After breakfast Ozma announced
that she had ordered a holiday
to be observed throughout the
Emerald City, in honor of her
visitors. The people had learned
that their old Wizard had returned
to them and all were anxious
to see him again, for he had
always been a rare favorite.
So first there was to be a
grand procession through the
streets, after which the little
old man was requested to perform
some of his wizardries in the
great Throne Room of the palace.
In the afternoon there were
to be games and races.
The
procession
was very
imposing.
First came the Imperial Cornet
Band of Oz, dressed in emerald
velvet uniforms with slashes
of pea-green satin and buttons
of immense cut emeralds. They
played the National air called "The
Oz Spangled Banner," and behind
them were the standard bearers
with the Royal flag. This flag
was divided into four quarters,
one being colored sky-blue,
another pink, a third lavender
and a fourth white. In the
center was a large emerald-green
star, and all over the four
quarters were sewn spangles
that glittered beautifully
in the sunshine. The colors
represented the four countries
of Oz, and the green star the
Emerald City.
Just behind the royal standard-bearers
came the Princess Ozma in her
royal chariot, which was of
gold encrusted with emeralds
and diamonds set in exquisite
designs. The chariot was drawn
on this occasion by the Cowardly
Lion and the Hungry Tiger,
who were decorated with immense
pink and blue bows. In the
chariot rode Ozma and Dorothy,
the former in splendid raiment
and wearing her royal coronet,
while the little Kansas girl
wore around her waist the Magic
Belt she had once captured
from the Nome King.
Following the chariot came
the Scarecrow mounted on the
Sawhorse, and the people cheered
him almost as loudly as they
did their lovely Ruler. Behind
him stalked with regular, jerky
steps, the famous machine-man
called Tik-tok, who had been
wound up by Dorothy for the
occasion. Tik-tok moved by
clockwork, and was made all
of burnished copper. He really
belonged to the Kansas girl,
who had much respect for his
thoughts after they had been
properly wound and set going;
but as the copper man would
be useless in any place but
a fairy country Dorothy had
left him in charge of Ozma,
who saw that he was suitably
cared for.
There
followed
another
band after
this, which
was called
the Royal Court Band, because
the members all lived in the
palace. They wore white uniforms
with real diamond buttons and
played "What is Oz without
Ozma" very sweetly.
Then came Professor Woggle-Bug,
with a group of students from
the Royal College of Scientific
Athletics. The boys wore long
hair and striped sweaters and
yelled their college yell every
other step they took, to the
great satisfaction of the populace,
which was glad to have this
evidence that their lungs were
in good condition.
The brilliantly polished
Tin Woodman marched next, at
the head of the Royal Army
of Oz which consisted of twenty-eight
officers, from Generals down
to Captains. There were no
privates in the army because
all were so courageous and
skillful that they had been
promoted one by one until there
were no privates left. Jim
and the buggy followed, the
old cab-horse being driven
by Zeb while the Wizard stood
up on the seat and bowed his
bald head right and left in
answer to the cheers of the
people, who crowded thick about
him.
Taken altogether the procession
was a grand success, and when
it had returned to the palace
the citizens crowded into the
great Throne Room to see the
Wizard perform his tricks.
The first thing the little
humbug did was to produce a
tiny white piglet from underneath
his hat and pretend to pull
it apart, making two. This
act he repeated until all of
the nine tiny piglets were
visible, and they were so glad
to get out of his pocket that
they ran around in a very lively
manner. The pretty little creatures
would have been a novelty anywhere,
so the people were as amazed
and delighted at their appearance
as even the Wizard could have
desired. When he had made them
all disappear again Ozma declared
she was sorry they were gone,
for she wanted one of them
to pet and play with. So the
Wizard pretended to take one
of the piglets out of the hair
of the Princess (while really
he slyly took it from his inside
pocket) and Ozma smiled joyously
as the creature nestled in
her arms, and she promised
to have an emerald collar made
for its fat neck and to keep
the little squealer always
at hand to amuse her.
Afterward it was noticed
that the Wizard always performed
his famous trick with eight
piglets, but it seemed to please
the people just as well as
if there had been nine of them.
In his little room back of
the Throne Room the Wizard
had found a lot of things he
had left behind him when he
went away in the balloon, for
no one had occupied the apartment
in his absence. There was enough
material there to enable him
to prepare several new tricks
which he had learned from some
of the jugglers in the circus,
and he had passed part of the
night in getting them ready.
So he followed the trick of
the nine tiny piglets with
several other wonderful feats
that greatly delighted his
audience and the people did
not seem to care a bit whether
the little man was a humbug
Wizard or not, so long as he
succeeded in amusing them.
They applauded all his tricks
and at the end of the performance
begged him earnestly not to
go away again and leave them.
"In that case," said the
little man, gravely, "I will
cancel all of my engagements
before the crowned heads of
Europe and America and devote
myself to the people of Oz,
for I love you all so well
that I can deny you nothing."
After the people had been
dismissed with this promise
our friends joined Princess
Ozma at an elaborate luncheon
in the palace, where even the
Tiger and the Lion were sumptuously
fed and Jim the Cab-horse ate
his oatmeal out of a golden
bowl with seven rows of rubies,
sapphires and diamonds set
around the rim of it.
In the afternoon they all
went to a great field outside
the city gates where the games
were to be held. There was
a beautiful canopy for Ozma
and her guests to sit under
and watch the people run races
and jump and wrestle. You may
be sure the folks of Oz did
their best with such a distinguished
company watching them, and
finally Zeb offered to wrestle
with a little Munchkin who
seemed to be the champion.
In appearance he was twice
as old as Zeb, for he had long
pointed whiskers and wore a
peaked hat with little bells
all around the brim of it,
which tinkled gaily as he moved.
But although the Munchkin was
hardly tall enough to come
to Zeb's shoulder he was so
strong and clever that he laid
the boy three times on his
back with apparent ease.
Zeb was greatly astonished
at his defeat, and when the
pretty Princess joined her
people in laughing at him he
proposed a boxing-match with
the Munchkin, to which the
little Ozite readily agreed.
But the first time that Zeb
managed to give him a sharp
box on the ears the Munchkin
sat down upon the ground and
cried until the tears ran down
his whiskers, because he had
been hurt. This made Zeb laugh,
in turn, and the boy felt comforted
to find that Ozma laughed as
merrily at her weeping subject
as she had at him.
Just then the Scarecrow proposed
a race between the Sawhorse
and the Cab-horse; and although
all the others were delighted
at the suggestion the Sawhorse
drew back, saying:
"Such
a race
would not
be fair."
"Of course not," added Jim,
with a touch of scorn; "those
little wooden legs of yours
are not half as long as my
own."
"It isn't that," said the
Sawhorse, modestly; "but I
never tire, and you do."
"Bah!" cried Jim, looking
with great disdain at the other; "do
you imagine for an instant
that such a shabby imitation
of a horse as you are can run
as fast as I?"
"I don't know, I'm sure," replied
the Sawhorse.
"That is what we are trying
to find out," remarked the
Scarecrow. "The object of a
race is to see who can win
it--or at least that is what
my excellent brains think."
"Once, when I was young," said
Jim, "I was a race horse, and
defeated all who dared run
against me. I was born in Kentucky,
you know, where all the best
and most aristocratic horses
come from."
"But you're old, now, Jim," suggested
Zeb.
"Old! Why, I feel like a
colt today," replied Jim. "I
only wish there was a real
horse here for me to race with.
I'd show the people a fine
sight, I can tell you."
"Then why not race with the
Sawhorse?" enquired the Scarecrow.
"He's afraid," said
Jim.
"Oh, no," answered the Sawhorse. "I
merely said it wasn't fair.
But if my friend the Real Horse
is willing to undertake the
race I am quite ready."
So they unharnessed Jim and
took the saddle off the Sawhorse,
and the two queerly matched
animals were stood side by
side for the start.
"When I say 'Go!'" Zeb called
to them, "you must dig out
and race until you reach those
three trees you see over yonder.
Then circle 'round them and
come back again. The first
one that passes the place where
the Princess sits shall be
named the winner. Are you ready?"
"I suppose I ought to give
the wooden dummy a good start
of me," growled Jim.
"Never mind that," said the
Sawhorse. "I'll do the best
I can."
"Go!" cried
Zeb; and
at the
word the
two horses
leaped
forward and the race was begun.
Jim's big hoofs pounded away
at a great rate, and although
he did not look very graceful
he ran in a way to do credit
to his Kentucky breeding. But
the Sawhorse was swifter than
the wind. Its wooden legs moved
so fast that their twinkling
could scarcely be seen, and
although so much smaller than
the cab-horse it covered the
ground much faster. Before
they had reached the trees
the Sawhorse was far ahead,
and the wooden animal returned
to the starting place as was
being lustily cheered by the
Ozites before Jim came panting
up to the canopy where the
Princess and her friends were
seated.
I am sorry to record the
fact that Jim was not only
ashamed of his defeat but for
a moment lost control of his
temper. As he looked at the
comical face of the Sawhorse
he imagined that the creature
was laughing at him; so in
a fit of unreasonable anger
he turned around and made a
vicious kick that sent his
rival tumbling head over heels
upon the ground, and broke
off one of its legs and its
left ear.
An instant later the Tiger
crouched and launched its huge
body through the air swift
and resistless as a ball from
a cannon. The beast struck
Jim full on his shoulder and
sent the astonished cab-horse
rolling over and over, amid
shouts of delight from the
spectators, who had been horrified
by the ungracious act he had
been guilty of.
When Jim came to himself
and sat upon his haunches he
found the Cowardly Lion crouched
on one side of him and the
Hungry Tiger on the other,
and their eyes were glowing
like balls of fire.
"I beg your pardon, I'm sure," said
Jim, meekly. "I was wrong to
kick the Sawhorse, and I am
sorry I became angry at him.
He has won the race, and won
it fairly; but what can a horse
of flesh do against a tireless
beast of wood?"
Hearing this apology the
Tiger and the Lion stopped
lashing their tails and retreated
with dignified steps to the
side of the Princess.
"No one must injure one of
our friends in our presence," growled
the Lion; and Zeb ran to Jim
and whispered that unless he
controlled his temper in the
future he would probably be
torn to pieces.
Then the Tin Woodman cut
a straight and strong limb
from a tree with his gleaming
axe and made a new leg and
a new ear for the Sawhorse;
and when they had been securely
fastened in place Princess
Ozma took the coronet from
her own head and placed it
upon that of the winner of
the race. Said she:
"My
friend,
I reward
you for
your swiftness
by proclaiming
you Prince of Horses, whether
of wood or of flesh; and hereafter
all other horses--in the Land
of Oz, at least--must be considered
imitations, and you the real
Champion of your race."
There was more applause at
this, and then Ozma had the
jewelled saddle replaced upon
the Sawhorse and herself rode
the victor back to the city
at the head of the grand procession.
"I ought to be a fairy," grumbled
Jim, as he slowly drew the
buggy home; "for to be just
an ordinary horse in a fairy
country is to be of no account
whatever. It's no place for
us, Zeb."
"It's lucky we got here,
though," said the boy; and
Jim thought of the dark cave,
and agreed with him.
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