I 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 Majesty's 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 monarch's
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 scarecrow -- flimsy,
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 Jack's 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:
"Where on earth
did you come from, and how
do you happen to
be alive?"
"I beg your Majesty's pardon," returned
the Pumpkinhead; "but I do not
understand you."
"What don't you understand?" asked
the Scarecrow.
"Why, I don't
understand your language. You
see, I came from
the Country of the Gillikins,
so that I am a foreigner."
"Ah, to be sure!" exclaimed
the Scarecrow. "I 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?"
"Exactly so, your Majesty" replied
the other, bowing; "so it will
be impossible for us to understand
one another."
"That is unfortunate, certainly," said
the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "We
must have an interpreter."
"What is an interpreter?" asked
Jack.
"A person who
understands both my language
and your own. When
I say anything, the interpreter
can tell you what I mean; and
when you say anything the interpreter
can tell me what you mean. For
the interpreter can speak both
languages as well as understand
them."
"That is certainly clever," said
Jack, greatly pleased at finding
so simple a way out of the difficulty.
So the Scarecrow commanded
the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
to search among his people
until he found one who understood
the language of the Gillikins
as well as the language of the
Emerald City, and to bring that
person to him at once.
When the Soldier had departed
the Scarecrow said:
"Won't you
take a chair while we are waiting?"
"Your Majesty forgets that
I cannot understand you," replied
the Pumpkinhead. "If you wish
me to sit down you must make
a sign for me to do so." The
Scarecrow came down from his
throne and rolled an armchair
to a position behind the Pumpkinhead.
Then he gave Jack a sudden push
that sent him sprawling upon
the cushions in so awkward a
fashion that he doubled up like
a jackknife, and had hard work
to untangle himself.
"Did you understand that sign?" asked
His Majesty, politely.
"Perfectly," declared
Jack, reaching up his arms
to turn
his head to the front, the pumpkin
having twisted around upon the
stick that supported it.
"You seem hastily made," remarked
the Scarecrow, watching Jack's
efforts to straighten himself.
"Not more so than your Majesty," was
the frank reply.
"There is this difference between
us," said the Scarecrow, "that
whereas I will bend, but not
break, you will break, but not
bend."
At this moment the soldier
returned leading a young girl
by the hand. She seemed very
sweet and modest, having a pretty
face and beautiful green eyes
and hair. A dainty green silk
skirt reached to her knees, showing
silk stockings embroidered with
pea-pods, and green satin slippers
with bunches of lettuce for decorations
instead of bows or buckles. Upon
her silken waist clover leaves
were embroidered, and she wore
a jaunty little jacket trimmed
with sparkling emeralds of a
uniform size.
"Why, it's little Jellia Jamb!" exclaimed
the Scarecrow, as the green maiden
bowed her pretty head before
him. "Do you understand the language
of the Gillikins, my dear?"
"Yes, your Majesty, she answered, "for
I was born in the North Country."
"Then you shall be our interpreter," said
the Scarecrow, "and explain to
this Pumpkinhead all that I say,
and also explain to me all that
he says. Is this arrangement
satisfactory?" he asked, turning
toward his guest.
"Very satisfactory indeed," was
the reply.
"Then ask him, to begin with," resumed
the Scarecrow, turning to Jellia, "what
brought him to the Emerald City"
But instead of this the girl,
who had been staring at Jack,
said to him:
"You are certainly
a wonderful creature. Who made
you?"
"A boy named Tip," answered
Jack.
"What does he say?" inquired
the Scarecrow. "My ears must
have deceived me. What did he
say?"
"He says that your Majesty's
brains seem to have come loose," replied
the girl, demurely.
The Scarecrow moved uneasily
upon his throne, and felt of
his head with his left hand.
"What a fine thing it is to
understand two different languages," he
said, with a perplexed sigh. "Ask
him, my dear, if he has any objection
to being put in jail for insulting
the ruler of the Emerald City."
"I didn't insult you!" protested
Jack, indignantly.
"Tut -- tut!" cautioned the
Scarecrow "wait, until Jellia
translates my speech. What have
we got an interpreter for, if
you break out in this rash way?"
"All right, I'll wait," replied
the Pumpkinhead, in a surly tone
-- although his face smiled as
genially as ever. "Translate
the speech, young woman."
"His Majesty
inquires if you are hungry,
said Jellia.
"Oh, not at all!" answered
Jack, more pleasantly, "for it
is impossible for me to eat."
"It's the same way with me," remarked
the Scarecrow. "What did he say,
Jellia, my dear?"
"He asked if you were aware
that one of your eyes is painted
larger than the other," said
the girl, mischievously.
"Don't you
believe her, your Majesty,
cried Jack.
"Oh, I don't," answered
the Scarecrow, calmly. Then,
casting
a sharp look at the girl, he
asked:
"Are you quite
certain you understand the
languages of both
the Gillikins and the Munchkins?"
"Quite certain, your Majesty," said
Jellia Jamb, trying hard not
to laugh in the face of royalty.
"Then how is it that I seem
to understand them myself?" inquired
the Scarecrow.
"Because they are one and the
same!" declared the girl, now
laughing merrily. "Does not your
Majesty know that in all the
land of Oz but one language is
spoken?"
"Is it indeed so?" cried the
Scarecrow, much relieved to hear
this; "then I might easily have
been my own interpreter!"
"It was all my fault, your
Majesty," said Jack, looking
rather foolish," I thought we
must surely speak different languages,
since we came from different
countries."
"This should be a warning to
you never to think," returned
the Scarecrow, severely. "For
unless one can think wisely it
is better to remain a dummy --
which you most certainly are."
"I am! -- I surely am!" agreed
the Pumpkinhead.
"It seems to me," continued
the Scarecrow, more mildly, "that
your manufacturer spoiled some
good pies to create an indifferent
man."
"I assure your Majesty that
I did not ask to be created," answered
Jack.
"Ah! It was the same in my
case," said the King, pleasantly.
And so, as we differ from all
ordinary people, let us become
friends."
"With all my heart!" exclaimed
Jack.
"What! Have you a heart?" asked
the Scarecrow, surprised.
"No; that was only imaginative
-- I might say, a figure of speech," said
the other.
"Well, your most prominent
figure seems to be a figure of
wood; so I must beg you to restrain
an imagination which, having
no brains, you have no right
to exercise," suggested the Scarecrow,
warningly.
"To be sure!" said
Jack, without in the least
comprehending.
His Majesty then dismissed
Jellia Jamb and the Soldier with
the Green Whiskers, and when
they were gone he took his new
friend by the arm and led him
into the courtyard to play a
game of quoits.
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