American library books ยป Other ยป The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (life changing books to read TXT) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซThe Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (life changing books to read TXT) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   L. Frank Baum



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you do,โ€ responded Tip. โ€œAfter the Wizard was gone, the people of the Emerald City made His Majesty, the Scarecrow, their King; and I have heard that he became a very popular ruler.โ€

โ€œAre we going to see this queer King?โ€ asked Jack, with interest.

โ€œI think we may as well,โ€ replied the boy; โ€œunless you have something better to do.โ€

โ€œOh, no, dear father,โ€ said the Pumpkinhead. โ€œI am quite willing to go wherever you please.โ€

Tip Makes an Experiment in Magic

The boy, small and rather delicate in appearance, seemed somewhat embarrassed at being called โ€œfatherโ€ by the tall, awkward, pumpkinheaded man, but to deny the relationship would involve another long and tedious explanation; so he changed the subject by asking, abruptly:

โ€œAre you tired?โ€

โ€œOf course not!โ€ replied the other. โ€œBut,โ€ he continued, after a pause, โ€œit is quite certain I shall wear out my wooden joints if I keep on walking.โ€

Tip reflected, as they journeyed on, that this was true. He began to regret that he had not constructed the wooden limbs more carefully and substantially. Yet how could he ever have guessed that the man he had made merely to scare old Mombi with would be brought to life by means of a magical powder contained in an old pepper-box?

So he ceased to reproach himself, and began to think how he might yet remedy the deficiencies of Jackโ€™s weak joints.

While thus engaged they came to the edge of a wood, and the boy sat down to rest upon an old sawhorse that some woodcutter had left there.

โ€œWhy donโ€™t you sit down?โ€ he asked the Pumpkinhead.

โ€œWonโ€™t it strain my joints?โ€ inquired the other.

โ€œOf course not. Itโ€™ll rest them,โ€ declared the boy.

So Jack tried to sit down; but as soon as he bent his joints farther than usual they gave way altogether, and he came clattering to the ground with such a crash that Tip feared he was entirely ruined.

He rushed to the man, lifted him to his feet, straightened his arms and legs, and felt of his head to see if by chance it had become cracked. But Jack seemed to be in pretty good shape, after all, and Tip said to him:

โ€œI guess youโ€™d better remain standing, hereafter. It seems the safest way.โ€

โ€œVery well, dear father; just as you say,โ€ replied the smiling Jack, who had been in no wise confused by his tumble.

Tip sat down again. Presently the Pumpkinhead asked:

โ€œWhat is that thing you are sitting on?โ€

โ€œOh, this is a horse,โ€ replied the boy, carelessly.

โ€œWhat is a horse?โ€ demanded Jack.

โ€œA horse? Why, there are two kinds of horses,โ€ returned Tip, slightly puzzled how to explain. โ€œOne kind of horse is alive, and has four legs and a head and a tail. And people ride upon its back.โ€

โ€œI understand,โ€ said Jack, cheerfully โ€œThatโ€™s the kind of horse you are now sitting on.โ€

โ€œNo, it isnโ€™t,โ€ answered Tip, promptly.

โ€œWhy not? That one has four legs, and a head, and a tail.โ€ Tip looked at the sawhorse more carefully, and found that the Pumpkinhead was right. The body had been formed from a tree-trunk, and a branch had been left sticking up at one end that looked very much like a tail. In the other end were two big knots that resembled eyes, and a place had been chopped away that might easily be mistaken for the horseโ€™s mouth. As for the legs, they were four straight limbs cut from trees and stuck fast into the body, being spread wide apart so that the sawhorse would stand firmly when a log was laid across it to be sawed.

โ€œThis thing resembles a real horse more than I imagined,โ€ said Tip, trying to explain. โ€œBut a real horse is alive, and trots and prances and eats oats, while this is nothing more than a dead horse, made of wood, and used to saw logs upon.โ€

โ€œIf it were alive, wouldnโ€™t it trot, and prance, and eat oats?โ€ inquired the Pumpkinhead.

โ€œIt would trot and prance, perhaps; but it wouldnโ€™t eat oats,โ€ replied the boy, laughing at the idea. โ€œAnd of course it canโ€™t ever be alive, because it is made of wood.โ€

โ€œSo am I,โ€ answered the man.

Tip looked at him in surprise.

โ€œWhy, so you are!โ€ he exclaimed. โ€œAnd the magic powder that brought you to life is here in my pocket.โ€

He brought out the pepper box, and eyed it curiously.

โ€œI wonder,โ€ said he, musingly, โ€œif it would bring the sawhorse to life.โ€

โ€œIf it would,โ€ returned Jack, calmlyโ โ€”for nothing seemed to surprise himโ โ€”โ€œI could ride on its back, and that would save my joints from wearing out.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ll try it!โ€ cried the boy, jumping up. โ€œBut I wonder if I can remember the words old Mombi said, and the way she held her hands up.โ€

He thought it over for a minute, and as he had watched carefully from the hedge every motion of the old witch, and listened to her words, he believed he could repeat exactly what she had said and done.

So he began by sprinkling some of the magic Powder of Life from the pepper-box upon the body of the sawhorse. Then he lifted his left hand, with the little finger pointing upward, and said: โ€œWeaugh!โ€

โ€œWhat does that mean, dear father?โ€ asked Jack, curiously.

โ€œI donโ€™t know,โ€ answered Tip. Then he lifted his right hand, with the thumb pointing upward and said: โ€œTeaugh!โ€

โ€œWhatโ€™s that, dear father?โ€ inquired Jack.

โ€œIt means you must keep quiet!โ€ replied the boy, provoked at being interrupted at so important a moment.

โ€œHow fast I am learning!โ€ remarked the Pumpkinhead, with his eternal smile.

Tip now lifted both hands above his head, with all the fingers and thumbs spread out, and cried in a loud voice: โ€œPeaugh!โ€

Immediately the sawhorse moved, stretched its legs, yawned with its chopped-out mouth, and shook a few grains of the powder off its back. The rest of the powder seemed to have vanished into the body of the horse.

โ€œGood!โ€ called Jack, while the boy looked on in astonishment. โ€œYou are a very clever sorcerer, dear father!โ€

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