The Magic of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

  Dorothy and the Bumble Bees

  CHAPTER 19

  Dorothy was greatly distressed and had hard work to keep the tears fromher eyes.

  "Is that all you can do, Wizard?" she asked the little man.

  "It's all I can think of just now," he replied sadly. "But I intend tokeep on thinking as long--as long--well, as long as thinking will do anygood."

  They were all silent for a time, Dorothy and the Wizard sittingthoughtfully on the raft, and Trot and Cap'n Bill sitting thoughtfullyon the toadstools and growing gradually smaller and smaller in size.

  Suddenly Dorothy said: "Wizard, I've thought of something!"

  "What have you thought of?" he asked, looking at the little girl withinterest.

  "Can you remember the Magic Word that transforms people?" she asked.

  "Of course," said he.

  "Then you can transform Trot and Cap'n Bill into birds or Bumblebees,and they can fly away to the other shore. When they're there, you cantransform 'em into their reg'lar shapes again!"

  "Can you do that, Wizard?" asked Cap'n Bill, eagerly.

  "I think so."

  "Roots an' all?" inquired Trot.

  "Why, the roots are now a part of you, and if you were transformed to abumble-bee the whole of you would be transformed, of course, and you'dbe free of this awful island."

  "All right; do it!" cried the sailor-man.

  So the Wizard said slowly and distinctly:

  "I want Trot and Cap'n Bill to become bumble-bees--Pyrzqxgl!"

  Fortunately, he pronounced the Magic Word in the right way, andinstantly Trot and Cap'n Bill vanished from view, and up from the placeswhere they had been flew two bumble-bees.

  "Hooray!" shouted Dorothy in delight; "they're saved!"

  "I guess they are," agreed the Wizard, equally delighted.

  The bees hovered over the raft an instant and then flew across the riverto where the Lion and the Tiger waited. The Wizard picked up the paddleand paddled the raft across as fast as he could. When it reached theriver bank, both Dorothy and the Wizard leaped ashore and the little manasked excitedly:

  "Where are the bees?"

  "The bees?" inquired the Lion, who was half asleep and did not know whathad happened on the Magic Isle.

  "Yes; there were two of them."

  "Two bees?" said the Hungry Tiger, yawning. "Why, I ate one of them andthe Cowardly Lion ate the other."

  "Goodness gracious!" cried Dorothy horrified.

  "It was little enough for our lunch," remarked the Tiger, "but the bees,were the only things we could find."

  "How dreadful!" wailed Dorothy, wringing her hands in despair. "You'veeaten Trot and Cap'n Bill."

  But just then she heard a buzzing overhead and two bees alighted on hershoulder.

  "Here we are," said a small voice in her ear. "I'm Trot, Dorothy."

  "And I'm Cap'n Bill," said the other bee.

  Dorothy almost fainted, with relief, and the Wizard, who was close byand had heard the tiny voices, gave a laugh and said:

  "You are not the only two bees in the forest, it seems, but I advise youto keep away from the Lion and the Tiger until you regain your properforms."

  "Do it now, Wizard!" advised Dorothy. "They're so small that you nevercan tell what might happen to 'em."

  So the Wizard gave the command and pronounced the Magic Word, and in theinstant Trot and Cap'n Bill stood beside them as natural as before theyhad met their fearful adventure. For they were no longer small in size,because the Wizard had transformed them from bumble-bees into the shapesand sizes that nature had formerly given them. The ugly roots on theirfeet had disappeared with the transformation.

 

  While Dorothy was hugging Trot, and Trot was softly crying because shewas so happy, the Wizard shook hands with Cap'n Bill and congratulatedhim on his escape. The old sailor-man was so pleased that he also shookthe Lion's paw and took off his hat and bowed politely to the cage ofmonkeys.

  Then Cap'n Bill did a curious thing. He went to a big tree and, takingout his knife, cut away a big, broad piece of thick bark. Then he satdown on the ground and after taking a roll of stout cord from hispocket--which seemed to be full of all sorts of things--he proceeded tobind the flat piece of bark to the bottom of his good foot, over theleather sole.

  "What's that for?" inquired the Wizard.

  "I hate to be stumped," replied the sailor-man; "so I'm goin' back tothat island."

  "And get enchanted again?" exclaimed Trot, with evident disapproval.

  "No; this time I'll dodge the magic of the island. I noticed that mywooden leg didn't get stuck, or take root, an' neither did the glassfeet of the Glass Cat. It's only a thing that's made of meat--like manan' beasts--that the magic can hold an' root to the ground. Our shoesare leather, an' leather comes from a beast's hide. Our stockin's arewool, an' wool comes from a sheep's back. So, when we walked on theMagic Isle, our feet took root there an' held us fast. But not my woodenleg. So now I'll put a wooden bottom on my other foot an' the magiccan't stop me."

  "But why do you wish to go back to the island?" asked Dorothy.

  "Didn't you see the Magic Flower in the gold flower-pot?" returned Cap'nBill.

  "Of course I saw it, and it's lovely and wonderful."

  "Well, Trot an' I set out to get that magic plant for a present to Ozmaon her birthday, and I mean to get it an' take it back with us to theEmerald City."

  "That would be fine," cried Trot eagerly, "if you think you can do it,and it would be safe to try!"

  "I'm pretty sure it is safe, the way I've fixed my foot," said thesailor, "an' if I _should_ happen to get caught, I s'pose the Wizardcould save me again."

  "I suppose I could," agreed the Wizard. "Anyhow, if you wish to try it,Cap'n Bill, go ahead and we'll stand by and watch what happens."

  So the sailor-man got upon the raft again and paddled over to the MagicIsle, landing as close to the golden flower-pot as he could. Theywatched him walk across the land, put both arms around the flower-potand lift it easily from its place. Then he carried it to the raft andset it down very gently. The removal did not seem to affect the MagicFlower in any way, for it was growing daffodils when Cap'n Bill pickedit up and on the way to the raft it grew tulips and gladioli. During thetime the sailor was paddling across the river to where his friendsawaited him, seven different varieties of flowers bloomed in successionon the plant.

  "I guess the Magician who put it on the island never thought that anyone would carry it off," said Dorothy.

  "He figured that only men would want the plant, and any man who wentupon the island to get it would be caught by the enchantment," added theWizard.

  "After this," remarked Trot, "no one will care to go on the island, soit won't be a trap any more."

  "There," exclaimed Cap'n Bill, setting down the Magic Plant in triumphupon the river bank, "if Ozma gets a better birthday present than that,I'd like to know what it can be!"

  "It'll s'prise her, all right," declared Dorothy, standing in awedwonder before the gorgeous blossoms and watching them change from yellowroses to violets.

  "It'll s'prise ev'rybody in the Em'rald City," Trot asserted in glee,"and it'll be Ozma's present from Cap'n Bill and me."

  "I think _I_ ought to have a little credit," objected the Glass Cat. "Idiscovered the thing, and led you to it, and brought the Wizard here tosave you when you got caught."

  "That's true," admitted Trot, "and I'll tell Ozma the whole story, soshe'll know how good you've been."