The Magic of Oz
Page 22
The Monkeys Have Trouble
CHAPTER 20
"Now," said the Wizard, "we must start for home. But how are we going tocarry that big gold flowerpot? Cap'n Bill can't lug it all the way,that's certain."
"No," acknowledged the sailor-man; "it's pretty heavy. I could carry itfor a little while, but I'd have to stop to rest every few minutes."
"Couldn't we put it on your back?" Dorothy asked the Cowardly Lion, witha good-natured yawn.
"I don't object to carrying it, if you can fasten it on," answered theLion.
"If it falls off," said Trot, "it might get smashed an' be ruined."
"I'll fix it," promised Cap'n Bill. "I'll make a flat board out of oneof these tree trunks, an' tie the board on the lion's back, an' set theflowerpot on the board." He set to work at once to do this, but as heonly had his big knife for a tool his progress was slow.
So the Wizard took from his black bag a tiny saw that shone like silverand said to it:
"Saw, little Saw, come show your power; Make us a board for the Magic Flower."
And at once the Little Saw began to move and it sawed the log so fastthat those who watched it work were astonished. It seemed to understand,too, just what the board was to be used for, for when it was completedit was flat on top and hollowed beneath in such a manner that it exactlyfitted the Lion's back.
"That beats whittlin'!" exclaimed Cap'n Bill, admiringly. "You don'thappen to have _two_ o' them saws; do you, Wizard?"
"No," replied the Wizard, wiping the Magic Saw carefully with his silkhandkerchief and putting it back in the black bag. "It's the only saw ofits kind in the world; and if there were more like it, it wouldn't be sowonderful."
They now tied the board on the Lion's back, flat side up, and Cap'n Billcarefully placed the Magic Flower on the board.
"For fear o' accidents," he said, "I'll walk beside the lion and holdonto the flowerpot."
Trot and Dorothy could both ride on the back of the Hungry Tiger, andbetween them they carried the cage of monkeys. But this arrangement leftthe Wizard, as well as the sailor, to make the journey on foot, and sothe procession moved slowly and the Glass Cat grumbled because it wouldtake so long to get to the Emerald City.
The Cat was sour-tempered and grumpy, at first, but before they hadjourneyed far, the crystal creature had discovered a fine amusement. Thelong tails of the monkeys were constantly sticking through the bars oftheir cage, and when they did, the Glass Cat would slyly seize the tailsin her paws and pull them. That made the monkeys scream, and theirscreams pleased the Glass Cat immensely. Trot and Dorothy tried to stopthis naughty amusement, but when they were not looking the Cat wouldpull the tails again, and the creature was so sly and quick that themonkeys could seldom escape. They scolded the Cat angrily and shook thebars of their cage, but they could not get out and the Cat only laughedat them.
After the party had left the forest and were on the plains of theMunchkin Country, it grew dark, and they were obliged to make camp forthe night, choosing a pretty place beside a brook. By means of his magicthe Wizard created three tents, pitched in a row on the grass and nicelyfitted with all that was needful for the comfort of his comrades. Themiddle tent was for Dorothy and Trot, and had in it two cosy white bedsand two chairs. Another tent, also with beds and chairs, was for theWizard and Cap'n Bill, while the third tent was for the Hungry Tiger,the Cowardly Lion, the cage of Monkeys and the Glass Cat. Outside thetents the Wizard made a fire and placed over it a magic kettle fromwhich he presently drew all sorts of nice things for their supper,smoking hot.
After they had eaten and talked together for a while under the twinklingstars, they all went to bed and the people were soon asleep. The Lionand the Tiger had almost fallen asleep, too, when they were roused bythe screams of the monkeys, for the Glass Cat was pulling their tailsagain. Annoyed by the uproar, the Hungry Tiger cried: "Stop thatracket!" and getting sight of the Glass Cat, he raised his big paw andstruck at the creature. The cat was quick enough to dodge the blow, butthe claws of the Hungry Tiger scraped the monkeys' cage and bent two ofthe bars.
Then the Tiger lay down again to sleep, but the monkeys soon discoveredthat the bending of the bars would allow them to squeeze through. Theydid not leave the cage, however, but after whispering together they lettheir tails stick out and all remained quiet. Presently the Glass Catstole near the cage again and gave a yank to one of the tails. Instantlythe monkeys leaped through the bars, one after another, and althoughthey were so small the entire dozen of them surrounded the Glass Cat andclung to her claws and tail and ears and made her a prisoner. Then theyforced her out of the tent and down to the banks of the stream. Themonkeys had noticed that these banks were covered with thick, slimy mudof a dark blue color, and when they had taken the Cat to the stream,they smeared this mud all over the glass body of the cat, filling thecreature's ears and eyes with it, so that she could neither see norhear. She was no longer transparent and so thick was the mud upon herthat no one could see her pink brains or her ruby heart.
In this condition they led the pussy back to the tent and then gotinside their cage again.
By morning the mud had dried hard on the Glass Cat and it was a dullblue color throughout. Dorothy and Trot were horrified, but the Wizardshook his head and said it served the Glass Cat right for teasing themonkeys.
Cap'n Bill, with his strong hands, soon bent the golden wires of themonkeys' cage into the proper position and then he asked the Wizard ifhe should wash the Glass Cat in the water of the brook.
"Not just yet," answered the Wizard. "The Cat deserves to be punished,so I think I'll leave that blue mud--which is as bad as paint--upon herbody until she gets to the Emerald City. The silly creature is so vainthat she will be greatly shamed when the Oz people see her in thiscondition, and perhaps she'll take the lesson to heart and leave themonkeys alone hereafter."
However, the Glass Cat could not see or hear, and to avoid carrying heron the journey the Wizard picked the mud out of her eyes and ears andDorothy dampened her handkerchief and washed both the eyes and earsclean.
As soon as she could speak the Glass Cat asked indignantly: "Aren't yougoing to punish those monkeys for playing such a trick on me?"
"No," answered the Wizard. "You played a trick on them by pulling theirtails, so this is only tit-for-tat, and I'm glad the monkeys had theirrevenge."
He wouldn't allow the Glass Cat to go near the water, to wash herself,but made her follow them when they resumed their journey toward theEmerald City.
"This is only part of your punishment," said the Wizard, severely. "Ozmawill laugh at you, when we get to her palace, and so will the Scarecrow,and the Tin Woodman, and Tik-Tok, and the Shaggy Man, and Button-Bright,and the Patchwork Girl, and--"
"And the Pink Kitten," added Dorothy.
That suggestion hurt the Glass Cat more than anything else. The PinkKitten always quarreled with the Glass Cat and insisted that flesh wassuperior to glass, while the Glass Cat would jeer at the Pink Kitten,because it had no pink brains. But the pink brains were all daubed withblue mud, just now, and if the Pink Kitten should see the Glass Cat insuch a condition, it would be dreadfully humiliating.
For several hours the Glass Cat walked along very meekly, but towardnoon it seized an opportunity when no one was looking and darted awaythrough the long grass. It remembered that there was a tiny lake of purewater near by, and to this lake the Cat sped as fast as it could go.
The others never missed her until they stopped for lunch, and then itwas too late to hunt for her.
"I s'pect she's gone somewhere to clean herself," said Dorothy.
"Never mind," replied the Wizard. "Perhaps this glass creature has beenpunished enough, and we must not forget she saved both Trot and Cap'nBill."
"After first leading 'em onto an enchanted island," added Dorothy. "ButI think, as you do, that the G
lass Cat is punished enough, and p'rapsshe won't try to pull the monkeys' tails again."
The Glass Cat did not rejoin the party of travelers. She was stillresentful, and they moved too slowly to suit her, besides. When theyarrived at the Royal Palace, one of the first things they saw was theGlass Cat curled up on a bench as bright and clean and transparent asever. But she pretended not to notice them, and they passed her bywithout remark.