The cat was made of glass, so
clear and transparent that you
could see through it as easily
as through a window. In the top
of its head, however, Was a mass
of delicate pink balls which
looked like jewels, and it had
a heart made of a blood-red ruby.
The eyes were two large emeralds,
but aside from these colors all
the rest of the animal was clear
glass, and it had a spun- glass
tail that was really beautiful.
"Well, Doc Pipt, do you mean
to introduce us, or not?" demanded
the cat, in a tone of annoyance. "Seems
to me you are forgetting your
manners."
"Excuse me," returned the Magician. "This
is Unc Nunkie, the descendant
of the former kings of the Munchkins,
before this country be came a
part of the Land of Oz."
"He needs a haircut," observed
the cat, washing its face.
"True," replied
Unc, with a low chuckle of
amusement.
"But he has lived alone in
the heart of the forest for many
years," the Magician explained; "and,
although that is a barbarous
country, there are no barbers
there."
"Who is the dwarf?" asked
the cat.
"That is not a dwarf, but a
boy," answered the Magician. "You
have never seen a boy before.
He is now small because he is
young. With more years he will
grow big and become as tall as
Unc Nunkie."
"Oh. Is that magic?" the
glass animal inquired.
"Yes; but it
is Nature's magic, which is
more wonderful than
any art known to man. For instance,
my magic made you, and made you
live; and it was a poor job because
you are useless and a bother
to me; but I can't make you grow.
You will always be the same size--and
the same saucy, inconsiderate
Glass Cat, with pink brains and
a hard ruby heart."
"No one can regret more than
I the fact that you made me," asserted
the cat, crouching upon the floor
and slowly swaying its spun-glass
tail from side to side. "Your
world is a very uninteresting
place. I've wandered through
your gardens and in the forest
until I'm tired of it all, and
when I come into the house the
conversation of your fat wife
and of yourself bores me dreadfully."
"That is because I gave you
different brains from those we
ourselves possess--and much too
good for a cat," returned Dr.
Pipt.
"Can't you take 'em out, then,
and replace em with pebbles,
so that I won't feel above my
station in life?" asked the cat,
pleadingly.
"Perhaps so. I'll try it, after
I've brought the Patchwork Girl
to life," he said.
The cat walked up to the bench
on which the Patchwork Girl reclined
and looked at her attentively.
"Are you going to make that
dreadful thing live?" she asked.
The Magician nodded.
"It is intended to be my wife's
servant maid," he said. "When
she is alive she will do all
our work and mind the house.
But you are not to order her
around, Bungle, as you do us.
You must treat the Patchwork
Girl respectfully."
"I won't. I
couldn't respect such a bundle
of scraps under
any circumstances."
"If you don't, there will be
more scraps than you will like," cried
Margolotte, angrily.
"Why didn't you make her pretty
to look at?" asked the cat. "You
made me pretty--very pretty,
indeed--and I love to watch my
pink brains roll around when
they're working, and to see my
precious red heart beat." She
went to a long mirror, as she
said this, and stood before it,
looking at herself with an air
of much pride. "But that poor
patched thing will hate herself,
when she's once alive," continued
the cat. "If I were you I'd use
her for a mop, and make another
servant that is prettier."
"You have a perverted taste," snapped
Margolotte, much annoyed at this
frank criticism. "I think the
Patchwork Girl is beautiful,
considering what she's made of.
Even the rainbow hasn't as many
colors, and you must admit that
the rainbow is a pretty thing."
The Glass Cat yawned and stretched
herself upon the floor.
"Have your own way," she said. "I'm
sorry for the Patchwork Girl,
that's all."
Ojo and Unc Nunkie slept that
night in the Magician's house,
and the boy was glad to stay
because he was anxious to see
the Patchwork Girl brought to
life. The Glass Cat was also
a wonderful creature to little
Ojo, who had never seen or known
anything of magic before, although
he had lived in the Fairyland
of Oz ever since he was born.
Back there in the woods nothing
unusual ever happened. Unc Nunkie,
who might have been King of the
Munchkins, had not his people
united with all the other countries
of Oz in acknowledging Ozma as
their Sole ruler, had retired
into this forgotten forest nook
with his baby nephew and they
had lived all alone there. Only
that the neglected garden had
failed to grow food for them,
they would always have lived
in the solitary Blue Forest;
but now they had started out
to mingle with other people,
and the first place they came
to proved so interesting that
Ojo could scarcely sleep a wink
all night.
Margolotte was an excellent
cook and gave them a fine breakfast.
While they were all engaged in
eating, the good woman said:
"This is the
last meal I shall have to cook
for some time, for
right after breakfast Dr. Pipt
has promised to bring my new
servant to life. I shall let
her wash the breakfast dishes
and sweep and dust the house.
What a relief it will be!"
"It will, indeed, relieve you
of much drudgery," said the Magician. "By
the way, Margolotte, I thought
I saw you getting some brains
from the cupboard, while I was
busy with my kettles. What qualities
have you given your new servant?"
"Only those that an humble
servant requires," she answered. "I
do not wish her to feel above
her station, as the Glass Cat
does. That would make her discontented
and unhappy, for of course she
must always be a servant."
Ojo was somewhat disturbed
as he listened to this, and the
boy began to fear he had done
wrong in adding all those different
qualities of brains to the lot
Margolotte had prepared for the
servant. But it was too late
now for regret, since all the
brains were securely sewn up
inside the Patchwork Girl's head.
He might have confessed what
he had done and thus allowed
Margolotte and her husband to
change the brains; but he was
afraid of incurring their anger.
He believed that Unc had seen
him add to the brains, and Unc
had not said a word against it;
but then, Unc never did say anything
unless it was absolutely necessary.
As soon as breakfast was over
they all went into the Magician's
big workshop, where the Glass
Cat was lying before the mirror
and the Patchwork Girl lay limp
and lifeless upon the bench.
"Now, then," said Dr. Pipt,
in a brisk tone, "we shall perform
one of the greatest feats of
magic possible to man, even in
this marvelous Land of Oz. In
no other country could it be
done at all. I think we ought
to have a little music while
the Patchwork Girl comes to life.
It is pleasant to reflect that
the first sounds her golden ears
will hear will be delicious music.
As he spoke he went to a phonograph,
which screwed fast to a small
table, and wound up the spring
of the instrument and adjusted
the big gold horn.
"The music my servant will
usually hear," remarked Margolotte, "will
be my orders to do her work.
But I see no harm in allowing
her to listen to this unseen
band while she wakens to her
first realization of life. My
orders will beat the band, afterward."
The phonograph was now playing
a stirring march tune and the
Magician unlocked his cabinet
and took out the gold bottle
containing the Powder of Life.
They all bent over the bench
on which the Patchwork Girl reclined.
Unc Nunkie and Margolotte stood
behind, near the windows, Ojo
at one side and the Magician
in front, where he would have
freedom to sprinkle the powder.
The Glass Cat came near, too,
curious to watch the important
scene.
"All ready?" asked
Dr. Pipt.
"All is ready," answered
his wife.
So the Magician leaned over
and shook from the bottle some
grains of the wonderful Powder,
and they fell directly on the
Patchwork Girl's head and arms.
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