CHAPTER 11
The Wicked King and Googly-Goo
When our friends approached the great doorway of the castle they found itguarded by several soldiers dressed in splendid uniforms. They were armedwith swords and lances. Cap'n Bill walked straight up to them and asked:
"Does the King happen to be at home?"
"His Magnificent and Glorious Majesty, King Krewl, is at presentinhabiting his Royal Castle," was the stiff reply.
"Then I guess we'll go in an' say how-d'ye-do," continued Cap'n Bill,attempting to enter the doorway. But a soldier barred his way with alance.
"Who are you, what are your names, and where do you come from? 7 demandedthe soldier.
"You wouldn't know if we told you," returned the sailor, "seein' as we'restrangers in a strange land."
"Oh, if you are strangers you will be permitted to enter," said thesoldier, lowering his lance. "His Majesty is very fond of strangers."
"Do many strangers come here?" asked Trot.
"You are the first that ever came to our country," said the man. "Buthis Majesty has often said that if strangers ever arrived in Jinxland hewould see that they had a very exciting time."
Cap'n Bill scratched his chin thoughtfully. He wasn't very favorablyimpressed by this last remark. But he decided that as there was no way ofescape from Jinxland it would be wise to confront--the King boldly andtry to win his favor. So they entered the castle, escorted by one of thesoldiers.
It was certainly a fine castle, with many large rooms, all beautifullyfurnished. The passages were winding and handsomely decorated, and afterfollowing several of these the soldier led them into an open court thatoccupied the very center of the huge building. It was surrounded on everyside by high turreted walls, and contained beds of flowers, fountainsand walks of many colored marbles which were matched together in quaintdesigns. In an open space near the middle of the court they saw a groupof courtiers and their ladies, who surrounded a lean man who wore uponhis head a jeweled crown. His face was hard and sullen and through theslits of his half-closed eyelids the eyes glowed like coals of fire. Hewas dressed in brilliant satins and velvets and was seated in a goldenthrone-chair.
This personage was King Krewl, and as soon as Cap'n Bill saw him the oldsailor knew at once that he was not going to like the King of Jinxland.
"Hello! who's here?" said his Majesty, with a deep scowl.
"Strangers, Sire," answered the soldier, bowing so low that his foreheadtouched the marble tiles.
"Strangers, eh? Well, well; what an unexpected visit! Advance, strangers,and give an account of yourselves."
The King's voice was as harsh as his features. Trot shuddered a littlebut Cap'n Bill calmly replied:
"There ain't much for us to say, 'cept as we've arrived to look overyour country an' see how we like it. Judgin' from the way you speak, youdon't know who we are, or you'd be jumpin' up to shake hands an' offerus seats. Kings usually treat us pretty well, in the great big OutsideWorld where we come from, but in this little kingdom which don't amountto much, anyhow folks don't seem to 'a' got much culchure."
The King listened with amazement to this bold speech, first with a frownand then gazing at the two children and the old sailor with evidentcuriosity. The courtiers were dumb with fear, for no one had everdared speak in such a manner to their self-willed, cruel King before.His Majesty, however, was somewhat frightened, for cruel people arealways cowards, and he feared these mysterious strangers might possessmagic powers that would destroy him unless he treated them well. So hecommanded his people to give the new arrivals seats, and they obeyed withtrembling haste.
After being seated, Cap'n Bill lighted his pipe and began puffing smokefrom it, a sight so strange to them that it filled them all with wonder.Presently the King asked:
"How did you penetrate to this hidden country? Did you cross the desertor the mountains?"
"Desert," answered Cap'n Bill, as if the task were too easy to be worthtalking about.
"Indeed! No one has ever been able to do that before," said the King.
"Well, it's easy enough, if you know how," asserted Cap'n Bill, socarelessly that it greatly impressed his hearers. The King shifted in histhrone uneasily. He was more afraid of these strangers than before.
"Do you intend to stay long in Jinxland?" was his next anxious question.
"Depends on how we like it," said Cap'n Bill. "Just now I might suggestto your Majesty to order some rooms got ready for us in your dinky littlecastle here. And a royal banquet, with some fried onions an' pickledtripe, would set easy on our stomicks an' make us a bit happier than weare now."
"Your wishes shall be attended to," said King Krewl, but his eyes flashedfrom between their slits in a wicked way that made Trot hope the foodwouldn't be poisoned. At the King's command several of his attendantshastened away to give the proper orders to the castle servants and nosooner were they gone than a skinny old man entered the courtyard andbowed before the King.
This disagreeable person was dressed in rich velvets, with many furbelowsand laces. He was covered with golden chains, finely wrought rings andjeweled ornaments. He walked with mincing steps and glared at all thecourtiers as if he considered himself far superior to any or all of them.
"Well, well, your Majesty; what news--what news?" he demanded, in ashrill, cracked voice.
The King gave him a surly look.
"No news, Lord Googly-Goo, except that strangers have arrived," he said.
Googly-Goo cast a contemptuous glance at Cap'n Bill and a disdainful oneat Trot and Button-Bright. Then he said:
"Strangers do not interest me, your Majesty. But the Princess Gloria isvery interesting--very interesting, indeed! What does she say, Sire? Willshe marry me?"
"Ask her," retorted the King.
"I have, many times; and every time she has refused."
"Well?" said the King harshly.
"Well," said Googly-Goo in a jaunty tone, "a bird that _can_ sing, and_won't_ sing, must be _made_ to sing."
"Huh!" sneered the King. "That's easy, with a bird; but a girl is harderto manage."
"Still," persisted Googly-Goo, "we must overcome difficulties. The chieftrouble is that Gloria fancies she loves that miserable gardener's boy,Pon. Suppose we throw Pon into the Great Gulf, your Majesty?"
"It would do you no good," returned the King. "She would still love him."
"Too bad, too bad!" sighed Googly-Goo. "I have laid aside more than abushel of precious gems--each worth a king's ransom--to present to yourMajesty on the day I wed Gloria."
The King's eyes sparkled, for he loved wealth above everything; but thenext moment he frowned deeply again.
"It won't help us to kill Pon," he muttered. "What we must do is killGloria's love for Pon."
"That is better, if you can find a way to do it," agreed Googly-Goo."Everything would come right if you could kill Gloria's love for thatgardener's boy. Really, Sire, now that I come to think of it, there mustbe fully a bushel and a half of those jewels!"
Just then a messenger entered the court to say that the banquet wasprepared for the strangers. So Cap'n Bill, Trot and Button-Bright enteredthe castle and were taken to a room where a fine feast was spread uponthe table.
"I don't like that Lord Googly-Goo," remarked Trot as she was busilyeating.
"Nor I," said Cap'n Bill. "But from the talk we heard I guess thegardener's boy won't get the Princess."
"Perhaps not," returned the girl; "but I hope old Googly doesn't get her,either."
"The King means to sell her for all those jewels," observedButton-Bright, his mouth half full of cake and jam.
"Poor Princess!" sighed Trot. "I'm sorry for her, although I've neverseen her. But if she says no to Googly-Goo, and means it, what can theydo?"
"Don't let us worry about a strange Princess," advised Cap'n Bill. "I'vea notion we're not too safe, ourselves, with this cruel King."
The two children felt the same way and all three were rather solemnduring the remainder of the
meal.
When they had eaten, the servants escorted them to their rooms. Cap'nBill's room was way to one end of the castle, very high up, and Trot'sroom was at the opposite end, rather low down. As for Button-Bright, theyplaced him in the middle, so that all were as far apart as they couldpossibly be. They didn't like this arrangement very well, but all therooms were handsomely furnished and being guests of the King they darednot complain.
After the strangers had left the courtyard the King and Googly-Goo had along talk together, and the King said:
"I cannot force Gloria to marry you just now, because those strangers mayinterfere. I suspect that the wooden-legged man possesses great magicalpowers, or he would never have been able to carry himself and thosechildren across the deadly desert."
"I don't like him; he looks dangerous," answered Googly-Goo. "Butperhaps you are mistaken about his being a wizard. Why don't you test hispowers?"
"How?" asked the King.
"Send for the Wicked Witch. She will tell you in a moment whether thatwooden-legged person is a common man or a magician."
"Ha! that's a good idea," cried the King. "Why didn't I think of theWicked Witch before? But the woman demands rich rewards for her services."
"Never mind; I will pay her," promised the wealthy Googly-Goo.
So a servant was dispatched to summon the Wicked Witch, who lived buta few leagues from King Krewl's castle. While they awaited her, thewithered old courtier proposed that they pay a visit to Princess Gloriaand see if she was not now in a more complaisant mood. So the two startedaway together and searched the castle over without finding Gloria.
At last Googly-Goo suggested she might be in the rear garden, which wasa large park filled with bushes and trees and surrounded by a high wall.And what was their anger, when they turned a corner of the path, to findin a quiet nook the beautiful Princess, and kneeling before her, Pon, thegardener's boy!
With a roar of rage the King dashed forward; but Pon had scaled the wallby means of a ladder, which still stood in its place, and when he saw theKing coming he ran up the ladder and made good his escape. But this leftGloria confronted by her angry guardian, the King, and by old Googly-Goo,who was trembling with a fury he could not express in words.
Seizing the Princess by her arm the King dragged her back to the castle.Pushing her into a room on the lower floor he locked the door upon theunhappy girl. And at that moment the arrival of the Wicked Witch wasannounced.
Hearing this, the King smiled, as a tiger smiles, showing his teeth.And Googly-Goo smiled, as a serpent smiles, for he had no teeth excepta couple of fangs. And having frightened each other with these smilesthe two dreadful men went away to the Royal Council Chamber to meet theWicked Witch.
Queen Gloria]
The Scarecrow of Oz Page 13