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11 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum · Thrilling Adventures - Daily

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Chapter eleven, The Wonderful City of Oz by the Green Spectacles. Dorothy and
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her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful city. The
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streets were lined with beautiful houses, all built of green marble, and studded
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everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a pavement of the same green marble,
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and where the blocks were joined together were rows of emeralds, set closely
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and glittering in the brightness of the sun. The window panes were of green
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glass. Even the sky above the city had a green tent, and the
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rays of the sun were green. There were many people, men, women,
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and children walking about, and these were all dressed in green clothes and
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had greenish skins. They looked at Dorothy in her strangely assorted company with wondering
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eyes, and the children all ran away and hid behind their mothers when they
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saw the lion, but no one spoke to them. Many shops stood in
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the street, and Dorothy saw that everything in them was green. Green candy
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and green pipe opcorn were offered for sale, as well as green shoes,
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green hats, and green clothes of all sorts. At one place, a
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man was selling green lemonade, and when the children bought it, Dorothy could
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see that they paid for it with green pennies. There seemed to be no
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horses nor animals of any kind. The men carried things around in little green
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carts, which they pushed before them. Everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous.
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The guardian of the gates led them through the streets until they came to
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a big building exactly in the middle of the city, which was the palace
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of Oz, the great Wizard. There was a soldier before the door,
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dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard. Here are strangers,
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said the guardian of the gate to him, and they demand to see
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the Great Oz. Step inside, answered the soldier, and I will carry
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your message to him. So they passed through the palace gates and were led
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into a big room with a green carpet and lovely green furniture set with emeralds.
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Made them all wipe their feet upon a green map before entering this room,
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and when they were seated, he said, politely, please make yourself
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comfortable while I go to the door of the throne room and tell Oz you
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are here. They had to wait a long time before the soldier returned.
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When at last he came back, Dorothy asked, have you seen oz Oh?
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No, returned the soldier. I have never seen him, but I
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spoke with him as he sat behind his screen and gave him your message.
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He said, he will grant you an audience if you so desire, but
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each one of you must enter his presence alone, and he will admit but
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one each day. Therefore, as you must remain in the palace for several
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days, I will have you shown two rooms where you may rest in comfort
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after your journey. Thank you, replied the girl. That is very kind
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of oz The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a
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young girl dressed in a pretty green silk gown entered the room. She had
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lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she
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said, follow me, and I will show you your room. So Dorothy
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said goodbye to all her friends except Toto, and taking the dog in her
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arms, followed the green girl through seven passages and up three flights of stairs
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until they came to a room at the front of the palace. It was
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the sweetest little room in the world. With a soft, comfortable bed that
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had sheets of green silk and a green velvet counterpane. There was a tiny
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fountain in the middle of the room that shot a spray of green perfume into
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the air to fall back into a beautifully carved green marble basin. Beautiful green
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flowers stood in the windows, and there was a shelf with a row of
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little green books. When Dorothy had time to open these books, she found
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them full of queer green pictures that made her laugh, they were so funny.
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In a wardrobe, there were many green dresses made of silk and satin
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and velvet, and all of them fitted Dorothy. Exactly. Make yourself perfectly
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at home, said the green girl. And if you wish for anything,
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ring the bell, Oz will send for you tomorrow morning. She left Dorothy
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alone and went back to the others. These she also led to rooms,
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and each one of them found themselves lodged in a very pleasant part of the
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palace. Of course, this politeness was wasted on the scarecrow, for when
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he found himself alone in his room, he stood stupidly in one spot just
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within the doorway, to wait till morning. It would not rest him to
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lie down, and he could not close his eyes, so he remained all
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night staring at a little spider which was weaving its web in a corner of
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the room, just as if it were not one of the most wonderful rooms
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in the world. The tin woodman lay down on his bed from force of
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habit, for he remembered when he was made of flesh, but not being
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able to sleep, he passed the night moving his joints up and down to
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make sure they kept in good working order. The lion would have preferred a
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bed of dried leaves in the forest, and did not like being shut up
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in a room, but he had too much sense to let this worry him,
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so he sprang upon the bed and rolled himself up like a cat,
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and purred himself asleep in a minute. The next morning, after breakfast,
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the Green Maiden came to fetch Dorothy, and she dressed her in one of
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the prettiest gowns made of green brocade satin. Dorothy put on a green silk
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apron and tied a green ribbon around Toto's neck, and they started for the
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throne room of the Great Oz. First they came to a great hall in
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which were many ladies and gentlemen of the court, all dressed in rich costumes.
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These people had nothing to do but talk to each other, but they
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always came to wait outside the throne room every morning, although they were never
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permitted to see Oz. As Dorothy entered, they looked at her curiously,
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and one of them whispered, are you really going to look upon the face
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of Oz the Terrible? Of course, answered the girl, if you will
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see me. Oh, he will see you, said the soldier who had
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taken her message to the wizard, although he does not like to have people
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asked to see him. Indeed, at first he was angry, and I
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said I should send you back where you came from. Then he asked me
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what you look like, and when I mentioned your silver shoes, he was
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very much interested. At last I told him about the mark upon your forehead,
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and he decided he would admit you to his presence. Just then a
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bell rang, and the Green girl said to Dorothy, that is the signal
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you must go into the throne room alone. She opened a little door,
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and Dorothy walked boldly through and found herself in a wonderful place. It was
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a big, round room with a high arched roof, and the walls and
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ceiling and floor were covered with large emeralds. Set closely together. In the
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center of the roof was a great light, as bright as the sun,
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which made the emerald sparkle in a wonderful manner. But what interested Dorothy most
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was the big throne of green marble that stood in the middle of the room.
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It was shaped like a chair and sparkled with gems, as did everything
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else. In the center of the chair was an enormous head, without a
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body to support it, or any arms or legs whatever. There was no
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hair upon this head, but it had eyes and a nose and mouth,
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and was much bigger than the head of the biggest giant. As Dorothy gazed
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upon this in wonder and fear, the eyes turned slowly and looked at her
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sharply and steadily. Then the mouth moved, and Dorothy heard a voice say,
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I am Oz the great and terrible. Who are you and why do
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you seek me? It was not such an awful voice as she had expected
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to come from the big head, so she took courage and answered, I
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am Dorothy the small and meek. I have come to you for help.
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The eyes looked at her thoughtfully for a full minute, then said the voice,
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where did you get the silver shoes? I got them from the wicked
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witch of the East when my house fell on her and killed her. She
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replied, where did you get the mark upon your forehead? Continued the voice.
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That is where the good Witch of the North kissed me when she bade
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me goodbye and sent me to you, said the girl again. The eyes
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looked at her sharply, and they saw she was telling the truth. Then
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Oz asked, what do you wish me to do? Send me back to
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Kansas, where my aunt Em and Uncle Henry are. She answered earnestly,
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I don't like your country, although it is so beautiful, and I am
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sure Aunt Em will be dreadfully worried over my being away. So long,
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the eyes winked three times, and then they turned up to the ceiling and
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down to the floor, and rolled around so queerly that they seemed to see
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every part of the room. And at last they looked at Dorothy again.
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Why should I do this for you, asked Oz, Because you are strong
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and I am weak. Because you are a great wizard and I am only
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a little girl. But you are strong enough to kill the wicked Witch of
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the East, said Oz, that just happened, returned Dorothy, simply,
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I could not help it, well, said the head, I will give
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you my answer. You have no right to expect me to send you back
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to Kansas unless you do something for me in return. In this country,
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every one must pay for everything he gets. If you wish me to use
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my magic power to send you home again, you must do something for me.
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First. Help me, and I will help you. What must I
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do, asked the girl. Kill the wicked witch of the West, answered
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Oz. But I cannot, exclaimed Dorothy, greatly surprised. You killed the
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witch of the East, and you wear the silver shoes which bear a powerful
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charm. There is now but one wicked witch left in all this land,
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and when you can tell me she is dead, I will send you back
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to Kansas. But not before the little girl began to weep. She was
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so much disappointed, and the eyes winked again and looked upon her anxiously,
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as if the great Oz felt that she could help him if she would.
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I never killed anything willingly, she sobbed, Even if I wanted to,
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How could I kill the wicked witch? If you, who are great and
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terrible. Cannot kill her yourself. How do you expect me to do it?
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I do not know, said the head, but that is my answer.
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And until the wicked witch dies, you will not see your uncle and
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aunt again. Remember that the witch is wicked, tremendously wicked, and ought
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to be killed. Now go and do not ask to see me again until
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you have done your task. Sorrowfully, Dorothy left the throne room and went
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back to where the Lion and the Scarecrow and the tin woodman were waiting to
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hear what Oz had said to her. There is no hope for me,
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she said sadly, for Oz will not send me home until I have killed
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the wicked witch of the West, and that I can never do. Her
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friends were sorry, but could do nothing to help her. So Dorothy went
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to her own room and lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.
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The next morning, the soldier with the green whiskers came to the Scarecrow
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and said, come with me, for Oz has sent for you. So
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the scarecrow followed him and was admitted into the Great Throne Room, where he
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saw sitting in the emerald throne a most lovely lady. She was dressed in
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green silk gauze, and war upon her flowing green locks a crown of jewels.
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Growing from her shoulders were wings gorgeous in color, and so light that
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they fluttered if the slightest breath of air reached them. When the scarecrow had
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bowed as prettily as his straw stuffing would let him before this beautiful creature,
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she looked upon him sweetly and said, I am Oz, the great and
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terrible. Who are you? And why do you seek me now? The
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scarecrow, who had expected to see the great head Dorothy had told him of,
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was much astonished, but he answered her bravely. I am only a
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scarecrow stuffed with straw. Therefore I have no brains, and I come to
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you praying that you will put brains in my head instead of straw, so
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that I may become as much a man as any other in your dominions.
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Why should I do this for you, asked the lady. Because you are
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wise and powerful, and no one else can help me, answered the scarecrow.
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I never grant favors without some return, said Oz, But this much
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I will promise if you will kill for me. The wicked witch of the
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West. I will bestow upon you a great many brains, and such good
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brains that you will be the wisest man in all the land of Oz.
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I thought you asked Dorothy to kill the witch, said the scarecrow in surprise.
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So I did. I don't care who kills her, but until she
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is dead, I will not grant your wish. Now go and do not
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seek me again until you have earned the brains you so greatly desire. The
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Scarecrow went sorrowfully back to his friends and told them what Oz had said,
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and Dorothy was surprised to find that the great wizard was not ahead as she
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had seen him, but a lovely lady. All the same, said the
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scarecrow, she needs a heart as much as the tin woodman. On the
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next morning, the soldier with the green whiskers came to the tin Woodman and
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said, Oz has sent for you. Follow me. So the tin Woodman
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followed him and came to the great throne room. He did not know whether
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he would find Oz a lovely lady or a head, but he hoped it
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would be the lovely lady. Four he said to himself, if it is
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the head, I am sure I shall not be given a heart, since
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a head has no heart of its own, and therefore cannot feel for me.
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But if it is the lovely lady, I shall beg hard for a
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heart, for all ladies are themselves said to be kindly hearted. But when
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the Woodman entered the great throne room, he saw neither the head nor the
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lady, for Oz had taken the shape of a most terrible beast. It
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was nearly as big as an elephant, and the green throne seemed hardly strong
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enough to hold its weight. The beast had a head like that of a
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rhinoceros, only there were five eyes in its face. There were five long
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arms growing out of its body, and it also had five long, slim
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legs. Thick, wooly hair covered every part of it, and the more
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dreadful looking monster could not be imagined. It was fortunate the tin Woodman had
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no heart at the moment, for it would have beat loud and fast from
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terror. But being only ten, the woodman was not at all afraid,
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although he was much disappointed. I am Oz, the great and terrible,
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spoke the beast, in a voice that was one great roar. Who are
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you and why do you seek me. I am a woodman and made of
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ten. Therefore I have no heart and cannot love. I pray you to
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give me a heart that I may be as other men are. Why should
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I do this, demanded the beast, because I ask it, and you
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alone can grant my request. Answered the woodman. Oz gave a low growl
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at this, but said gruffly, if you indeed desire a heart, you
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must earn it. How asked the woodman help Dorothy to kill the wicked witch
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of the west, replied the beast, when the witch is dead, come
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to me, and I will then give you the biggest and kindest and most
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loving heart in all the land of Oz. So the tin woodman was forced
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to return sorrowfully to his friends and tell them of the terrible beast he had
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seen. They all wondered greatly at the many forms the great wizard could take
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upon himself, and the lion said, if he is a beast, when
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I go to see him, I shall roar my loudest and so frighten him
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that he will grant all I ask. And if he is the lovely lady,
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I shall pretend to spring upon her and so compel her to do my
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bidding, and if he is the great Head, he will be at my
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mercy, for I will roll his head all about the room until he promises
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to give us what we desire. So be of good cheer, my friends,
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for all will yet be well. The next morning, the soldier with
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the green whiskers led the lion to the Great Throne room and bade him enter
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the presence of Oz. The lion at once passed through the door, and
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glancing around, saw to his surprise that before the throne was a ball of
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fire, so fierce and glowing that he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it.
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His first thought was that Oz had by accident caught on fire and was
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burning up. But when he tried to go nearer, the heat was so
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intense that it singed his whiskers, and he crept back, tremblingly, to
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a spot nearer the door. Then a low, quiet voice came from the
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ball of fire, and these were the words it spoke. I am Oz
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the Great and terrible. Who are you and why do you seek me?
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And the lion answered, I am a cowardly lion, afraid of everything.
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I come to you to beg that you give me courage, so that in
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reality I may become the king of beasts, as men call me. Why
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should I give you courage, demanded Oz, Because of all wizards, you
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are the greatest, and alone have power to grant my request, answered the
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lion. The ball offire burned fiercely for a time, and the voice said,
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bring me proof that the Wicked Witch is dead, and that moment I
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will give you courage. But as long as the witch lives, you must
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remain a coward. The lion was angry at this speech, but could say
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nothing in reply, and while he stood silently gazing at the ball of fire,
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it became so fewly hot that he turned tail and rushed from the room.
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He was glad to find his friends waiting for him, and told them
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of his terrible interview with the wizard. What shall we do now, asked
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Dorothy. Sadly. There is only one thing we can do, returned the
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lion, and that is to go to the land of the Winkies, seek
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out the wicked Witch and destroy her. But suppose we cannot, said the
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girl, then I shall never have courage, declared the lion. And I
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shall never have brains, said the scarecrow, and I shall never have a
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heart, spoke the tin Woodman, and I shall never see aunt Em and
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Uncle Henry, said Dorothy, beginning to cry. Be careful, cried the
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green girl. The tears will fall on your green silk gown and spot it.
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So Dorothy dried her eyes and said, I suppose we must try it,
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but I am sure I do not want to kill anybody, even to
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see aunt Em again. I will go with you, but I'm too much
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of a coward to kill the witch, said the lion. I will go,
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to declared the scarecrow. But I shall not be of much help to
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you. I am such a fool. I haven't the heart to harm even
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a witch, remarked the tin woodman. But if you go, I certainly
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shall go with you. Therefore it was decided to start upon their journey the
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next morning, and the woodman sharpened his axe on a green grindstone and had
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all his joints properly oiled. The scarecrow stuffed himself with fresh straw, and
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Dorothy put new paint on his eyes that he might see better. The green
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girl, who was very kind to them, filled Dorothy's basket with good things
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to eat, and fastened a little bell around Toto's neck with a green ribbon.
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They went to bed quite early and slept soundly until daylight, when they
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were awakened by the crowing of a green cock that lived in the back yard
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of the palace, and the crackling of a hen that had laid a green
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egg. End of Chapter eleven.