The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Page 9
THE FOOLISH OWL AND THE WISE DONKEY
CHAP. 8
On they went, and half an hour's steady walking brought them to a housesomewhat better than the two they had already passed. It stood close tothe roadside and over the door was a sign that read: "Miss Foolish Owland Mr. Wise Donkey: Public Advisers."
When Ojo read this sign aloud Scraps said laughingly: "Well, here is aplace to get all the advice we want, maybe more than we need. Let's goin."
The boy knocked at the door.
"Come in!" called a deep bass voice.
So they opened the door and entered the house, where a littlelight-brown donkey, dressed in a blue apron and a blue cap, was engagedin dusting the furniture with a blue cloth. On a shelf over the windowsat a great blue owl with a blue sunbonnet on her head, blinking her biground eyes at the visitors.
"Good morning," said the donkey, in his deep voice, which seemed biggerthan he was. "Did you come to us for advice?"
"Why, we came, anyhow," replied Scraps, "and now we are here we may aswell have some advice. It's free, isn't it?
"Certainly," said the donkey. "Advice doesn't cost anything--unless youfollow it. Permit me to say, by the way, that you are the queerest lotof travelers that ever came to my shop. Judging you merely byappearances, I think you'd better talk to the Foolish Owl yonder."
They turned to look at the bird, which fluttered its wings and staredback at them with its big eyes.
"Hoot-ti-toot-ti-toot!" cried the owl.
"Fiddle-cum-foo, Howdy--do? Riddle-cum, tiddle-cum, Too-ra-la-loo!"
"That beats your poetry, Scraps," said Ojo.
"It's just nonsense!" declared the Glass Cat.
"But it's good advice for the foolish," said the donkey, admiringly."Listen to my partner, and you can't go wrong."
Said the owl in a grumbling voice:
"Patchwork Girl has come to life; No one's sweetheart, no one's wife; Lacking sense and loving fun, She'll be snubbed by everyone."
"Quite a compliment! Quite a compliment, I declare," exclaimed thedonkey, turning to look at Scraps. "You are certainly a wonder, my dear,and I fancy you'd make a splendid pincushion. If you belonged to me, I'dwear smoked glasses when I looked at you."
"Why?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
"Because you are so gay and gaudy."
"It is my beauty that dazzles you," she asserted. "You Munchkin peopleall strut around in your stupid blue color, while I--"
"You are wrong in calling me a Munchkin," interrupted the donkey, "for Iwas born in the Land of Mo and came to visit the Land of Oz on the dayit was shut off from all the rest of the world. So here I am obliged tostay, and I confess it is a very pleasant country to live in."
"Hoot-ti-toot!" cried the owl;
"Ojo's searching for a charm, 'Cause Unc Nunkie's come to harm. Charms are scarce; they're hard to get; Ojo's got a job, you bet!"
"Is the owl so very foolish?" asked the boy.
"Extremely so," replied the donkey. "Notice what vulgar expressions sheuses. But I admire the owl for the reason that she _is_ positivelyfoolish. Owls are supposed to be so very wise, generally, that a foolishone is unusual, and you perhaps know that anything or anyone unusual issure to be interesting to the wise."
The owl flapped its wings again, muttering these words:
"It's hard to be a glassy cat-- No cat can be more hard than that; She's so transparent, every act Is clear to us, and that's a fact."
"Have you noticed my pink brains?" inquired Bungle, proudly. "You cansee 'em work."
"Not in the daytime," said the donkey. "She can't see very well by day,poor thing. But her advice is excellent. I advise you all to follow it."
"The owl hasn't given us any advice, as yet," the boy declared.
"No? Then what do you call all those sweet poems?"
"Just foolishness," replied Ojo. "Scraps does the same thing."
"Foolishness! Of course! To be sure! The Foolish Owl must be foolish orshe wouldn't be the Foolish Owl. You are very complimentary to mypartner, indeed," asserted the donkey, rubbing his front hoofs togetheras if highly pleased.
"The sign says that _you_ are wise," remarked Scraps to the donkey. "Iwish you would prove it."
"With great pleasure," returned the beast. "Put me to the test, my dearPatches, and I'll prove my wisdom in the wink of an eye."
"What is the best way to get to the Emerald City?" asked Ojo.
"Walk," said the donkey.
"I know; but what road shall I take?" was the boy's next question.
"The road of yellow bricks, of course. It leads directly to the EmeraldCity."
"And how shall we find the road of yellow bricks?"
"By keeping along the path you have been following. You'll come to theyellow bricks pretty soon, and you'll know them when you see thembecause they're the only yellow things in the blue country."
"Thank you," said the boy. "At last you have told me something."
"Is that the extent of your wisdom?" asked Scraps.
"No," replied the donkey; "I know many other things, but they wouldn'tinterest you. So I'll give you a last word of advice: move on, for thesooner you do that the sooner you'll get to the Emerald City of Oz."
"Hoot-ti-toot-ti-toot-ti-too!" screeched the owl;
"Off you go! fast or slow, Where you're going you don't know. Patches, Bungle, Munchkin lad, Facing fortunes good and bad, Meeting dangers grave and sad, Sometimes worried, sometimes glad-- Where you're going you don't know, Nor do I, but off you go!"
"Sounds like a hint, to me," said the Patchwork Girl.
"Then let's take it and go," replied Ojo.
They said good-bye to the Wise Donkey and the Foolish Owl and at onceresumed their journey.