apparition; and turning, he headed for the middle of the village with our friends close at his heels. As they walked along the street, they could see other books walking about, talking with each other, and staring at the stranger in their midst.

  There were all sizes and shapes and colors of books.

  Their guide had a fancy colored binding with a map printed upon it There seemed to be all sorts of books, some with pictures on the covers, some plain some with gold letters, and some with raised titles.

  "This is the only village of its kind in the world,"

  began the Guide Book. "It is inhabited entirely by books of all varieties."