The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (life changing books to read TXT) ๐
Description
Four years after writing his immensely popular The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum returned to the Land of Oz in this second book of fourteen he wrote about the magical country. Like its predecessor, The Marvelous Land of Oz has delighted children through the years, and has been adapted into stage plays, films, and comics.
A young boy named Tip lives in Gillikin Country in Oz with an old witch named Mombi. When Mombi threatens to turn Tip into a statue, he escapes with his friend Jack, a wooden man with a pumpkin for a head who has been brought to life through magic. He then journeys to the Emerald City, where he embarks upon an exciting adventure, meeting new quirky characters and returning favorites from the first book.
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- Author: L. Frank Baum
Read book online ยซThe Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (life changing books to read TXT) ๐ยป. Author - L. Frank Baum
โI must take him to His Majesty, the Scarecrow.โ
โBut what will His Majesty, the Scarecrow, do with him?โ asked the Guardian of the Gates.
โThat is His Majestyโs business,โ returned the soldier. โI have troubles enough of my own. All outside troubles must be turned over to His Majesty. So put the spectacles on this fellow, and Iโll take him to the royal palace.โ
So the Guardian opened a big box of spectacles and tried to fit a pair to Jackโs great round eyes.
โI havenโt a pair in stock that will really cover those eyes up,โ said the little man, with a sigh; โand your head is so big that I shall be obliged to tie the spectacles on.โ
โBut why need I wear spectacles?โ asked Jack.
โItโs the fashion here,โ said the Soldier, โand they will keep you from being blinded by the glitter and glare of the gorgeous Emerald City.โ
โOh!โ exclaimed Jack. โTie them on, by all means. I donโt wish to be blinded.โ
โNor I!โ broke in the Sawhorse; so a pair of green spectacles was quickly fastened over the bulging knots that served it for eyes.
Then the Soldier with the Green Whiskers led them through the inner gate and they at once found themselves in the main street of the magnificent Emerald City.
Sparkling green gems ornamented the fronts of the beautiful houses and the towers and turrets were all faced with emeralds. Even the green marble pavement glittered with precious stones, and it was indeed a grand and marvelous sight to one who beheld it for the first time.
However, the Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse, knowing nothing of wealth and beauty, paid little attention to the wonderful sights they saw through their green spectacles. They calmly followed after the green soldier and scarcely noticed the crowds of green people who stared at them in surprise. When a green dog ran out and barked at them the Sawhorse promptly kicked at it with its wooden leg and sent the little animal howling into one of the houses; but nothing more serious than this happened to interrupt their progress to the royal palace.
The Pumpkinhead wanted to ride up the green marble steps and straight into the Scarecrowโs presence; but the soldier would not permit that. So Jack dismounted, with much difficulty, and a servant led the Sawhorse around to the rear while the Soldier with the Green Whiskers escorted the Pumpkinhead into the palace, by the front entrance.
The stranger was left in a handsomely furnished waiting room while the soldier went to announce him. It so happened that at this hour His Majesty was at leisure and greatly bored for want of something to do, so he ordered his visitor to be shown at once into his throne room.
Jack felt no fear or embarrassment at meeting the ruler of this magnificent city, for he was entirely ignorant of all worldly customs. But when he entered the room and saw for the first time His Majesty the Scarecrow seated upon his glittering throne, he stopped short in amazement.
His Majesty the ScarecrowI suppose every reader of this book knows what a scarecrow is; but Jack Pumpkinhead, never having seen such a creation, was more surprised at meeting the remarkable King of the Emerald City than by any other one experience of his brief life.
His Majesty the Scarecrow was dressed in a suit of faded blue clothes, and his head was merely a small sack stuffed with straw, upon which eyes, ears, a nose and a mouth had been rudely painted to represent a face. The clothes were also stuffed with straw, and that so unevenly or carelessly that his Majestyโs legs and arms seemed more bumpy than was necessary. Upon his hands were gloves with long fingers, and these were padded with cotton. Wisps of straw stuck out from the monarchโs coat and also from his neck and boot-tops. Upon his head he wore a heavy golden crown set thick with sparkling jewels, and the weight of this crown caused his brow to sag in wrinkles, giving a thoughtful expression to the painted face. Indeed, the crown alone betokened majesty; in all else the, Scarecrow King was but a simple scarecrowโ โflimsy, awkward, and unsubstantial.
But if the strange appearance of his Majesty the Scarecrow seemed startling to Jack, no less wonderful was the form of the Pumpkinhead to the Scarecrow. The purple trousers and pink waistcoat and red shirt hung loosely over the wooden joints Tip had manufactured, and the carved face on the pumpkin grinned perpetually, as if its wearer considered life the jolliest thing imaginable.
At first, indeed, His Majesty thought his queer visitor was laughing at him, and was inclined to resent such a liberty; but it was not without reason that the Scarecrow had attained the reputation of being the wisest personage in the Land of Oz. He made a more careful examination of his visitor, and soon discovered that Jackโs features were carved into a smile and that he could not look grave if he wished to.
The King was the first to speak. After regarding Jack for some minutes he said, in a tone of wonder:
โWhere on earth did you come from, and how do you happen to be alive?โ
โI beg your Majestyโs pardon,โ returned the Pumpkinhead; โbut I do not understand you.โ
โWhat donโt you understand?โ asked the Scarecrow.
โWhy, I donโt understand your language. You see, I came from the Country of the Gillikins, so that I am a foreigner.โ
โAh, to be sure!โ exclaimed the Scarecrow. โI myself speak the language of the Munchkins, which is also the language of the Emerald City. But you, I suppose, speak the language of the Pumpkinheads?โ
โExactly so, your Majestyโ replied the other, bowing; โso it will be impossible for us to understand one another.โ
โThat is unfortunate, certainly,โ said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. โWe must have
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