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Thomas Dixon - "The Foolish Virgin"

Richard Lovelace - "Lucasta"

Bret Harte - "New Burlesques"

Albert Payson Terhune - "Bruce"

The Emerald City of Oz

L >> L. Frank Baum >> The Emerald City of Oz




In some of the dense forests there lived great beasts of every sort;
yet these were for the most part harmless and even sociable, and
conversed agreeably with those who visited their haunts. The
Kalidahs--beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers--had
once been fierce and bloodthirsty, but even they were now nearly
all tamed, although at times one or another of them would get
cross and disagreeable.

Not so tame were the Fighting Trees, which had a forest of their own.
If any one approached them these curious trees would bend down their
branches, twine them around the intruders, and hurl them away.

But these unpleasant things existed only in a few remote parts of the
Land of Oz. I suppose every country has some drawbacks, so even this
almost perfect fairyland could not be quite perfect. Once there had
been wicked witches in the land, too; but now these had all been
destroyed; so, as I said, only peace and happiness reigned in Oz.

For some time Ozma had ruled over this fair country, and never was
Ruler more popular or beloved. She is said to be the most beautiful
girl the world has ever known, and her heart and mind are as lovely as
her person.

Dorothy Gale had several times visited the Emerald City
and experienced adventures in the Land of Oz, so that she and Ozma had
now become firm friends. The girl Ruler had even made Dorothy a
Princess of Oz, and had often implored her to come to Ozma's stately
palace and live there always; but Dorothy had been loyal to her Aunt
Em and Uncle Henry, who had cared for her since she was a baby, and
she had refused to leave them because she knew they would be lonely
without her.

However, Dorothy now realized that things were going to be different
with her uncle and aunt from this time forth, so after giving the matter
deep thought she decided to ask Ozma to grant her a very great favor.

A few seconds after she had made the secret signal in her little
bedchamber, the Kansas girl was seated in a lovely room in Ozma's
palace in the Emerald City of Oz. When the first loving kisses and
embraces had been exchanged, the fair Ruler inquired:

"What is the matter, dear? I know something unpleasant has happened
to you, for your face was very sober when I saw it in my Magic Picture.
And whenever you signal me to transport you to this safe place, where
you are always welcome, I know you are in danger or in trouble."

Dorothy sighed.

"This time, Ozma, it isn't I," she replied. "But it's worse, I guess,
for Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are in a heap of trouble, and there seems
no way for them to get out of it--anyhow, not while they live in Kansas."

"Tell me about it, Dorothy," said Ozma, with ready sympathy.

"Why, you see Uncle Henry is poor; for the farm in Kansas doesn't
'mount to much, as farms go. So one day Uncle Henry borrowed some
money, and wrote a letter saying that if he didn't pay the money back
they could take his farm for pay. Course he 'spected to pay by making
money from the farm; but he just couldn't. An' so they're going to
take the farm, and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em won't have any place to
live. They're pretty old to do much hard work, Ozma; so I'll have to
work for them, unless--"

Ozma had been thoughtful during the story, but now she smiled and
pressed her little friend's hand.

"Unless what, dear?" she asked.

Dorothy hesitated, because her request meant so much to them all.

"Well," said she, "I'd like to live here in the Land of Oz, where
you've often 'vited me to live. But I can't, you know, unless Uncle
Henry and Aunt Em could live here too."

"Of course not," exclaimed the Ruler of Oz, laughing gaily. "So, in
order to get you, little friend, we must invite your Uncle and Aunt to
live in Oz, also."

"Oh, will you, Ozma?" cried Dorothy, clasping her chubby little hands
eagerly. "Will you bring them here with the Magic Belt, and give them
a nice little farm in the Munchkin Country, or the Winkie Country--or
some other place?"

"To be sure," answered Ozma, full of joy at the chance to please her
little friend. "I have long been thinking of this very thing, Dorothy
dear, and often I have had it in my mind to propose it to you. I am
sure your uncle and aunt must be good and worthy people, or you would
not love them so much; and for YOUR friends, Princess, there is always
room in the Land of Oz."

Dorothy was delighted, yet not altogether surprised, for she had clung
to the hope that Ozma would be kind enough to grant her request.
When, indeed, had her powerful and faithful friend refused her anything?

"But you must not call me 'Princess'," she said; "for after this I
shall live on the little farm with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and
princesses ought not to live on farms."

"Princess Dorothy will not," replied Ozma with her sweet smile.
"You are going to live in your own rooms in this palace, and be
my constant companion."

"But Uncle Henry--" began Dorothy.

"Oh, he is old, and has worked enough in his lifetime," interrupted
the girl Ruler; "so we must find a place for your uncle and aunt where
they will be comfortable and happy and need not work more than they
care to. When shall we transport them here, Dorothy?"

"I promised to go and see them again before they were turned out of
the farmhouse," answered Dorothy; "so--perhaps next Saturday--"

"But why wait so long?" asked Ozma. "And why make the journey back
to Kansas again? Let us surprise them, and bring them here without
any warning."

"I'm not sure that they believe in the Land of Oz," said Dorothy,
"though I've told 'em 'bout it lots of times."

"They'll believe when they see it," declared Ozma; "and if they are
told they are to make a magical journey to our fairyland, it may make
them nervous. I think the best way will be to use the Magic Belt
without warning them, and when they have arrived you can explain to
them whatever they do not understand."

"Perhaps that's best," decided Dorothy. "There isn't much use in
their staying at the farm until they are put out, 'cause it's much
nicer here."

"Then to-morrow morning they shall come here," said Princess Ozma.
"I will order Jellia Jamb, who is the palace housekeeper, to have
rooms all prepared for them, and after breakfast we will get the
Magic Belt and by its aid transport your uncle and aunt to the
Emerald City."

"Thank you, Ozma!" cried Dorothy, kissing her friend gratefully.

"And now," Ozma proposed, "let us take a walk in the gardens before we
dress for dinner. Come, Dorothy dear!"



4. How The Nome King Planned Revenge


The reason most people are bad is because they do not try to be good.
Now, the Nome King had never tried to be good, so he was very bad
indeed. Having decided to conquer the Land of Oz and to destroy the
Emerald City and enslave all its people, King Roquat the Red kept
planning ways to do this dreadful thing, and the more he planned the
more he believed he would be able to accomplish it.

About the time Dorothy went to Ozma the Nome King called his Chief
Steward to him and said:

"Kaliko, I think I shall make you the General of my armies."

"I think you won't," replied Kaliko, positively.

"Why not?" inquired the King, reaching for his scepter with the
big sapphire.

"Because I'm your Chief Steward and know nothing of warfare," said
Kaliko, preparing to dodge if anything were thrown at him. "I manage
all the affairs of your kingdom better than you could yourself, and
you'll never find another Steward as good as I am. But there are a
hundred Nomes better fitted to command your army, and your Generals
get thrown away so often that I have no desire to be one of them."

"Ah, there is some truth in your remarks, Kaliko," remarked the King,
deciding not to throw the scepter. "Summon my army to assemble in the
Great Cavern."

Kaliko bowed and retired, and in a few minutes returned to say that
the army was assembled. So the King went out upon a balcony that
overlooked the Great Cavern, where fifty thousand Nomes, all armed
with swords and pikes, stood marshaled in military array.

When they were not required as soldiers all these Nomes were metal
workers and miners, and they had hammered so much at the forges and
dug so hard with pick and shovel that they had acquired great muscular
strength. They were strangely formed creatures, rather round and not
very tall. Their toes were curly and their ears broad and flat.

In time of war every Nome left his forge or mine and became part of
the great army of King Roquat. The soldiers wore rock-colored
uniforms and were excellently drilled.

The King looked upon this tremendous army, which stood silently
arrayed before him, and a cruel smile curled the corners of his mouth,
for he saw that his legions were very powerful. Then he addressed
them from the balcony, saying:

"I have thrown away General Blug, because he did not please me. So I
want another General to command this army. Who is next in command?"

"I am," replied Colonel Crinkle, a dapper-looking Nome, as he stepped
forward to salute his monarch.

The King looked at him carefully and said:

"I want you to march this army through an underground tunnel, which
I am going to bore, to the Emerald City of Oz. When you get there I
want you to conquer the Oz people, destroy them and their city, and
bring all their gold and silver and precious stones back to my cavern.
Also you are to recapture my Magic Belt and return it to me. Will you
do this, General Crinkle?"

"No, your Majesty," replied the Nome; "for it can't be done."

"Oh indeed!" exclaimed the King. Then he turned to his servants and
said: "Please take General Crinkle to the torture chamber. There you
will kindly slice him into thin slices. Afterward you may feed him
to the seven-headed dogs."

"Anything to oblige your Majesty," replied the servants, politely,
and led the condemned man away.

When they had gone, the King addressed the army again.

"Listen!" said he. "The General who is to command my armies must
promise to carry out my orders. If he fails he will share the fate
of poor Crinkle. Now, then, who will volunteer to lead my hosts to
the Emerald City?"

For a time no one moved and all were silent. Then an old Nome with
white whiskers so long that they were tied around his waist to prevent
their tripping him up, stepped out of the ranks and saluted the King.

"I'd like to ask a few questions, your Majesty," he said.

"Go ahead," replied the King.

"These Oz people are quite good, are they not?"

"As good as apple pie," said the King.

"And they are happy, I suppose?" continued the old Nome.

"Happy as the day is long," said the King.

"And contented and prosperous?" inquired the Nome.

"Very much so," said the King.

"Well, your Majesty," remarked he of the white whiskers, "I think I
should like to undertake the job, so I'll be your General. I hate
good people; I detest happy people; I'm opposed to any one who is
contented and prosperous. That is why I am so fond of your Majesty.
Make me your General and I'll promise to conquer and destroy the Oz
people. If I fail I'm ready to be sliced thin and fed to the
seven-headed dogs."

"Very good! Very good, indeed! That's the way to talk!" cried Roquat
the Red, who was greatly pleased. "What is your name, General?"

"I'm called Guph, your Majesty."

"Well, Guph, come with me to my private cave, and we'll talk it over."
Then he turned to the army. "Nomes and soldiers," said he, "you are
to obey the commands of General Guph until he becomes dog-feed. Any
man who fails to obey his new General will be promptly thrown away.
You are now dismissed."

Guph went to the King's private cave and sat down upon an amethyst
chair and put his feet on the arm of the King's ruby throne. Then he
lighted his pipe and threw the live coal he had taken from his pocket
upon the King's left foot and puffed the smoke into the King's eyes
and made himself comfortable. For he was a wise old Nome, and he knew
that the best way to get along with Roquat the Red was to show that he
was not afraid of him.

"I'm ready for the talk, your Majesty," he said.

The King coughed and looked at his new General fiercely.

"Do you not tremble to take such liberties with your monarch?" he asked.

"Oh no," replied Guph, calmly, and he blew a wreath of smoke that
curled around the King's nose and made him sneeze. "You want to
conquer the Emerald City, and I'm the only Nome in all your dominions
who can conquer it. So you will be very careful not to hurt me until
I have carried out your wishes. After that--"

"Well, what then?" inquired the King.

"Then you will be so grateful to me that you won't care to hurt me,"
replied the General.

"That is a very good argument," said Roquat. "But suppose you fail?"

"Then it's the slicing machine. I agree to that," announced Guph.
"But if you do as I tell you there will be no failure. The trouble
with you, Roquat, is that you don't think carefully enough. I do.
You would go ahead and march through your tunnel into Oz, and get
defeated and driven back. I won't. And the reason I won't is because
when I march I'll have all my plans made, and a host of allies to
assist my Nomes."

"What do you mean by that?" asked the King.

"I'll explain, King Roquat. You're going to attack a fairy country,
and a mighty fairy country, too. They haven't much of an army in Oz,
but the Princess who ruled them has a fairy wand; and the little girl
Dorothy has your Magic Belt; and at the North of the Emerald City
lives a clever sorceress called Glinda the Good, who commands the
spirits of the air. Also I have heard that there is a wonderful
Wizard in Ozma's palace, who is so skillful that people used to pay him
money in America to see him perform. So you see it will be no easy
thing to overcome all this magic."

"We have fifty thousand soldiers!" cried the King proudly.

"Yes; but they are Nomes," remarked Guph, taking a silk handkerchief
from the King's pocket and wiping his own pointed shoes with it.
"Nomes are immortals, but they are not strong on magic. When you lost
your famous Belt the greater part of your own power was gone from you.
Against Ozma you and your Nomes would have no show at all."

Roquat's eyes flashed angrily.

"Then away you go to the slicing machine!" he cried.

"Not yet," said the General, filling his pipe from the King's private
tobacco pouch.

"What do you propose to do?" asked the monarch.

"I propose to obtain the power we need," answered Guph. "There are a
good many evil creatures who have magic powers sufficient to destroy
and conquer the Land of Oz. We will get them on our side, band them
all together, and then take Ozma and her people by surprise. It's all
very simple and easy when you know how. Alone, we should be helpless
to injure the Ruler of Oz, but with the aid of the evil powers we can
summon we shall easily succeed."

King Roquat was delighted with this idea, for he realized how clever
it was.

"Surely, Guph, you are the greatest General I have ever had!"
he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy. "You must go at once
and make arrangements with the evil powers to assist us, and meantime
I'll begin to dig the tunnel."

"I thought you'd agree with me, Roquat," replied the new General.
"I'll start this very afternoon to visit the Chief of the Whimsies."



5. How Dorothy Became a Princess


When the people of the Emerald City heard that Dorothy had returned to
them every one was eager to see her, for the little girl was a general
favorite in the Land of Oz. From time to time some of the folk from
the great outside world had found their way into this fairyland, but
all except one had been companions of Dorothy and had turned out to be
very agreeable people. The exception I speak of was the wonderful
Wizard of Oz, a sleight-of-hand performer from Omaha who went up in a
balloon and was carried by a current of air to the Emerald City. His
queer and puzzling tricks made the people of Oz believe him a great
wizard for a time, and he ruled over them until Dorothy arrived on her
first visit and showed the Wizard to be a mere humbug. He was a
gentle, kind-hearted little man, and Dorothy grew to like him afterward.
When, after an absence, the Wizard returned to the Land of Oz, Ozma
received him graciously and gave him a home in a part of the palace.

In addition to the Wizard two other personages from the outside world
had been allowed to make their home in the Emerald City. The first
was a quaint Shaggy Man, whom Ozma had made the Governor of the Royal
Storehouses, and the second a Yellow Hen named Billina, who had a fine
house in the gardens back of the palace, where she looked after a
large family. Both these had been old comrades of Dorothy, so you
see the little girl was quite an important personage in Oz, and the
people thought she had brought them good luck, and loved her next best
to Ozma. During her several visits this little girl had been the
means of destroying two wicked witches who oppressed the people, and
she had discovered a live scarecrow who was now one of the most
popular personages in all the fairy country. With the Scarecrow's
help she had rescued Nick Chopper, a Tin Woodman, who had rusted in a
lonely forest, and the tin man was now the Emperor of the Country of
the Winkies and much beloved because of his kind heart. No wonder the
people thought Dorothy had brought them good luck! Yet, strange as it
may seem, she had accomplished all these wonders not because she was a
fairy or had any magical powers whatever, but because she was a
simple, sweet and true little girl who was honest to herself and to
all whom she met. In this world in which we live simplicity and
kindness are the only magic wands that work wonders, and in the Land
of Oz Dorothy found these same qualities had won for her the love and
admiration of the people. Indeed, the little girl had made many warm
friends in the fairy country, and the only real grief the Ozites had ever
experienced was when Dorothy left them and returned to her Kansas home.

Now she received a joyful welcome, although no one except Ozma
knew at first that she had finally come to stay for good and all.

That evening Dorothy had many callers, and among them were such
important people as Tiktok, a machine man who thought and spoke and
moved by clockwork; her old companion the genial Shaggy Man; Jack
Pumpkinhead, whose body was brush-wood and whose head was a ripe
pumpkin with a face carved upon it; the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry
Tiger, two great beasts from the forest, who served Princess Ozma, and
Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T.E. This wogglebug was a remarkable
creature. He had once been a tiny little bug, crawling around in a
school-room, but he was discovered and highly magnified so that he
could be seen more plainly, and while in this magnified condition he
had escaped. He had always remained big, and he dressed like a dandy
and was so full of knowledge and information (which are distinct
acquirements) that he had been made a Professor and the head of the
Royal College.

Dorothy had a nice visit with these old friends, and also talked a
long time with the Wizard, who was little and old and withered and
dried up, but as merry and active as a child. Afterward, she went to
see Billina's fast-growing family of chicks.

Toto, Dorothy's little black dog, also met with a cordial reception.
Toto was an especial friend of the Shaggy Man, and he knew every one
else. Being the only dog in the Land of Oz, he was highly respected
by the people, who believed animals entitled to every consideration if
they behaved themselves properly.

Dorothy had four lovely rooms in the palace, which were always
reserved for her use and were called "Dorothy's rooms." These
consisted of a beautiful sitting room, a dressing room, a dainty
bedchamber and a big marble bathroom. And in these rooms were
everything that heart could desire, placed there with loving
thoughtfulness by Ozma for her little friend's use. The royal
dressmakers had the little girl's measure, so they kept the closets in
her dressing room filled with lovely dresses of every description and
suitable for every occasion. No wonder Dorothy had refrained from
bringing with her her old calico and gingham dresses! Here everything
that was dear to a little girl's heart was supplied in profusion, and
nothing so rich and beautiful could ever have been found in the biggest
department stores in America. Of course Dorothy enjoyed all these
luxuries, and the only reason she had heretofore preferred to live in
Kansas was because her uncle and aunt loved her and needed her with them.

Now, however, all was to be changed, and Dorothy was really more
delighted to know that her dear relatives were to share in her good
fortune and enjoy the delights of the Land of Oz, than she was to
possess such luxury for herself.

Next morning, at Ozma's request, Dorothy dressed herself in a pretty
sky-blue gown of rich silk, trimmed with real pearls. The buckles of
her shoes were set with pearls, too, and more of these priceless gems
were on a lovely coronet which she wore upon her forehead. "For,"
said her friend Ozma, "from this time forth, my dear, you must assume
your rightful rank as a Princess of Oz, and being my chosen companion
you must dress in a way befitting the dignity of your position."

Dorothy agreed to this, although she knew that neither gowns nor
jewels could make her anything else than the simple, unaffected little
girl she had always been.

As soon as they had breakfasted--the girls eating together in Ozma's
pretty boudoir--the Ruler of Oz said:

"Now, dear friend, we will use the Magic Belt to transport your uncle
and aunt from Kansas to the Emerald City. But I think it would be
fitting, in receiving such distinguished guests, for us to sit in my
Throne Room."

"Oh, they're not very 'stinguished, Ozma," said Dorothy. "They're
just plain people, like me."

"Being your friends and relatives, Princess Dorothy, they are
certainly distinguished," replied the Ruler, with a smile.

"They--they won't hardly know what to make of all your splendid
furniture and things," protested Dorothy, gravely. "It may scare 'em
to see your grand Throne Room, an' p'raps we'd better go into the back
yard, Ozma, where the cabbages grow an' the chickens are playing.
Then it would seem more natural to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em."

"No; they shall first see me in my Throne Room," replied Ozma,
decidedly; and when she spoke in that tone Dorothy knew it was not
wise to oppose her, for Ozma was accustomed to having her own way.

So together they went to the Throne Room, an immense domed chamber in
the center of the palace. Here stood the royal throne, made of solid
gold and encrusted with enough precious stones to stock a dozen
jewelry stores in our country.

Ozma, who was wearing the Magic Belt, seated herself in the throne,
and Dorothy sat at her feet. In the room were assembled many ladies
and gentlemen of the court, clothed in rich apparel and wearing fine
jewelry. Two immense animals squatted, one on each side of the
throne--the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger. In a balcony high up
in the dome an orchestra played sweet music, and beneath the dome two
electric fountains sent sprays of colored perfumed water shooting up
nearly as high as the arched ceiling.

"Are you ready, Dorothy?" asked the Ruler.

"I am," replied Dorothy; "but I don't know whether Aunt Em and Uncle
Henry are ready."

"That won't matter," declared Ozma. "The old life can have very
little to interest them, and the sooner they begin the new life here
the happier they will be. Here they come, my dear!"

As she spoke, there before the throne appeared Uncle Henry and Aunt
Em, who for a moment stood motionless, glaring with white and startled
faces at the scene that confronted them. If the ladies and gentlemen
present had not been so polite I am sure they would have laughed at
the two strangers.

Aunt Em had her calico dress skirt "tucked up," and she wore a faded,
blue-checked apron. Her hair was rather straggly and she had on a
pair of Uncle Henry's old slippers. In one hand she held a dish-towel
and in the other a cracked earthenware plate, which she had been
engaged in wiping when so suddenly transported to the Land of Oz.

Uncle Henry, when the summons came, had been out in the barn "doin'
chores." He wore a ragged and much soiled straw hat, a checked shirt
without any collar and blue overalls tucked into the tops of his old
cowhide boots.

"By gum!" gasped Uncle Henry, looking around as if bewildered.

"Well, I swan!" gurgled Aunt Em in a hoarse, frightened voice. Then
her eyes fell upon Dorothy, and she said: "D-d-d-don't that look like
our little girl--our Dorothy, Henry?"

"Hi, there--look out, Em!" exclaimed the old man, as Aunt Em advanced
a step; "take care o' the wild beastses, or you're a goner!"

But now Dorothy sprang forward and embraced and kissed her aunt and
uncle affectionately, afterward taking their hands in her own.

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