The Scarecrow of Oz
Page 17
CHAPTER 15
Trot Meets the Scarecrow
Trot and Pon covered many leagues of ground, searching through forests,in fields and in many of the little villages of Jinxland, but could findno trace of either Cap'n Bill or Button-Bright. Finally they pausedbeside a cornfield and sat upon a stile to rest. Pon took some applesfrom his pocket and gave one to Trot. Then he began eating anotherhimself, for this was their time for luncheon. When his apple wasfinished Pon tossed the core into the field.
"Tchuk-tchuk!" said a strange voice. "What do you mean by hitting me inthe eye with an apple-core?"
Then rose up the form of the Scarecrow, who had hidden himself in thecornfield while he examined Pon and Trot and decided whether they wereworthy to be helped.
"Excuse me," said Pon. "I didn't know you were there."
"How did you happen to be there, anyhow?" asked Trot.
The Scarecrow came forward with awkward steps and stood beside them.
"Ah, you are the gardener's boy," he said to Pon. Then he turned to Trot."And you are the little girl who came to Jinxland riding on a big bird,and who has had the misfortune to lose her friend, Cap'n Bill, and herchum, Button-Bright."
"Why, how did you know all that?" she inquired.
"I know a lot of things," replied the Scarecrow, winking at hercomically. "My brains are the Carefully-Assorted, Double-Distilled,High-Efficiency sort that the Wizard of Oz makes. He admits, himself,that my brains are the best he ever manufactured."
"I think I've heard of you," said Trot slowly, as she looked theScarecrow over with much interest; "but you used to live in the Land ofOz."
"Oh, I do now," he replied cheerfully. "I've just come over themountains from the Quadling Country to see if I can be of any help toyou."
"Who, me?" asked Pon.
"No, the strangers from the big world. It seems they need looking after."
"I'm doing that myself," said Pon, a little ungraciously. "If you willpardon me for saying so, I don't see how a Scarecrow with painted eyescan look after anyone."
"If you don't see that, you are more blind than the Scarecrow," assertedTrot. "He's a fairy man, Pon, and comes from the fairyland of Oz, so hecan do 'most anything. I hope," she added, turning to the Scarecrow, "youcan find Cap'n Bill for me."
"I will try, anyhow," he promised. "But who is that old woman who isrunning toward us and shaking her stick at us?"
Trot and Pon turned around and both uttered an exclamation of fear. Thenext instant they took to their heels and ran fast up the path. For itwas old Blinkie, the Wicked Witch, who had at last traced them to thisplace. Her anger was so great that she was determined not to abandon thechase of Pon and Trot until she had caught and punished them.
The Scarecrow understood at once that the old woman meant harm to hisnew friends, so as she drew near he stepped before her. His appearancewas so sudden and unexpected that Blinkie ran into him and toppled himover, but she tripped on his straw body and went rolling in the pathbeside him.
The Scarecrow sat up and said: "I beg your pardon!" but she whacked himwith her stick and knocked him flat again. Then, furious with rage, theold witch sprang upon her victim and began pulling the straw out of hisbody. The poor Scarecrow was helpless to resist and in a few moments allthat was left of him was an empty suit of clothes and a heap of strawbeside it. Fortunately, Blinkie did not harm his head, for it rolled intoa little hollow and escaped her notice. Fearing that Pon and Trot wouldescape her, she quickly resumed the chase and disappeared over the browof a hill, following the direction in which she had seen them go.
Only a short time elapsed before a gray grasshopper with a woodenleg came hopping along and lit directly on the upturned face of theScarecrow's head.
"Pardon me, but you are resting yourself upon my nose," remarked theScarecrow.
"Oh! are you alive?" asked the grasshopper.
"That is a question I have never been able to decide," said theScarecrow's head. "When my body is properly stuffed I have animationand can move around as well as any live person. The brains in the headyou are now occupying as a throne, are of very superior quality and doa lot of very clever thinking. But whether that is being alive, or not,I cannot prove to you; for one who lives is liable to death, while I amonly liable to destruction."
"Seems to me," said the grasshopper, rubbing his nose with his frontlegs, "that in your case it doesn't matter--unless you're destroyedalready."
"I am not; all I need is re-stuffing," declared the Scarecrow; "and ifPon and Trot escape the witch, and come back here, I am sure they will dome that favor."
"Tell me! Are Trot and Pon around here?" inquired the grasshopper, itssmall voice trembling with excitement.
The Scarecrow did not answer at once, for both his eyes were staringstraight upward at a beautiful face that was slightly bent over his head.It was, indeed, Princess Gloria, who had wandered to this spot, very muchsurprised when she heard the Scarecrow's head talk and the tiny graygrasshopper answer it.
"This," said the Scarecrow, still staring at her, "must be the Princesswho loves Pon, the gardener's boy."
"Oh, indeed!" exclaimed the grasshopper--who of course was Cap'n Bill--ashe examined the young lady curiously.
"No," said Gloria frigidly, "I do not love Pon, or anyone else, for theWicked Witch has frozen my heart."
"What a shame!" cried the Scarecrow. "One so lovely should be able tolove. But would you mind, my dear, stuffing that straw into my bodyagain?"
The dainty Princess glanced at the straw and at the well-worn blueMunchkin clothes and shrank back in disdain. But she was spared fromrefusing the Scarecrow's request by the appearance of Trot and Pon, whohad hidden in some bushes just over the brow of the hill and waited untilold Blinkie had passed them by. Their hiding place was on the same sideas the witch's blind eye, and she rushed on in the chase of the girl andthe youth without being aware that they had tricked her.
Trot was shocked at the Scarecrow's sad condition and at once beganputting the straw back into his body. Pon, at sight of Gloria, againappealed to her to take pity on him, but the frozen-hearted Princessturned coldly away and with a sigh the gardener's boy began to assistTrot.
Neither of them at first noticed the small grasshopper, which at theirappearance had skipped off the Scarecrow's nose and was now clinging toa wisp of grass beside the path, where he was not likely to be steppedupon. Not until the Scarecrow had been neatly restuffed and set upon hisfeet again when he bowed to his restorers and expressed his thanks didthe grasshopper move from his perch. Then he leaped lightly into the pathand called out:
"Trot--Trot! Look at me. I'm Cap'n Bill! See what the Wicked Witch hasdone to me."
The voice was small, to be sure, but it reached Trot's ears and startledher greatly. She looked intently at the grasshopper, her eyes wide withfear at first; then she knelt down and, noticing the wooden leg, shebegan to weep sorrowfully.
"Oh, Cap'n Bill--dear Cap'n Bill! What a cruel thing to do!'' she sobbed.
"Don't cry, Trot," begged the grasshopper. "It didn't hurt any, and itdoesn't hurt now. But it's mighty inconvenient an' humiliatin', to saythe least."
"I wish," said the girl indignantly, while trying hard to restrain hertears, "that I was big 'nough an' strong 'nough to give that horrid witcha good beating. She ought to be turned into a toad for doing this to you,Cap'n Bill!"
"Never mind," urged the Scarecrow, in a comforting voice, "such atransformation doesn't last always, and as a general thing there's someway to break the enchantment. I'm sure Glinda could do it, in a jiffy."
"Who is Glinda?" inquired Cap'n Bill.
Then the Scarecrow told them all about Glinda, not forgetting to mentionher beauty and goodness and her wonderful powers of magic. He alsoexplained how the Royal Sorceress had sent him to Jinxland especially tohelp the strangers, whom she knew to be in danger because of the wiles ofthe cruel King and the Wicked Witch.