Own Peril!
P. S. — Don’t feed the Giant yourself.”
“Very well,” said Ojo, with a sigh; “let’s go back.”
“It’s a long way back,” declared Dorothy.
“So it is,” remarked the Scarecrow, “and it means a tedious climb over those sharp rocks if we can’t use this passage. I think it will be best to run by the Giant’s cave as fast as we can go. Mister Yoop seems to be asleep just now.”
But the Giant wasn’t asleep. He suddenly appeared at the front of his cavern, seized the iron bars in his great hairy hands and shook them until they rattled in their sockets. Yoop was so tall that our friends had to tip their heads way back to look into his face, and they noticed he was dressed all in pink velvet, with silver buttons and braid. The Giant’s boots were of pink leather and had tassels on them and his hat was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich feather, carefully curled.
“Yo-ho!” he said in a deep bass voice; “I smell dinner.”
“I think you are mistaken,” replied the Scarecrow. “There is no orange marmalade around here.”
“Ah, but I eat other things,” asserted Mister Yoop. “That is, I eat them when I can get them. But this is a lonely place, and no good meat has passed by my cave for many years; so I’m hungry.”
“Haven’t you eaten anything in many years?” asked Dorothy.
“Nothing except six ants and a monkey. I thought the monkey would taste like meat people, but the flavor was different. I hope you will taste better, for you seem plump and tender.”
“Oh, I’m not going to be eaten,” said Dorothy.
“Why not?”
“I shall keep out of your way,” she answered.
“How heartless!” wailed the Giant, shaking the bars again. “Consider how many years it is since I’ve eaten a single plump little girl! They tell me meat is going up, but if I can manage to catch you I’m sure it will soon be going down. And I’ll catch you if I can.”
With this the Giant pushed his big arms, which looked like tree-trunks (except that tree-trunks don’t wear pink velvet) between the iron bars, and the arms were so long that they touched the opposite wall of the rock passage. Then he extended them as far as he could reach toward our travelers and found he could almost touch the Scarecrow — but not quite.
“Come a little nearer, please,” begged the Giant.
“I’m a Scarecrow.”
“A Scarecrow? Ugh! I don’t care a straw for a scarecrow. Who is that bright-colored delicacy behind you?”
“Me?” asked Scraps. “I’m a Patchwork Girl, and I’m stuffed with cotton.”
“Dear me,” sighed the Giant in a disappointed tone; “that reduces my dinner from four to two — and the dog. I’ll save the dog for dessert.”
Toto growled, keeping a good distance away.
“Back up,” said the Scarecrow to those behind him. “Let us go back a little way and talk this over.”
So they turned and went around the bend in the passage, where they were out of sight of the cave and Mister Yoop could not hear them.
“My idea,” began the Scarecrow, when they had halted, “is to make a dash past the cave, going on a run.”
“He’d grab us,” said Dorothy.
“Well, he can’t grab but one at a time, and I’ll go first. As soon as he grabs me the rest of you can slip past him, out of his reach, and he will soon let me go because I am not fit to eat.”
They decided to try this plan and Dorothy took Toto in her arms, so as to protect him. She followed just after the Scarecrow. Then came Ojo, with Scraps the last of the four. Their hearts beat a little faster than usual as they again approached the Giant’s cave, this time moving swiftly forward.
It turned out about the way the Scarecrow had planned. Mister Yoop was quite astonished to see them come flying toward him, and thrusting his arms between the bars he seized the Scarecrow in a firm grip. In the next instant he realized, from the way the straw crunched between his fingers, that he had captured the non-eatable man, but during that instant of delay Dorothy and Ojo had slipped by the Giant and were out of reach. Uttering a howl of rage the monster threw the Scarecrow after them with one hand and grabbed Scraps with the other.
The poor Scarecrow went whirling through the air and so cleverly was he aimed that he struck Ojo’s back and sent the boy tumbling head over heels, and he tripped Dorothy and sent her, also, sprawling upon the ground. Toto flew out of the little girl’s arms and landed some distance ahead, and all were so dazed that it was a moment before they could scramble to their feet again. When they did so they turned to look toward the Giant’s cave, and at that moment the ferocious Mister Yoop threw the Patchwork Girl at them.
Down went all three again, in a heap, with Scraps on top. The Giant roared so terribly that for a time they were afraid he had broken loose; but he hadn’t. So they sat in the road and looked at one another in a rather bewildered way, and then began to feel glad.
“We did it!” exclaimed the Scarecrow, with satisfaction. “And now we are free to go on our way.”
“Mister Yoop is very impolite,” declared Scraps. “He jarred me terribly. It’s lucky my stitches are so fine and strong, for otherwise such harsh treatment might rip me up the back.”
“Allow me to apologize for the Giant,” said the Scarecrow, raising the Patchwork Girl to her feet and dusting her skirt with his stuffed hands. “Mister Yoop is a perfect stranger to me, but I fear, from the rude manner in which he has acted, that he is no gentleman.”
Dorothy and Ojo laughed at this statement and Toto barked as if he understood the joke, after which they all felt better and resumed the journey in high spirits.
“Of course,” said the little girl, when they had walked a way along the passage, “it was lucky for us the Giant was caged; for, if he had happened to be loose, he — he — ”
“Perhaps, in that case, he wouldn’t be hungry any more,” said Ojo gravely.
21 Hiphopper the Champion
THEY must have had good courage to climb all those rocks, for after getting out of the canyon they encountered more rock hills to be surmounted. Toto could jump from one rock to another quite easily, but the others had to creep and climb with care, so that after a whole day of such work Dorothy and Ojo found themselves very tired.
As they gazed upward at the great mass of tumbled rocks that covered the steep incline, Dorothy gave a little groan and said:
“That’s going to be a ter’ble hard climb, Scarecrow. I wish we could find the dark well without so much trouble.”
“Suppose,” said Ojo,268 “you wait here and let me do the climbing, for it’s on my account we’re searching for the dark well. Then, if I don’t find anything, I’ll come back and join you.”
“No,” replied the little girl, shaking her head positively, “we’ll all go together, for that way we can help each other. If you went alone, something might happen to you, Ojo.”
So they began the climb and found it indeed difficult, for a way. But presently, in creeping over the big crags, they found a path at their feet which wound in and out among the masses of rock and was quite smooth and easy to walk upon. As the path gradually ascended the mountain, although in a roundabout way, they decided to follow it.
“This must be the road to the Country of the Hoppers,” said the Scarecrow.
“Who are the Hoppers?” asked Dorothy.
“Some people Jack Pumpkinhead told me about,” he replied.
“I didn’t hear him,” replied the girl.
“No; you were asleep,” explained the Scarecrow. “But he told Scraps and me that the Hoppers and the Horners live on this mountain.”
“He said in the mountain,” declared Scraps; “but of course he meant on it.”
“Didn’t he say what the Hoppers and Horners were like?” inquired Dorothy.
“No; he only said they were two separate nations, and that the Horners were the most important.”
“Well, if we go to their cou
ntry we’ll find out all about ‘em,” said the girl. “But I’ve never heard Ozma mention those people, so they can’t be very important.”
“Is this mountain in the Land of Oz?” asked Scraps.
“Course it is,” answered Dorothy. “It’s in the South Country of the Quadlings. When one comes to the edge of Oz, in any direction, there is nothing more to be seen at all. Once you could see sandy desert all around Oz; but now it’s diff’rent, and no other people can see us, any more than we can see them.”
“If the mountain is under Ozma’s rule, why doesn’t she know about the Hoppers and the Horners?” Ojo asked.
“Why, it’s a fairyland,” explained Dorothy, “and lots of queer people live in places so tucked away that those in the Emerald City never even hear of ‘em. In the middle of the country it’s diff’rent, but when you get around the edges you’re sure to run into strange little corners that surprise you. I know, for I’ve traveled in Oz a good deal, and so has the Scarecrow.”
“Yes,” admitted the straw man, “I’ve been considerable of a traveler, in my time, and I like to explore strange places. I find I learn much more by traveling than by staying at home.”
During this conversation they had been walking up the steep pathway and now found themselves well up on the mountain. They could see nothing around them, for the rocks beside their path were higher than their heads. Nor could they see far in front of them, because the path was so crooked. But suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and there was no place to go. Ahead was a big rock lying against the side of the mountain, and this blocked the way completely.
“There wouldn’t be a path, though, if it didn’t go somewhere,” said the Scarecrow, wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.
“This is somewhere, isn’t it?” asked the Patchwork Girl, laughing at the bewildered looks of the others.
“The path is locked, the way is blocked, Yet here we’ve innocently flocked; And now we’re here it’s rather queer There’s no front door that can be knocked.”
“Please don’t, Scraps,” said Ojo. “You make me nervous.”
“Well,” said Dorothy, “I’m glad of a little rest, for that’s a drea’ful steep path.”
As she spoke she leaned against the edge of the big rock that stood in their way. To her surprise it slowly swung backward and showed behind it a dark hole that looked like the mouth of a tunnel.
“Why, here’s where the path goes to!” she exclaimed.
“So it is,” answered the Scarecrow. “But the question is, do we want to go where the path does?”
“It’s underground; right inside the mountain,” said Ojo, peering into the dark hole. “Perhaps there’s a well there; and, if there is, it’s sure to be a dark one.”
“Why, that’s true enough!” cried Dorothy with eagerness. “Let’s go in, Scarecrow; ‘cause, if others have gone, we’re pretty safe to go, too.”
Toto looked in and barked, but he did not venture to enter until the Scarecrow had bravely gone first. Scraps followed closely after the straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped inside the tunnel. As soon as all of them had passed the big rock, it slowly turned and filled up the opening again; but now they were no longer in the dark, for a soft, rosy light enabled them to see around them quite distinctly.
It was only a passage, wide enough for two of them to walk abreast — with Toto in between them — and it had a high, arched roof. They could not see where the light which flooded the place so pleasantly came from, for there were no lamps anywhere visible. The passage ran straight for a little way and then made a bend to the right and another sharp turn to the left, after which it went straight again. But there were no side passages, so they could not lose their way.
After proceeding some distance, Toto, who had gone on ahead, began to bark loudly. They ran around a bend to see what was the matter and found a man sitting on the floor of the passage and leaning his back against the wall. He had probably been asleep before Toto’s barks aroused him, for he was now rubbing his eyes and staring at the little dog with all his might.
There was something about this man that Toto objected to, and when he slowly rose to his foot they saw what it was. He had but one leg, set just below the middle of his round, fat body; but it was a stout leg and had a broad, flat foot at the bottom of it, on which the man seemed to stand very well. He had never had but this one leg, which looked something like a pedestal, and when Toto ran up and made a grab at the man’s ankle he hopped first one way and then another in a very active manner, looking so frightened that Scraps laughed aloud.
Toto was usually a well behaved dog, but this time he was angry and snapped at the man’s leg again and again. This filled the poor fellow with fear, and in hopping out of Toto’s reach he suddenly lost his balance and tumbled heel over head upon the floor. When he sat up he kicked Toto on the nose and made the dog howl angrily, but Dorothy now ran forward and caught Toto’s collar, holding him back.
“Do you surrender?” she asked the man.
“Who? Me?” asked the Hopper.
“Yes; you,” said the little girl.
“Am I captured?” he inquired.
“Of course. My dog has captured you,” she said.
“Well,” replied the man, “if I’m captured I must surrender, for it’s the proper thing to do. I like to do everything proper, for it saves one a lot of trouble.”
“It does, indeed,” said Dorothy. “Please tell us who you are.”
“I’m Hip Hopper — Hip Hopper, the Champion.”
“Champion what?” she asked in surprise.
“Champion wrestler. I’m a very strong man, and that ferocious animal which you are so kindly holding is the first living thing that has ever conquered me.”
“And you are a Hopper?” she continued.
“Yes. My people live in a great city not far from here. Would you like to visit it?”
“I’m not sure,” she said with hesitation. “Have you any dark wells in your city?”
“I think not. We have wells, you know, but they’re all well lighted, and a well lighted well cannot well be a dark well. But there may be such a thing as a very dark well in the Horner Country, which is a black spot on the face of the earth.”
“Where is the Horner Country?” Ojo inquired.
“The other side of the mountain. There’s a fence between the Hopper Country and the Horner Country, and a gate in the fence; but you can’t pass through just now, because we are at war with the Horners.”
“That’s too bad,” said the Scarecrow. “What seems to be the trouble?”
“Why, one of them made a very insulting remark about my people. He said we were lacking in understanding, because we had only one leg to a person. I can’t see that legs have anything to do with understanding things. The Horners each have two legs, just as you have. That’s one leg too many, it seems to me.”
“No,” declared Dorothy, “it’s just the right number.”
“You don’t need them,” argued the Hopper, obstinately. “You’ve only one head, and one body, and one nose and mouth. Two legs are quite unnecessary, and they spoil one’s shape.”
“But how can you walk, with only one leg?” asked Ojo.
“Walk! Who wants to walk?” exclaimed the man. “Walking is a terribly awkward way to travel. I hop, and so do all my people. It’s so much more graceful and agreeable than walking.”
“I don’t agree with you,” said the Scarecrow. “But tell me, is there any way to get to the Horner Country without going through the city of the Hoppers?”
“Yes; there is another path from the rocky lowlands, outside the mountain, that leads straight to the entrance of the Horner Country. But it’s a long way around, so you’d better come with me. Perhaps they will allow you to go through the gate; but we expect to conquer them this afternoon, if we get time, and then you may go and come as you please.”
They thought it best to take the Hopper’s advice, and asked him to lead the way. T
his he did in a series of hops, and he moved so swiftly in this strange manner that those with two legs had to run to keep up with him.
22 The Joking Horners
IT was not long before they left the passage and came to a great cave, so high that it must have reached nearly to the top of the mountain within which it lay. It was a magnificent cave, illumined by the soft, invisible light, so that everything in it could be plainly seen. The walls were of polished marble, white with veins of delicate colors running through it, and the roof was arched and carved in designs both fantastic and beautiful.
Built beneath this vast dome was a pretty village — not very large, for there seemed not more than fifty houses altogether — and the dwellings were of marble and artistically designed. No grass nor flowers nor trees grew in this cave, so the yards surrounding the houses were smooth and bare and had low walls around them to mark their boundaries.
In the streets and the yards of the houses were many people, all having one leg growing below their bodies and all hopping here and there whenever they moved. Even the children stood firmly upon their single legs and never lost their balance.
“All hail, Champion!” cried a man in the first group of Hoppers they met; “whom have you captured?”
“No one,” replied the Champion in a gloomy voice; “these strangers have captured me.”
“Then,” said another, “we will rescue you, and capture them, for we are greater in number.”
“No,” answered the Champion, “I can’t allow it. I’ve surrendered, and it isn’t polite to capture those you’ve surrendered to.”
“Never mind that,” said Dorothy. “We will give you your liberty and set you free.”
“Really?” asked the Champion in joyous tones.
“Yes,” said the little girl; “your people may need you to help conquer the Horners.”
At this all the Hoppers looked downcast and sad. Several more had joined the group by this time and quite a crowd of curious men, women and children surrounded the strangers.
Complete Works of L. Frank Baum Page 96
