The Giant with the Hammer
The road led for a time through a pretty farm country, and then past apicnic grove that was very inviting. But the procession continued tosteadily advance until Billina cried in an abrupt and commanding manner:
"Wait--wait!"
Ozma stopped her chariot so suddenly that the Scarecrow's Sawhorsenearly ran into it, and the ranks of the army tumbled over one anotherbefore they could come to a halt. Immediately the yellow hen struggledfrom Dorothy's arms and flew into a clump of bushes by the roadside.
"What's the matter?" called the Tin Woodman, anxiously.
"Why, Billina wants to lay her egg, that's all," said Dorothy.
"Lay her egg!" repeated the Tin Woodman, in astonishment.
"Yes; she lays one every morning, about this time; and it's quitefresh," said the girl.
"But does your foolish old hen suppose that this entire cavalcade, whichis bound on an important adventure, is going to stand still while shelays her egg?" enquired the Tin Woodman, earnestly.
"What else can we do?" asked the girl. "It's a habit of Billina's andshe can't break herself of it."
"Then she must hurry up," said the Tin Woodman, impatiently.
"No, no!" exclaimed the Scarecrow. "If she hurries she may lay scrambledeggs."
"That's nonsense," said Dorothy. "But Billina won't be long, I'm sure."
So they stood and waited, although all were restless and anxious toproceed. And by and by the yellow hen came from the bushes saying:
"Kut-kut, kut, ka-daw-kutt!" Kut, kut, kut--ka-daw-kut!" "What is shedoing--singing her lay?" asked the Scarecrow.
"For-ward--march!" shouted the Tin Woodman, waving his axe, and theprocession started just as Dorothy had once more grabbed Billina in herarms.
"Isn't anyone going to get my egg?" cried the hen, in great excitement.
"I'll get it," said the Scarecrow; and at his command the Sawhorsepranced into the bushes. The straw man soon found the egg, which heplaced in his jacket pocket. The cavalcade, having moved rapidly on, waseven then far in advance; but it did not take the Sawhorse long tocatch up with it, and presently the Scarecrow was riding in hisaccustomed place behind Ozma's chariot.
"What shall I do with the egg?" he asked Dorothy.
"I do not know," the girl answered. "Perhaps the Hungry Tiger would likeit."
"It would not be enough to fill one of my back teeth," remarked theTiger. "A bushel of them, hard boiled, might take a little of the edgeoff my appetite; but one egg isn't good for anything at all, that I knowof."
"No; it wouldn't even make a sponge cake," said the Scarecrow,thoughtfully. "The Tin Woodman might carry it with his axe and hatch it;but after all I may as well keep it myself for a souvenir." So he leftit in his pocket.
They had now reached that part of the valley that lay between the twohigh mountains which Dorothy had seen from her tower window. At the farend was the third great mountain, which blocked the valley and was thenorthern edge of the Land of Ev. It was underneath this mountain thatthe Nome King's palace was said to be; but it would be some time beforethey reached that place.
The path was becoming rocky and difficult for the wheels of the chariotto pass over, and presently a deep gulf appeared at their feet which wastoo wide for them to leap. So Ozma took a small square of green clothfrom her pocket and threw it upon the ground. At once it became themagic carpet, and unrolled itself far enough for all the cavalcade towalk upon. The chariot now advanced, and the green carpet unrolledbefore it, crossing the gulf on a level with its banks, so that allpassed over in safety.
"That's easy enough," said the Scarecrow. "I wonder what will happennext."
He was not long in making the discovery, for the sides of the mountaincame closer together until finally there was but a narrow path betweenthem, along which Ozma and her party were forced to pass in single file.
They now heard a low and deep "thump!----thump!----thump!" which echoedthroughout the valley and seemed to grow louder as they advanced. Then,turning a corner of rock, they saw before them a huge form, whichtowered above the path for more than a hundred feet. The form was thatof a gigantic man built out of plates of cast iron, and it stood withone foot on either side of the narrow road and swung over its rightshoulder an immense iron mallet, with which it constantly pounded theearth. These resounding blows explained the thumping sounds they hadheard, for the mallet was much bigger than a barrel, and where it struckthe path between the rocky sides of the mountain it filled all the spacethrough which our travelers would be obliged to pass.
Of course they at once halted, a safe distance away from the terribleiron mallet. The magic carpet would do them no good in this case, for itwas only meant to protect them from any dangers upon the ground beneaththeir feet, and not from dangers that appeared in the air above them.
"Wow!" said the Cowardly Lion, with a shudder. "It makes me dreadfullynervous to see that big hammer pounding so near my head. One blow wouldcrush me into a door-mat."
"The ir-on gi-ant is a fine fel-low," said Tiktok, "and works asstead-i-ly as a clock. He was made for the Nome King by Smith & Tin-ker,who made me, and his du-ty is to keep folks from find-ing theun-der-ground pal-ace. Is he not a great work of art?"
"Can he think, and speak, as you do?" asked Ozma, regarding the giantwith wondering eyes.
"No," replied the machine; "he is on-ly made to pound the road, and hasno think-ing or speak-ing at-tach-ment. But he pounds ve-ry well, Ithink."
"Too well," observed the Scarecrow. "He is keeping us from goingfarther. Is there no way to stop his machinery?"
"On-ly the Nome King, who has the key, can do that," answered Tiktok.
"Then," said Dorothy, anxiously, "what shall we do?"
"Excuse me for a few minutes," said the Scarecrow, "and I will think itover."
He retired, then, to a position in the rear, where he turned his paintedface to the rocks and began to think.
Meantime the giant continued to raise his iron mallet high in the airand to strike the path terrific blows that echoed through the mountainslike the roar of a cannon. Each time the mallet lifted, however, therewas a moment when the path beneath the monster was free, and perhaps theScarecrow had noticed this, for when he came back to the others he said:
"The matter is a very simple one, after all. We have but to run underthe hammer, one at a time, when it is lifted, and pass to the otherside before it falls again."
THE TIGER WENT NEXT]
"It will require quick work, if we escape the blow," said the TinWoodman, with a shake of his head. "But it really seems the only thingto be done. Who will make the first attempt?"
They looked at one another hesitatingly for a moment. Then the CowardlyLion, who was trembling like a leaf in the wind, said to them:
"I suppose the head of the procession must go first--and that's me. ButI'm terribly afraid of the big hammer!"
"What will become of me?" asked Ozma. "You might rush under the hammeryourself, but the chariot would surely be crushed."
"We must leave the chariot," said the Scarecrow. "But you two girls canride upon the backs of the Lion and the Tiger."
So this was decided upon, and Ozma, as soon as the Lion was unfastenedfrom the chariot, at once mounted the beast's back and said she wasready.
"Cling fast to his mane," advised Dorothy. "I used to ride him myself,and that's the way I held on."
So Ozma clung fast to the mane, and the lion crouched in the path andeyed the swinging mallet carefully until he knew just the instant itwould begin to rise in the air.
Then, before anyone thought he was ready, he made a sudden leapstraight between the iron giant's legs, and before the mallet struck theground again the Lion and Ozma were safe on the other side.
The Tiger went next. Dorothy sat upon his back and locked her armsaround his striped neck, for he had no mane to cling to. He made theleap straight and true as an arrow from a bow, and ere Dorothy realizedit she was out of danger and standing by Ozma's si
de.
Now came the Scarecrow on the Sawhorse, and while they made the dash insafety they were within a hair's breadth of being caught by thedescending hammer.
Tiktok walked up to the very edge of the spot the hammer struck, and asit was raised for the next blow he calmly stepped forward and escapedits descent. That was an idea for the Tin Woodman to follow, and he alsocrossed in safety while the great hammer was in the air. But when itcame to the twenty-six officers and the private, their knees were soweak that they could not walk a step.
"In battle we are wonderfully courageous," said one of the generals,"and our foes find us very terrible to face. But war is one thing andthis is another. When it comes to being pounded upon the head by an ironhammer, and smashed into pancakes, we naturally object."
"Make a run for it," urged the Scarecrow.
"Our knees shake so that we cannot run," answered a captain. "If weshould try it we would all certainly be pounded to a jelly."
"Well, well!" sighed the Cowardly Lion, "I see, friend Tiger, that wemust place ourselves in great danger to rescue this bold army. Come withme, and we will do the best we can."
So, Ozma and Dorothy having already dismounted from their backs, theLion and the Tiger leaped back again under the awful hammer and returnedwith two generals clinging to their necks. They repeated this daringpassage twelve times, when all the officers had been carried beneath thegiant's legs and landed safely on the further side. By that time thebeasts were very tired, and panted so hard that their tongues hung outof their great mouths.
"But what is to become of the private?" asked Ozma.
"Oh, leave him there to guard the chariot," said the Lion. "I'm tiredout, and won't pass under that mallet again."
THE WOODEN HORSE WAS CARELESS]
The officers at once protested that they must have the private withthem, else there would be no one for them to command. But neither theLion or the Tiger would go after him, and so the Scarecrow sent theSawhorse.
Either the wooden horse was careless, or it failed to properly time thedescent of the hammer, for the mighty weapon caught it squarely upon itshead, and thumped it against the ground so powerfully that the privateflew off its back high into the air, and landed upon one of the giant'scast-iron arms. Here he clung desperately while the arm rose and fellwith each one of the rapid strokes.
The Scarecrow dashed in to rescue his Sawhorse, and had his left footsmashed by the hammer before he could pull the creature out of danger.They then found that the Sawhorse had been badly dazed by the blow; forwhile the hard wooden knot of which his head was formed could not becrushed by the hammer, both his ears were broken off and he would beunable to hear a sound until some new ones were made for him. Also hisleft knee was cracked, and had to be bound up with a string.
Billina having fluttered under the hammer, it now remained only torescue the private who was riding upon the iron giant's arm, high in theair. The Scarecrow lay flat upon the ground and called to the man tojump down upon his body, which was soft because it was stuffed withstraw. This the private managed to do, waiting until a time when he wasnearest the ground and then letting himself drop upon the Scarecrow. Heaccomplished the feat without breaking any bones, and the Scarecrowdeclared he was not injured in the least.
Therefore, the Tin Woodman having by this time fitted new ears to theSawhorse, the entire party proceeded upon its way, leaving the giant topound the path behind them.
Ozma of Oz Page 11
