“Perhaps it would, to those who eat,” remarked the Tin Woodman. “I myself, not being built to eat, have no personal experience in such matters. But I remember that our great poet once said:
“‘To eat is sweet
When hunger’s seat
Demands a treat
Of savory meat.’
“Take this into consideration, friends of the Jury, and you will readily decide that the kitten is wrongfully accused and should be set at liberty.”
When the Tin Woodman sat down no one applauded him, for his arguments had not been very convincing and few believed that he had proved Eureka’s innocence. As for the Jury, the members whispered to each other for a few minutes and then they appointed the Hungry Tiger their spokesman. The huge beast slowly arose and said:
“Kittens have no consciences, so they eat whatever pleases them. The jury believes the white kitten known as Eureka is guilty of having eaten the piglet owned by Princess Ozma, and recommends that she be put to death in punishment of the crime.”
The judgment of the jury was received with great applause, although Dorothy was sobbing miserably at the fate of her pet. The Princess was just about to order Eureka’s head chopped off with the Tin Woodman’s axe when that brilliant personage once more arose and addressed her.
“Your Highness,” said he, “see how easy it is for a jury to be mistaken. The kitten could not have eaten your piglet — for here it is!”
He took off his funnel hat and from beneath it produced a tiny white piglet, which he held aloft that all might see it clearly.
Ozma was delighted and exclaimed, eagerly:
“Give me my pet, Nick Chopper!”
And all the people cheered and clapped their hands, rejoicing that the prisoner had escaped death and been proved to be innocent.
As the Princess held the white piglet in her arms and stroked its soft hair she said: “Let Eureka out of the cage, for she is no longer a prisoner, but our good friend. Where did you find my missing pet, Nick Chopper?”
“In a room of the palace,” he answered.
“Justice,” remarked the Scarecrow, with a sigh, “is a dangerous thing to meddle with. If you hadn’t happened to find the piglet, Eureka would surely have been executed.”
“But justice prevailed at the last,” said Ozma, “for here is my pet, and Eureka is once more free.”
“I refuse to be free,” cried the kitten, in a sharp voice, “unless the Wizard can do his trick with eight piglets. If he can produce but seven, then this it not the piglet that was lost, but another one.”
“Hush, Eureka!” warned the Wizard.
“Don’t be foolish,” advised the Tin Woodman, “or you may be sorry for it.”
“The piglet that belonged to the Princess wore an emerald collar,” said Eureka, loudly enough for all to hear.
“So it did!” exclaimed Ozma. “This cannot be the one the Wizard gave me.”
“Of course not; he had nine of them, altogether,” declared Eureka; “and I must say it was very stingy of him not to let me eat just a few. But now that this foolish trial is ended, I will tell you what really became of your pet piglet.”
At this everyone in the Throne Room suddenly became quiet, and the kitten continued, in a calm, mocking tone of voice:
“I will confess that I intended to eat the little pig for my breakfast; so I crept into the room where it was kept while the Princess was dressing and hid myself under a chair. When Ozma went away she closed the door and left her pet on the table. At once I jumped up and told the piglet not to make a fuss, for he would be inside of me in half a second; but no one can teach one of these creatures to be reasonable. Instead of keeping still, so I could eat him comfortably, he trembled so with fear that he fell off the table into a big vase that was standing on the floor. The vase had a very small neck, and spread out at the top like a bowl. At first the piglet stuck in the neck of the vase and I thought I should get him, after all, but he wriggled himself through and fell down into the deep bottom part — and I suppose he’s there yet.”
All were astonished at this confession, and Ozma at once sent an officer to her room to fetch the vase. When he returned the Princess looked down the narrow neck of the big ornament and discovered her lost piglet, just as Eureka had said she would.
There was no way to get the creature out without breaking the vase, so the Tin Woodman smashed it with his axe and set the little prisoner free.
Then the crowd cheered lustily and Dorothy hugged the kitten in her arms and told her how delighted she was to know that she was innocent.
“But why didn’t you tell us at first?” she asked.
“It would have spoiled the fun,” replied the kitten, yawning.
Ozma gave the Wizard back the piglet he had so kindly allowed Nick Chopper to substitute for the lost one, and then she carried her own into the apartments of the palace where she lived. And now, the trial being over, the good citizens of the Emerald City scattered to their homes, well content with the day’s amusement.
CHAPTER 20.
ZEB RETURNS TO THE RANCH
EUREKA was much surprised to find herself in disgrace; but she was, in spite of the fact that she had not eaten the piglet. For the folks of Oz knew the kitten had tried to commit the crime, and that only an accident had prevented her from doing so; therefore even the Hungry Tiger preferred not to associate with her. Eureka was forbidden to wander around the palace and was made to stay in confinement in Dorothy’s room; so she began to beg her mistress to send her to some other place where she could enjoy herself better.
Dorothy was herself anxious to get home, so she promised Eureka they would not stay in the Land of Oz much longer.
The next evening after the trial the little girl begged Ozma to allow her to look in the enchanted picture, and the Princess readily consented. She took the child to her room and said: “Make your wish, dear, and the picture will show the scene you desire to behold.”
Then Dorothy found, with the aid of the enchanted picture, that Uncle Henry had returned to the farm in Kansas, and she also saw that both he and Aunt Em were dressed in mourning, because they thought their little niece had been killed by the earthquake.
“Really,” said the girl, anxiously, “I must get back as soon as poss’ble to my own folks.”
Zeb also wanted to see his home, and although he did not find anyone mourning for him, the sight of Hugson’s Ranch in the picture made him long to get back there.
“This is a fine country, and I like all the people that live in it,” he told Dorothy. “But the fact is, Jim and I don’t seem to fit into a fairyland, and the old horse has been begging me to go home again ever since he lost the race. So, if you can find a way to fix it, we’ll be much obliged to you.”
“Ozma can do it, easily,” replied Dorothy. “Tomorrow morning I’ll go to Kansas and you can go to Californy.”
“I’M MUCH OBLIGED FOR ALL YOUR KINDNESS.”
That last evening was so delightful that the boy will never forget it as long as he lives. They were all together (except Eureka) in the pretty rooms of the Princess, and the Wizard did some new tricks, and the Scarecrow told stories, and the Tin Woodman sang a love song in a sonorous, metallic voice, and everybody laughed and had a good time. Then Dorothy wound up Tik-tok and he danced a jig to amuse the company, after which the Yellow Hen related some of her adventures with the Nome King in the Land of Ev.
The Princess served delicious refreshments to those who were in the habit of eating, and when Dorothy’s bed time arrived the company separated after exchanging many friendly sentiments.
Next morning they all assembled for the final parting, and many of the officials and courtiers came to look upon the impressive ceremonies.
Dorothy held Eureka in her arms and bade her friends a fond good-bye.
“You must come again, some time,” said the little Wizard; and she promised she would if she found it possible to do so.
“But Uncle Henry and Aunt Em
need me to help them,” she added, “so I can’t ever be very long away from the farm in Kansas.”
Ozma wore the Magic Belt; and, when she had kissed Dorothy farewell and had made her wish, the little girl and her kitten disappeared in a twinkling.
“Where is she?” asked Zeb, rather bewildered by the suddenness of it.
“Greeting her uncle and aunt in Kansas, by this time,” returned Ozma, with a smile.
Then Zeb brought out Jim, all harnessed to the buggy, and took his seat.
“I’m much obliged for all your kindness,” said the boy, “and very grateful to you for saving my life and sending me home again after all the good times I’ve had. I think this is the loveliest country in the world; but not being fairies Jim and I feel we ought to be where we belong — and that’s at the ranch. Good-bye, everybody!”
He gave a start and rubbed his eyes. Jim was trotting along the well-known road, shaking his ears and whisking his tail with a contented motion. Just ahead of them were the gates of Hugson’s Ranch, and Uncle Hugson now came out and stood with uplifted arms and wide open mouth, staring in amazement.
“Goodness gracious! It’s Zeb — and Jim, too!” he exclaimed. “Where in the world have you been, my lad?”
“Why, in the world, Uncle,” answered Zeb, with a laugh.
THE ROAD TO OZ
The Road to Oz was Baum’s fifth Oz book, published in 1909 by Reilly & Britton and illustrated by John R. Neill. Baum dedicated the book to his first grandson, Joslyn Stanton Baum. While taking a walk with her dog Toto, Dorothy Gale meets a wandering hobo known as the Shaggy Man, who carries the Love Magnet. As they walk together, the road split into seven paths and they decide to take the seventh. In short order, they meet a lost little boy named Button Bright and Polychrome, daughter of the Rainbow, who danced off the edge of the rainbow as it disappeared. The four companions proceed to a variety of adventures, including visits to Foxville and Dunkiton, where intelligent foxes and donkeys live, respectively. A couple of the friends undergo transformations. Eventually they must travel across the Deadly Desert in order to reach Oz in time for Ozma’s birthday party on the 21st of August. The party includes a great number of guests, including many from Baum’s other fantasies, such as Queen Zixi of Ix, John Dough, Chick the Cherub, and Santa Claus. Baum later featured Button Bright and Polychrome in his 1912 novel, Sky Island.
Front and back covers of the first edition of The Road to Oz
CONTENTS
1. The Way to Butterfield
2. Dorothy Meets Button-bright
3. A Queer Village
4. King Dox
5. The Rainbow’s Daughter
6. The City of Beasts
7. The Shaggy Man’s Transformation
8. The Musicker
9. Facing the Scoodlers
10. Escaping the Soup-kettle
11. Johnny Dooit Does It
12. The Deadly Desert Crossed
13. The Truth Pond
14. Tik-Tok and Billina
15. The Emperor’s Tin Castle
16. Visiting the Pumpkin-Field
17. The Royal Chariot Arrives
18. The Emerald City
19. The Shaggy Man’s Welcome
20. Princess Ozma of Oz
21. Dorothy Receives the Guests
22. Important Arrivals
23. The Grand Banquet
24. The Birthday Celebration
A copy of the abridged Junior Edition of The Road to Oz from 1939
CALLING ON JACK PUMPKINHEAD (Chapter 16)
To my readers: Well, my dears, here is what you have asked for: another “Oz Book” about Dorothy’s strange adventures. Toto is in this story, because you wanted him to be there, and many other characters which you will recognize are in the story, too. Indeed, the wishes of my little correspondents have been considered as carefully as possible, and if the story is not exactly as you would have written it yourselves, you must remember that a story has to be a story before it can be written down, and the writer cannot change it much without spoiling it.
In the preface to “Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz” I said I would like to write some stories that were not “Oz” stories, because I thought I had written about Oz long enough; but since that volume was published I have been fairly deluged with letters from children imploring me to “write more about Dorothy,” and “more about Oz,” and since I write only to please the children I shall try to respect their wishes.
There are some new characters in this book that ought to win your love. I’m very fond of the shaggy man myself, and I think you will like him, too. As for Polychrome — the Rainbow’s Daughter — and stupid little Button-Bright, they seem to have brought a new element of fun into these Oz stories, and I am glad I discovered them. Yet I am anxious to have you write and tell me how you like them.
Since this book was written I have received some very remarkable news from The Land of Oz, which has greatly astonished me. I believe it will astonish you, too, my dears, when you hear it. But it is such a long and exciting story that it must be saved for another book — and perhaps that book will be the last story that will ever be told about the Land of Oz.
L Frank Baum.
Coronado, 1909.
1. The Way to Butterfield
“PLEASE, miss,” said the shaggy man, “can you tell me the road to Butterfield?”
Dorothy looked him over. Yes, he was shaggy, all right; but there was a twinkle in his eye that seemed pleasant.
“Oh, yes,” she replied; “I can tell you. But it isn’t this road at all.”
“No?”
“You cross the ten-acre lot, follow the lane to the highway, go north to the five branches, and take — let me see — ”
“To be sure, miss; see as far as Butterfield, if you like,” said the shaggy man.
“You take the branch next the willow stump, I b’lieve; or else the branch by the gopher holes; or else — — ”
“Won’t any of ‘em do, miss?”
“‘Course not, Shaggy Man. You must take the right road to get to Butterfield.”
“And is that the one by the gopher stump, or — — ”
“Dear me!” cried Dorothy; “I shall have to show you the way; you’re so stupid. Wait a minute till I run in the house and get my sunbonnet.”
The shaggy man waited. He had an oat-straw in his mouth, which he chewed slowly as if it tasted good; but it didn’t. There was an apple-tree beside the house, and some apples had fallen to the ground. The shaggy man thought they would taste better than the oat-straw, so he walked over to get some. A little black dog with bright brown eyes dashed out of the farm-house and ran madly toward the shaggy man, who had already picked up three apples and put them in one of the big wide pockets of his shaggy coat. The little dog barked, and made a dive for the shaggy man’s leg; but he grabbed the dog by the neck and put it in his big pocket along with the apples. He took more apples, afterward, for many were on the ground; and each one that he tossed into his pocket hit the little dog somewhere upon the head or back, and made him growl. The little dog’s name was Toto, and he was sorry he had been put in the shaggy man’s pocket.
Pretty soon Dorothy came out of the house with her sunbonnet, and she called out:
“Come on, Shaggy Man, if you want me to show you the road to Butterfield.” She climbed the fence into the ten-acre lot and he followed her, walking slowly and stumbling over the little hillocks in the pasture as if he was thinking of something else and did not notice them.
“My, but you’re clumsy!” said the little girl. “Are your feet tired?”
“No, miss; it’s my whiskers; they tire very easily this warm weather,” said he. “I wish it would snow; don’t you?”
“‘Course not, Shaggy Man,” replied Dorothy, giving him a severe look. “If it snowed in August it would spoil the corn and the oats and the wheat; and then Uncle Henry wouldn’t have any crops; and that would make him poor; and — — ”
“Never mind
,” said the shaggy man. “It won’t snow, I guess. Is this the lane?”
“Yes,” replied Dorothy, climbing another fence; “I’ll go as far as the highway with you.”
“Thankee, miss; you’re very kind for your size, I’m sure,” said he gratefully.
“It isn’t everyone who knows the road to Butterfield,” Dorothy remarked as she tripped along the lane; “but I’ve driven there many a time with Uncle Henry, and so I b’lieve I could find it blindfolded.”
“Don’t do that, miss,” said the shaggy man, earnestly; “you might make a mistake.”
“I won’t,” she answered, laughing. “Here’s the highway. Now, it’s the second — no, the third turn to the left — or else it’s the fourth. Let’s see. The first one is by the elm tree; and the second is by the gopher holes; and then — — ”
“Then what?” he inquired, putting his hands in his coat pockets. Toto grabbed a finger and bit it; the shaggy man took his hand out of that pocket quickly, and said “Oh!”
Dorothy did not notice. She was shading her eyes from the sun with her arm, looking anxiously down the road.
“Come on,” she commanded. “It’s only a little way farther, so I may as well show you.”
After a while they came to the place where five roads branched in different directions; Dorothy pointed to one, and said:
“That’s it, Shaggy Man.”
“I’m much obliged, miss,” he said, and started along another road.
“Not that one!” she cried; “you’re going wrong.”
He stopped.
“I thought you said that other was the road to Butterfield,” said he, running his fingers through his shaggy whiskers in a puzzled way.
“So it is.”
“But I don’t want to go to Butterfield, miss.”
Complete Works of L. Frank Baum Page 53
