Chapter XXI.
The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts.
After climbing down from the china wall the travellers foundthemselves in a disagreeable country, full of bogs and marshes andcovered with tall, rank grass. It was difficult to walk far withoutfalling into muddy holes, for the grass was so thick that it hid themfrom sight. However, by carefully picking their way, they got safelyalong until they reached solid ground. But here the country seemedwilder than ever, and after a long and tiresome walk through theunderbrush they entered another forest, where the trees were biggerand older than any they had ever seen.
"This forest is perfectly delightful," declared the Lion, lookingaround him with joy; "never have I seen a more beautiful place."
"It seems gloomy," said the Scarecrow.
"Not a bit of it," answered the Lion; "I should like to live here allmy life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and howrich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely nowild beast could wish a pleasanter home."
"Perhaps there are wild beasts in the forest now," said Dorothy.
"I suppose there are," returned the Lion; "but I do not see any ofthem about."
They walked through the forest until it became too dark to go anyfarther. Dorothy and Toto and the Lion lay down to sleep, while theWoodman and the Scarecrow kept watch over them as usual.
When morning came they started again. Before they had gone far theyheard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals. Totowhimpered a little but none of the others was frightened and they keptalong the well-trodden path until they came to an opening in the wood,in which were gathered hundreds of beasts of every variety. There weretigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and all the othersin the natural history, and for a moment Dorothy was afraid. But theLion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and he judgedby their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble.
As he spoke several of the beasts caught sight of him, and at oncethe great assemblage hushed as if by magic. The biggest of the tigerscame up to the Lion and bowed, saying,
"Welcome, O King of Beasts! You have come in good time to fight ourenemy and bring peace to all the animals of the forest once more."
"What is your trouble?" asked the Lion, quietly.
"We are all threatened," answered the tiger, "by a fierce enemy whichhas lately come into this forest. It is a most tremendous monster, likea great spider, with a body as big as an elephant and legs as long asa tree trunk. It has eight of these long legs, and as the monstercrawls through the forest he seizes an animal with a leg and drags itto his mouth, where he eats it as a spider does a fly. Not one of us issafe while this fierce creature is alive, and we had called a meetingto decide how to take care of ourselves when you came among us."
The Lion thought for a moment.
"Are there any other lions in this forest?" he asked.
"No; there were some, but the monster has eaten them all. And,besides, they were none of them nearly so large and brave as you."
"If I put an end to your enemy will you bow down to me and obey me asKing of the Forest?" enquired the Lion.
"We will do that gladly," returned the tiger; and all the otherbeasts roared with a mighty roar: "We will!"
"Where is this great spider of yours now?" asked the Lion.
"Yonder, among the oak trees," said the tiger, pointing with hisfore-foot.
"Take good care of these friends of mine," said the Lion, "and I willgo at once to fight the monster."
He bade his comrades good-bye and marched proudly away to do battlewith the enemy.
The great spider was lying asleep when the Lion found him, and itlooked so ugly that its foe turned up his nose in disgust. Its legswere quite as long as the tiger had said, and it's body covered withcoarse black hair. It had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teetha foot long; but its head was joined to the pudgy body by a neck asslender as a wasp's waist. This gave the Lion a hint of the best wayto attack the creature, and as he knew it was easier to fight itasleep than awake, he gave a great spring and landed directly uponthe monster's back. Then, with one blow of his heavy paw, all armedwith sharp claws, he knocked the spider's head from its body. Jumpingdown, he watched it until the long legs stopped wiggling, when heknew it was quite dead.
The Lion went back to the opening where the beasts of the forest werewaiting for him and said, proudly, "You need fear your enemy no longer."
Then the beasts bowed down to the Lion as their King, and he promisedto come back and rule over them as soon as Dorothy was safely on herway to Kansas.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Page 21