The Big Lavender Bear
CHAPTER 15
It was a pleasant place to wander in and the two travelers wereproceeding at a brisk pace when suddenly a voice shouted:
"Halt!"
They looked around in surprise, seeing at first no one at all. Then frombehind a tree there stepped a brown fuzzy bear, whose head came about ashigh as Cayke's waist--and Cayke was a small woman. The bear was chubbyas well as fuzzy; his body was even puffy, while his legs and armsseemed jointed at the knees and elbows and fastened to his body by pinsor rivets. His ears were round in shape and stuck out in a comical way,while his round black eyes were bright and sparkling as beads. Over hisshoulder the little brown bear bore a gun with a tin barrel. The barrelhad a cork in the end of it and a string was attached to the cork and tothe handle of the gun.
Both the Frogman and Cayke gazed hard at this curious bear, standingsilent for some time. But finally the Frogman recovered from hissurprise and remarked:
"It seems to me that you are stuffed with sawdust and ought not to bealive."
"That's all you know about it," answered the little Brown Bear in asqueaky voice. "I am stuffed with a very good quality of curled hair andmy skin is the best plush that was ever made. As for my being alive,that is my own affair and cannot concern you at all--except that itgives me the privilege to say you are my prisoners."
"Prisoners! Why do you speak such nonsense?" asked the Frogman angrily."Do you think we are afraid of a toy bear with a toy gun?"
"You ought to be," was the confident reply, "for I am merely the sentryguarding the way to Bear Center, which is a city containing hundreds ofmy race, who are ruled by a very powerful sorcerer known as the LavenderBear. He ought to be a purple color, you know, seeing he is a King, buthe's only light lavender, which is, of course, second-cousin to royalpurple. So, unless you come with me peaceably, as my prisoners, I shallfire my gun and bring a hundred bears--of all sizes and colors--tocapture you."
"Why do you wish to capture us?" inquired the Frogman, who had listenedto this speech with much astonishment.
"I don't wish to, as a matter of fact," replied the little Brown Bear,"but it is my duty to, because you are now trespassing on the domain ofHis Majesty the King of Bear Center. Also I will admit that things arerather quiet in our city, just now, and the excitement of your capture,followed by your trial and execution, should afford us muchentertainment."
"We defy you!" said the Frogman.
"Oh, no; don't do that," pleaded Cayke, speaking to her companion. "Hesays his King is a sorcerer, so perhaps it is he or one of his bears whoventured to steal my jeweled dishpan. Let us go to the City of the Bearsand discover if my dishpan is there."
"I must now register one more charge against you," remarked the littleBrown Bear, with evident satisfaction. "You have just accused us ofstealing, and that is such a dreadful thing to say that I am quite sureour noble King will command you to be executed."
"But how could you execute us?" inquired the Cookie Cook.
"I've no idea. But our King is a wonderful inventor and there is nodoubt he can find a proper way to destroy you. So, tell me, are yougoing to struggle, or will you go peaceably to meet your doom?"
It was all so ridiculous that Cayke laughed aloud and even the Frogman'swide mouth curled in a smile. Neither was a bit afraid to go to the BearCity and it seemed to both that there was a possibility they mightdiscover the missing dishpan. So the Frogman said:
"Lead the way, little Bear, and we will follow without a struggle."
"That's very sensible of you; very sensible, indeed!" declared the BrownBear. "So--for-ward _march_!" and with the command he turned around andbegan to waddle along a path that led between the trees.
Cayke and the Frogman, as they followed their conductor, could scarceforbear laughing at his stiff, awkward manner of walking and, althoughhe moved his stuffy legs fast, his steps were so short that they had togo slowly in order not to run into him. But after a time they reached alarge, circular space in the center of the forest, which was clear ofany stumps or underbrush. The ground was covered by a soft gray moss,pleasant to tread upon. All the trees surrounding this space seemed tobe hollow and had round holes in their trunks, set a little way abovethe ground, but otherwise there was nothing unusual about the place andnothing, in the opinion of the prisoners, to indicate a settlement. Butthe little Brown Bear said in a proud and impressive voice (although itstill squeaked):
"This is the wonderful city known to fame as Bear Center!"
"But there are no houses; there are no bears living here at all!"exclaimed Cayke.
"Oh, indeed!" retorted their captor and raising his gun he pulled thetrigger. The cork flew out of the tin barrel with a loud "pop!" and atonce from every hole in every tree within view of the clearing appearedthe head of a bear. They were of many colors and of many sizes, butall were made in the same manner as the bear who had met and capturedthem.
At first a chorus of growls arose and then a sharp voice cried:
"What has happened, Corporal Waddle?"
"Captives, Your Majesty!" answered the Brown Bear. "Intruders upon ourdomain and slanderers of our good name."
"Ah, that's important," answered the voice.
Then from out the hollow trees tumbled a whole regiment of stuffedbears, some carrying tin swords, some popguns and others long spearswith gay ribbons tied to the handles. There were hundreds of them,altogether, and they quickly formed a circle around the Frogman and theCookie Cook but kept at a distance and left a large space for theprisoners to stand in.
Presently this circle parted and into the center of it stalked a hugetoy bear of a lovely lavender color. He walked upon his hind legs, asdid all the others, and on his head he wore a tin crown set withdiamonds and amethysts, while in one paw he carried a short wand of someglittering metal that resembled silver but wasn't.
"His Majesty the King!" shouted Corporal Waddle, and all the bearsbowed low. Some bowed so low that they lost their balance and toppledover, but they soon scrambled up again and the Lavender King squatted onhis haunches before the prisoners and gazed at them steadily with hisbright pink eyes.
The Lost Princess of Oz Page 16
