Dorothy Forgives
CHAPTER 26
The gray dove which had once been Ugu the Shoemaker sat on its tree inthe far Quadling Country and moped, chirping dismally and brooding overits misfortunes. After a time the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman camealong and sat beneath the tree, paying no heed to the mutterings of thegray dove.
The Tin Woodman took a small oilcan from his tin pocket and carefullyoiled his tin joints with it. While he was thus engaged the Scarecrowremarked:
"I feel much better, dear comrade, since we found that heap of niceclean straw and you stuffed me anew with it."
"And I feel much better now that my joints are oiled," returned the TinWoodman, with a sigh of pleasure. "You and I, friend Scarecrow, are muchmore easily cared for than those clumsy meat people, who spend halftheir time dressing in fine clothes and who must live in splendiddwellings in order to be contented and happy. You and I do not eat, andso we are spared the dreadful bother of getting three meals a day. Nordo we waste half our lives in sleep, a condition that causes the meatpeople to lose all consciousness and become as thoughtless and helplessas logs of wood."
"You speak truly," responded the Scarecrow, tucking some wisps of strawinto his breast with his padded fingers. "I often feel sorry for themeat people, many of whom are my friends. Even the beasts are happierthan they, for they require less to make them content. And the birds arethe luckiest creatures of all, for they can fly swiftly where they willand find a home at any place they care to perch; their food consists ofseeds and grains they gather from the fields and their drink is a sipof water from some running brook. If I could not be a Scarecrow--or aTin Woodman--my next choice would be to live as a bird does."
The gray dove had listened carefully to this speech and seemed to findcomfort in it, for it hushed its moaning. And just then the Tin Woodmandiscovered Cayke's dishpan, which was on the ground quite near to him.
"Here is a rather pretty utensil," he said, taking it in his tin handsto examine it, "but I would not care to own it. Whoever fashioned it ofgold and covered it with diamonds did not add to its usefulness, nor doI consider it as beautiful as the bright dishpans of tin one usuallysees. No yellow color is ever so handsome as the silver sheen of tin,"and he turned to look at his tin legs and body with approval.
"I cannot quite agree with you there," replied the Scarecrow. "My strawstuffing has a light yellow color, and it is not only pretty to look atbut it crunkles most delightfully when I move."
"Let us admit that all colors are good in their proper places," said theTin Woodman, who was too kind-hearted to quarrel; "but you must agreewith me that a dishpan that is yellow is unnatural. What shall we dowith this one, which we have just found?"
"Let us carry it back to the Emerald City," suggested the Scarecrow."Some of our friends might like to have it for a foot-bath, and in usingit that way its golden color and sparkling ornaments would not injureits usefulness."
So they went away and took the jeweled dishpan with them. And, afterwandering through the country for a day or so longer, they learned thenews that Ozma had been found. Therefore they straightway returned tothe Emerald City and presented the dishpan to Princess Ozma as a tokenof their joy that she had been restored to them.
Ozma promptly gave the diamond-studded gold dishpan to Cayke the CookieCook, who was so delighted at regaining her lost treasure that shedanced up and down in glee and then threw her skinny arms around Ozma'sneck and kissed her gratefully. Cayke's mission was now successfullyaccomplished, but she was having such a good time at the Emerald Citythat she seemed in no hurry to go back to the Country of the Yips.
It was several weeks after the dishpan had been restored to the CookieCook when one day, as Dorothy was seated in the royal gardens with Trotand Betsy beside her, a gray dove came flying down and alighted at thegirl's feet.
"I am Ugu the Shoemaker," said the dove in a soft, mourning voice, "andI have come to ask you to forgive me for the great wrong I did instealing Ozma and the magic that belonged to her and to others."
"Are you sorry, then?" asked Dorothy, looking hard at the bird.
"I am _very_ sorry," declared Ugu. "I've been thinking over my misdeedsfor a long time, for doves have little else to do but think, and I'msurprised that I was such a wicked man and had so little regard for therights of others. I am now convinced that even had I succeeded in makingmyself ruler of all Oz I should not have been happy, for many days ofquiet thought have shown me that only those things one acquires honestlyare able to render one content."
"I guess that's so," said Trot.
"Anyhow," said Betsy, "the bad man seems truly sorry, and if he has nowbecome a good and honest man we ought to forgive him."
"I fear I cannot become a good _man_ again," said Ugu, "for thetransformation I am under will always keep me in the form of a dove.But, with the kind forgiveness of my former enemies, I hope to become avery good dove, and highly respected."
"Wait here till I run for my Magic Belt," said Dorothy, "and I'lltransform you back to your reg'lar shape in a jiffy."
"No--don't do that!" pleaded the dove, fluttering its wings in anexcited way. "I only want your forgiveness; I don't want to be a managain. As Ugu the Shoemaker I was skinny and old and unlovely; as a doveI am quite pretty to look at. As a man I was ambitious and cruel, whileas a dove I can be content with my lot and happy in my simple life. Ihave learned to love the free and independent life of a bird and I'drather not change back."
"Just as you like, Ugu," said Dorothy, resuming her seat. "Perhaps youare right, for you're cert'nly a better dove than you were a man, and ifyou should ever backslide, an' feel wicked again, you couldn't do muchharm as a gray dove."
"Then you forgive me for all the trouble I caused you?" he askedearnestly.
"Of course; anyone who's sorry just _has_ to be forgiven."
"Thank you," said the gray dove, and flew away again.
The Lost Princess of Oz Page 27