The Tin Woodman of Oz
Page 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Through the Tunnel
It didn't rain just then, although the clouds in the sky grew thickerand more threatening. Polychrome hoped for a thunder-storm, followed byher Rainbow, but the two tin men did not relish the idea of gettingwet. They even preferred to remain in Nimmie Amee's house, althoughthey felt they were not welcome there, rather than go out and face thecoming storm. But the Scarecrow, who was a very thoughtful person, saidto his friends:
"If we remain here until after the storm, and Polychrome goes away onher Rainbow, then we will be prisoners inside the Wall of Solid Air; soit seems best to start upon our return journey at once. If I get wet,my straw stuffing will be ruined, and if you two tin gentlemen get wet,you may perhaps rust again, and become useless. But even that is betterthan to stay here. Once we are free of the barrier, we have Woot theWanderer to help us, and he can oil your joints and restuff my body, ifit becomes necessary, for the boy is made of meat, which neither rustsnor gets soggy or moldy."
"Come along, then!" cried Polychrome from the window, and the others,realizing the wisdom of the Scarecrow's speech, took leave of NimmieAmee, who was glad to be rid of them, and said good-bye to her husband,who merely scowled and made no answer, and then they hurried from thehouse.
"Your old parts are not very polite, I must say," remarked theScarecrow, when they were in the garden.
"No," said Woot, "Chopfyt is a regular grouch. He might have wished usa pleasant journey, at the very least."
"I beg you not to hold us responsible for that creature's actions,"pleaded the Tin Woodman. "We are through with Chopfyt and shall havenothing further to do with him."
Polychrome danced ahead of the party and led them straight to theburrow of the Blue Rabbit, which they might have had some difficulty infinding without her. There she lost no time in making them all smallagain. The Blue Rabbit was busy nibbling cabbage leaves in NimmieAmee's garden, so they did not ask his permission but at once enteredthe burrow.
Even now the raindrops were beginning to fall, but it was quite dryinside the tunnel and by the time they had reached the other end,outside the circular Wall of Solid Air, the storm was at its height andthe rain was coming down in torrents.
"Let us wait here," proposed Polychrome, peering out of the hole andthen quickly retreating. "The Rainbow won't appear until after thestorm and I can make you big again in a jiffy, before I join my sisterson our bow."
"That's a good plan," said the Scarecrow approvingly. "It will save mefrom getting soaked and soggy."
"It will save me from rusting," said the Tin Soldier.
"It will enable me to remain highly polished," said the Tin Woodman.
"Oh, as for that, I myself prefer not to get my pretty clothes wet,"laughed the Rainbow's daughter.
"But while we wait I will bid you all adieu. I must also thank you forsaving me from that dreadful Giantess, Mrs. Yoop. You have been goodand patient comrades and I have enjoyed our adventures together, but Iam never so happy as when on my dear Rainbow."
"Will your father scold you for getting left on the earth?" asked Woot.
"I suppose so," said Polychrome gaily; "I'm always getting scolded formy mad pranks, as they are called. My sisters are so sweet and lovelyand proper that they never dance off our Rainbow, and so they neverhave any adventures. Adventures to me are good fun, only I never liketo stay too long on earth, because I really don't belong here. I shalltell my Father the Rainbow that I'll try not to be so careless again,and he will forgive me because in our sky mansions there is always joyand happiness."
They were indeed sorry to part with their dainty and beautifulcompanion and assured her of their devotion if they ever chanced tomeet again. She shook hands with the Scarecrow and the Tin Men andkissed Woot the Wanderer lightly upon his forehead.
And then the rain suddenly ceased, and as the tiny people left theburrow of the Blue Rabbit, a glorious big Rainbow appeared in the skyand the end of its arch slowly descended and touched the ground justwhere they stood.
Woot was so busy watching a score of lovely maidens--sisters ofPolychrome--who were leaning over the edge of the bow, and anotherscore who danced gaily amid the radiance of the splendid hues, that hedid not notice he was growing big again. But now Polychrome joined hersisters on the Rainbow and the huge arch lifted and slowly melted awayas the sun burst from the clouds and sent its own white beams dancingover the meadows.
"Why, she's gone!" exclaimed the boy, and turned to see his companionsstill waving their hands in token of adieu to the vanished Polychrome.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Curtain Falls
Well, the rest of the story is quickly told, for the return Journey ofour adventurers was without any important incident. The Scarecrow wasso afraid of meeting the Hip-po-gy-raf, and having his straw eatenagain, that he urged his comrades to select another route to theEmerald City, and they willingly consented, so that the InvisibleCountry was wholly avoided.
Of course, when they reached the Emerald City their first duty was tovisit Ozma's palace, where they were royally entertained. The TinSoldier and Woot the Wanderer were welcomed as warmly as any strangersmight be who had been the traveling companions of Ozma's dear oldfriends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman.
At the banquet table that evening they related the manner in which theyhad discovered Nimmie Amee, and told how they had found her happilymarried to Chopfyt, whose relationship to Nick Chopper and CaptainFyter was so bewildering that they asked Ozma's advice what to do aboutit.
"You need not consider Chopfyt at all," replied the beautiful girlRuler of Oz. "If Nimmie Amee is content with that misfit man for ahusband, we have not even just cause to blame Ku-Klip for gluing himtogether."
"I think it was a very good idea," added little Dorothy, "for ifKu-Klip hadn't used up your castoff parts, they would have been wasted.It's wicked to be wasteful, isn't it?"
"Well, anyhow," said Woot the Wanderer, "Chopfyt, being kept a prisonerby his wife, is too far away from anyone to bother either of you tinmen in any way. If you hadn't gone where he is and discovered him, youwould never have worried about him."
"What do you care, anyhow," Betsy Bobbin asked the Tin Woodman, "solong as Nimmie Amee is satisfied?"
"And just to think," remarked Tiny Trot, "that any girl would ratherlive with a mixture like Chopfyt, on far-away Mount Munch, than to bethe Empress of the Winkies!"
"It is her own choice," said the Tin Woodman contentedly; "and, afterall, I'm not sure the Winkies would care to have an Empress."
It puzzled Ozma, for a time, to decide what to do with the Tin Soldier.If he went with the Tin Woodman to the Emperor's castle, she felt thatthe two tin men might not be able to live together in harmony, andmoreover the Emperor would not be so distinguished if he had a doubleconstantly beside him. So she asked Captain Fyter if he was willing toserve her as a soldier, and he promptly declared that nothing wouldplease him more. After he had been in her service for some time, Ozmasent him into the Gillikin Country, with instructions to keep orderamong the wild people who inhabit some parts of that unknown country ofOz.
As for Woot, being a Wanderer by profession, he was allowed to wanderwherever he desired, and Ozma promised to keep watch over his futurejourneys and to protect the boy as well as she was able, in case heever got into more trouble.
All this having been happily arranged, the Tin Woodman returned to histin castle, and his chosen comrade, the Scarecrow, accompanied him onthe way. The two friends were sure to pass many pleasant hours togetherin talking over their recent adventures, for as they neither ate norslept they found their greatest amusement in conversation.
THE FAMOUS OZ BOOKS
By L. Frank Baum:
The Wizard of Oz The Land of Oz Ozma of Oz Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz The Road to Oz The Emerald City of Oz The Patchwork Girl of Oz Tik-Tok of Oz The Scarecrow of Oz Rinkitink in Oz The Lost Princess of Oz The Tin Woodman of Oz The Magic Of Oz Glinda of Oz