L. Frank Baum - Oz 38

by The Shaggy Man Of Oz

  The Shaggy Man looked about him and observed to the King, “I always thought, your majesty, that beavers liked to live where there was plenty of wood. I’ve heard tell of them building whole series of dams from trees they had gnawed down. Even human engineers have taken some lessons in water control from the beavers.”

  “You’re right,” replied the King of the Fairy Beavers. “But those beavers you heard about were of the ordinary kind. Not that we fairy beavers don’t do a lot of engineering. We do. But we prefer this desolate region for our home since we are less likely to be disturbed here. And any trees we may need we can always fell and float downstream from the more fertile lands.” As he spoke, the beaver King ascended the steps to the wicker door and swung it open. The Shaggy Man had to stoop to enter, but once inside he found he could stand with ease.

  It took a few minutes for Shaggy and his friends to adjust their eyes from the glare of the sun on the water to the lighting of the cave in which they stood. For that was what it was, a vast cave in the cliff. A fairy light of a silver-white issued from the rock walls and dome of the cave. The cavern

  proved to be merely the anteroom of the beaver kingdom, which consisted of a labyrinth of large and small tunnels burrowed into the earth at the rear of the cave. Sleek, well-fed beavers hurried in and out of the burrows, bent upon the tasks that made up their daily work.

  Indeed, everyone in this underground kingdom seemed to be hard at work and intently busy on one task or another. New tunnels were being constructed and reinforced with carefully hewn beams of wood, new rooms and homes were under construction, and there didn’t seem to be an idle moment with all the work that was going on. The beaver King was perhaps even busier than his subjects, and while he was gracious and did everything in his power to make his guests comfortable, they got the impression that even while he was chatting with them his mind was busy with new plans and ideas for the improvement of his kingdom.

  The King of the Fairy Beavers hesitated only long enough for Shaggy and his friends to glance about them and then led his guests down one of the burrows, which was really a good-sized tunnel. A short distance down this passage the beaver King paused before a large, granite door set in the tunnel’s side. Just above the door was mounted a golden crown. “It is my pleasure,” said the beaver King as the heavy door swung open, “to welcome you to my royal suite, where I hope you will accept my humble hospitality.”

  There was a large reception hall, then a huge throne room that could easily accommodate an assemblage of several thousand beavers, and finally a dining room with mirrored walls and ceiling and a sumptuously laid table. Shaggy and his friends were amazed at the elegance and beauty of their surroundings. The dining room table was set with the finest of china, and

  the linens were snowy white and hand woven.

  The King of the Fairy Beavers still carried the slender beech rod, which Twink had noticed in his right paw when he had first appeared among them that afternoon. After inviting his guests to be seated at the table, the beaver King waved the beech rod C4 which Twink and Tom had already guessed to be his magic wand C4 and at once the table was loaded with the most savory dishes imaginable. “I don’t ordinarily employ magic unless it is necessary,” the beaver King explained. “We beavers prefer to work for what we get, but magic affords the quickest manner of providing the strange foods that you human beings seem to enjoy.”

  Twiffle and the beaver King conversed while Shaggy, Twink and Tom enjoyed the food. They were much hungrier than they realized; the ride on the river had given them a tremendous appetite. When they had finished eating, the King of the Fairy Beavers said, “Now, my friends, would be a good time to plan our trip to the Land of Oz.”

  No one said a word, but every eye was fixed with eager attention on the little animal. “We cannot fly over the Deadly Desert,” the beaver King went on. “Nor can we cross it. The devouring sands would mean quick death for all of us.”

  “Then we’re just not going to Oz, I guess,” said Tom sadly.

  “Oh, yes, I think we are,” replied the beaver King quickly. “There is one

  way left to cross the Desert.”

  A hush fell over the company as they waited for the beaver King’s next words. “We can cross $$under&& the Desert,” he said simply. “You have burrowed clear under the Deadly Desert to Oz?” asked the Shaggy Man incredulously.

  “No,” replied the King of the Fairy Beavers, “we have not. But someone else has.”

  “And who is that?” asked Twink.

  “The Nome King,” said the beaver King.

  CHAPTER 17

  THE TUNNEL UNDER THE DESERT

  The Shaggy Man leaped to his feet and stared at the beaver King. “What?” he exclaimed. “You discovered the Nome King’s tunnel under the Deadly Desert?” “Oh yes,” replied the beaver King. “We have known for some time of its existence and location.”

  “But this is wonderful!” gasped the Shaggy Man. “Our troubles are all over. All we have to do is walk through the tunnel to the Emerald City!” “No,” said the King of the Fairy Beavers. “It isn’t as easy as that. You must remember we still have Glinda’s Barrier of Invisibility to contend with.”

  “Hmmmm,” said the Shaggy Man, seating himself. “That is true. But there might be some way we could get past that barrier. Tell me, how did you happen to discover the Nome King’s tunnel?”

  “We stumbled onto it accidentally when one of our burrows led into it,” explained the beaver King. “We followed it to the Kingdom of the Nomes, where the tunnel opens into one of the Nome King’s mines. There was a company of Nomes working there, and the ill-natured creatures hurled diamonds at us. In fact, the Nomes were so discourteous that we have never since entered that section of the tunnel.”

  “But if you knew the tunnel led to Oz in the other direction, why didn’t you follow it?” asked Twiffle.

  “Because we also know Ozma’s wishes, and we respect them,” replied the beaver King quietly. “But certainly Ozma would not object to the Shaggy Man and his friend using the tunnel. And since the Shaggy Man has so kindly invited me to visit Oz, I feel perfectly free to accompany him.” “Then you know the story of the tunnel the Nome King built under the Deadly Desert to the Emerald City?” asked the Shaggy Man. “Our fairy powers keep us informed of important happenings not only in Oz but in all other parts of the world,” replied the beaver King. Twink and Tom knew the story, too. They had read how the Nome King, seeking revenge on Ozma and Dorothy because they had once conquered him, set his Nomes to burrowing a tunnel from the Nome Kingdom to the Emerald City. When it was finished, Roquat the Red (as the Nome King was known then) and a horde of evil allies marched through the tunnel intent on conquering and laying waste all of Oz. Ozma refused to fight, but instead gathered all her closest friends about her in the garden near the Fountain of Oblivion, where the invaders were about to break through from the tunnel. The famous Scarecrow of Oz had given Ozma the idea that had saved her from the necessity of fighting. The tunnel was hot and dry, and Ozma had used her magic powers to scatter dust through the underground passage. As a result, when the Nome King and his allies came bursting through the earth, they were consumed with a terrific thirst. The first thing they saw was the Fountain of Oblivion. Just as the Scarecrow had planned, they all dashed to the fountain and drank. The waters of this fountain cause anyone who drinks of it to lose all memory of his former life. Consequently, the Nome King

  and all his allies became as harmless as little children, having forgotten their former evil lives. Ozma had sent them back by means of the Magic Belt to their own lands, and then closed the earth over the tunnel’s entrance into her garden. Soon after that, Glinda had laid down the Magic Barrier of Invisibility over the Deadly Desert, which Ozma hoped would prevent any other invaders from attacking the Land of Oz. “Trying to get through the tunnel really seems the only thing to do,” said the Shaggy Man thoughtfully. “That will be far better than just sitting and waiting for Ozma to return
to the Emerald City C4 I have no idea how long she plans to visit with Glinda. I suppose the only thing we can do is try to deal with the Barrier of Invisibility when we come to it. Perhaps your Majesty’s magic could overcome it.”

  The Beaver King was thoughtful. “Perhaps,” he said. “But you must remember Glinda’s magic is very powerful. We may discover that the desert is just as impassable underground as it is above ground. So don’t let us raise our hopes too high, my friends. At any rate,” he concluded, “we shall undertake the journey in the morning, and then we shall know.”

  The beaver King led his guests into his throne room, where comfortable seats were provided. Next a troop of beaver acrobats came running into the throne room. They wore brightly colored tights and put on a performance of such skill and daring that Twink and Tom were delighted. The animals were amazingly agile, and some of their tumbling tricks were so droll that even Twiffle laughed aloud. “I never saw anything to beat this at the circus,” Tom confided to Twink as the twins loudly applauded.

  When the entertainment was over, it was growing late, and saying he had some

  work to do in his magic workshop in preparation for the journey in the morning, the beaver King led his guests to a suite of beautifully furnished sleeping rooms. Twink and Tom were not a bit surprised that the beaver King should work while they slept. Indeed, they wondered if anyone in this busy little kingdom ever took time off to rest.

  “As soon as you lie down on the beds,” the beaver King told Twink and Tom, “you will be lulled to sleep by the most beautiful music in the world.” With that, he closed the door softly and left them. Twink and Tom were in their beds in no time at all, eager to hear the music the beaver King had promised them. No sooner had their heads touched the pillows than they heard it. It was like the sleepy murmuring of a thousand voices. There were no words, only a soft whisper that seemed to come from a great distance and yet was close by C4 was everywhere. Twink closed her eyes, and the wordless music sang of green meadows under a golden sun, of mountain rills that tripped from stone to stone down to beautiful valleys, of great rivers that flowed through the hearts of vast lands, and finally of the sea itself, singing eternally of endless wonders.

  Just before Tom dropped off to sleep, he said, “Twink, I know what it is. The beaver King said it was the most beautiful music in the world, and it isFF20C4”

  “I know,” said Twink sleepily. “It’s the music of running water.”

  CHAPTER 18 THE FLAME FOLK

  Early the next morning Shaggy and his friends found a steaming hot breakfast waiting for them in their rooms. No sooner had they finished than the King

  of the Fairy Beavers appeared to lead them to the Nome King’s tunnel. They followed the King through several miles of weaving and twisting beaver burrows until at last they stood at the entrance of the tunnel. Shaggy had noted that the King bore on his back, like a tiny knapsack, a small bundle. Now he saw that the twenty young beavers who were waiting at the tunnel’s entrance to undertake the journey with them bore similar though smaller bundles on their backs. In addition, each of the young beavers carried a pine torch to light the way through the dark tunnel. At a signal from the beaver King, the torchbearing beavers advanced into the tunnel, and the journey was on.

  “How far are we from the Deadly Desert?” inquired the Shaggy Man. “Not more than a mile,” answered the beaver King. “We will know when we reach the Desert, because of the heat radiated downward by the sands. The tunnel is not far from the surface C4 no more than twenty feet, I would judge.”

  The tunnel was hewn from solid rock, but the floor of it was smooth, so the travelers were able to proceed at a good rate of speed. They all noticed that the heat increased perceptibly the closer they came to the shifting sands above them.

  “Whee-ew!” exclaimed the Shaggy Man. “This is no place for a pleasure trip. I can see why the Nome King was thirsty when he got out of here.” They were now directly under the Deadly Desert, and the heat radiated by the shifting sands above them was intense. But Twink and Tom were lightly dressed, so they didn’t mind the heat so much. Twiffle naturally paid not the slightest attention to the temperature. The beavers, who were used to

  underground heat, moved swiftly forward. The pine torches of the young beavers cast flickering shadows on the rough stone walls about the travelers. But suddenly the light of the torches dimmed and faded in a greater brilliance. The torchbearing beavers stopped in their tracks and were chattering excitedly among themselves, waiting for the beaver King and his party to catch up with them. The travelers hurried forward and found to their amazement that the new light came from a rift in the rock roof. Sunlight was shining down into the tunnel!

  But no sooner had they recovered from this surprise than they were overwhelmed by another. Directly ahead of them, blocking their passage through the tunnel, was a group of the strangest people they had ever seen. These beings were human in shape, yet they seemed to be made of flame. The living fire that formed their bodies varied in hue from a deep, glowing red to light orange and yellow, while their fingertips, eyes, and features gave off blue and greenish colored flames.

  There were perhaps ten of the creatures, standing side by side so that the beaver King and his friends found their way completely blocked by this wall of living flame. Waves of heat radiated from their flaming bodies, and Twink and Tom had to blink their eyes several times to become accustomed to the glare of flame and light. “Halt! You can go no further. Turn back at once to whence you came.” One of the flame folk was speaking. He appeared to be their leader, since he was taller than his companions, and his eyes glowed much more fiercely than the rest. “Who are you?” asked the beaver King calmly. “We are Dwellers of the Desert. We live on the shifting sands on the surface. Occasionally we visit the oasis just above, where there is no

  sand, but blue grass that glows with blue flame,” the flame being answered. “An oasis on the Deadly Desert?” asked the Shaggy Man incredulously. “Certainly. Did you ever hear of a desert that didn’t have an oasis?” replied the fire creature.

  “Maybe not,” muttered the Shaggy Man. “And I suppose the flame grass keeps the deadly sand from shifting into the tunnel.”

  “Exactly,” replied the fire creature. “But we are not concerned with sand in the tunnel. There are other things much more objectionable C4 yourselves, for instance.”

  “How did you find out about the tunnel?” asked the beaver King, ignoring the fire being’s insult.

  “Not that it is any of your business, but we were aware of the tunnel’s existence while the Nome King was building it. After he returned to his own kingdom, we burned our way down through the rocks from the oasis above.” “Why did you do that?” persisted the beaver King. The leader of the fire creatures hesitated for a moment, then replied in an angry voice, “Because we enjoy the coolness of the tunnel. By contrast it makes the fiery sands of the desert even more pleasant. Now, be on your way back where you came from, or we will advance upon you and blast you to cinders.”

  “My, what a fiery-tempered fellow,” said Shaggy. This seemed to infuriate the fire creature, and he was about to leap toward Shaggy when the beaver King stepped forward holding out his beechwood wand. Instantly from the tip of the wand there came forth a spray of water that showered on the row of fire creatures. As soon as it touched their flaming bodies, the water

  hissed into steam. The effect on the fire beings was amazing. They uttered loud howls of pain and fright and leaped like flames from a great fire into the air and through the rift in the rock. Their cries resounded as they dashed over the oasis to roll in the flaming sands of the desert. “Come,” urged the beaver King, “let us hurry, although I do not think there is any danger of pursuit.”

  The young beavers went first, followed by Shaggy and his friends. They hurried until they had passed out of sight of the sunlight that flowed down the rift into the tunnel. “I guess that’s the first time those critters ever saw water,” said the Shaggy Man, gr
inning.

  “The water didn’t hurt them,” said the beaver King, “and the burning sands will soon restore whatever heat they lost. Nevertheless, I don’t think they will cause us any further annoyance.”

  They walked ahead rapidly hour after hour with the young beavers lighting the way through the Nome King’s tunnel.

  CHAPTER 19

  THE BARRIER OF INVISIBILITY

  Suddenly Shaggy stopped and stared about him. He was alone in the tunnel! He had been walking along looking at nothing in particular, when in a flash his companions had vanished. Just ahead of him he could hear the excited chattering of the twenty young beavers. But there was no sign of any living thing. Then Shaggy looked down at himself and cried out in amazement C4 he wasn’t there either! He could see nothing of his body, although he felt as firm as ever.

  “You will be kind enough to remove your wand from my eye, please!” It was

  Twiffle’s voice speaking somewhere near Shaggy.

  “I beg your pardon, we are both invisible, so my poking my wand in your eye was entirely unintentional, I assure you,” the beaver King’s voice answered.

  “Hey! Stay off my foot!” Tom called out.

  “Was that your foot? I’m sure I didn’t see it,” Twink’s voice answered soothingly.

  “Neither do I, but it’s there just the same,” replied Tom’s voice ruefully. All about them the young beavers’ voices had risen, and several angry disputes were taking place. Evidently some accidents had occurred among the little animals, too. The Shaggy Man said sadly, “Well, this seems to be the Barrier of Invisibility, and it’s most effective, too. I propose we all stay just where we are until we decide what to do, for we all seem to be quite invisible.”