Full text of "Tik-Tok of Oz"

uELONGS TO

Books by L. Frank Baum

Illustrated by John R. Neill

Each book handsomely bound in artistic pictorial cover. $1.25 per volume

THE LAND OF OZ

An account of the adventures of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Jack
Punpkinhead, the Animated Saw-Horse, the Highly Magnified Woggle-Bg,
the Gump and many other delightful characters.

Nearly 150 black-and-white illustrations and sixteen full-page pictures in colors.

OZMA OF OZ

The story tells "more about Dorothy," as well as those famous characters,
the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, and something of
several new creations equally delightful, including Tiktok the machine man, the
Yellow Hen, the Nome King and the Hungry Tiger.

Forty-one full-page colored pictures; twenty-two half
pages in color and fifty black-and-white text pictures.

DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ

In this book Dorothy, with Zeb, a little boy friend, and Jim, the Cab Horse,
are swallowed up in an earthquake and reach a strange vegetable land, whence
they escape to the land of Oz, and meet all their old friends. Among the new
characters are Eureka, Dorothy s Pink Kitten, and the Nine Tiny Piglets.
Gorgeously illustrated with sixteen full color pages and numerous black-and-white pictures.

THE ROAD TO OZ

Tells how to reach the Magic City of Oz over a road leading through lands
of many colors, peopled with odd characters, surcharged with adventure suit
able for the minds and imaginations of young children. The manufacture
represents an entirely new idea the paper used is of various colors to indicate
the several countries traversed by the road leading to Oz and the Emerald City.
Unique and gorgeous Jacket in colors and gold.

THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ

In this story, the Nome King threatens to capture the Emerald City.
Ozma and Dorothy, with the help of Glinda the Good defeat his plan. All the
old characters and many new ones enliven this story.

16 full-page pictures in four colors and green bronze. 100 blaoc-and-white illustrations.
Jacket in four colors and aluminum and green bronze.

THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ

In many ways the most successful of the Oz Books. A new and fascinating
character, the Patchwork Girl, and Ojo, a new boy, have adventures of
lively interest.

Over 100 full-page pictures in full color and in black and white. Full-length chapter heads
in full color. Jacket in four colors; cover in four stampings.

TIK-TOK OF OZ

L. FRANK BAUM

AUTHOR OF

THE ROAD TO OZ, DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ, THE

EMERALD CITY OF OZ, THE LAND OF OZ, OZMA

OF OZ, THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ

ILLUSTRATED BY

JOHN R. NEILL

THE REILLY & BRITTON CO,

CHICAGO

COPYEIGftT

L Frank Damn

RIGHTS RESERVED

SIFT 01

buis K

wfosesveet and dainty melodies
breatfittfictrue sgini of

tfe Eook is affectionaleli) dedicated

TO MY READERS

THE very marked suc
cess of my last year s
fairy book, "The Patch
work Girl of Oz," con
vinces me that my readers
like the Oz stories "best
of all," as one little girl
wrote me. So here, my
dears, is a new Oz story in
.which is introduced Ann
Soforth, the Queen of
Oogaboo, whom Tik-Tok
assisted in conquering our
old acquaintance, the
Nome King. It also tells
of Betsy Bobbin and how,
after many adventures,
she finally reached the
marvelous Land of Oz.

There is a play called
"The Tik-Tok Man of
Oz," but it is not like this
story of "Tik-Tok of Oz,"
although some of the ad
ventures recorded in this
book, as well as those in
several other Oz books,
are included in the play.
Those who have seen the
play and those who have
read the other Oz books

will find in this story a lot of strange characters and adven
tures that they have never heard of before.

In the letters I receive from children there has been an
urgent appeal for me to write a story that will take Trot and
Cap n Bill to the Land of Oz, where they will meet Dorothy
and Ozma. Also they think Button-Bright ought to get
acquainted with Ojo the Lucky. As you know, I am obliged
to talk these matters over with Dorothy by means of the
"wireless," for that is the only way I can communicate with
the Land of Oz. When I asked her about this idea, she replied :
"Why, haven t you heard?" I said "No." "Well," came the
message over the wireless, "I ll tell you all about it, by and
by, and then you can make a book of that story for the chil
dren to read."

So, if Dorothy keeps her word and I am permitted to write
another Oz book, you will probably discover how all these
characters came together in the famous Emerald City. Mean
time, I want to tell all my little friends whose numbers are
increasing by many thousands every year that I am very
grateful for the favor they have shown my books and for the
delightful little letters I am constantly receiving. I am
almost sure that I have as many friends among the children
of America as any story writer alive ; and this, of course, makes
me very proud and happy.

L. FRANK BAUM.

"OZCOT"

at HOLLYWOOD

in CALIFORNIA,

1914.

LIST OF CHAPTERS

CHAPTER PAGE

! ANN S ARMY 13

2 OUT OF OOGABOO 24

3 MAGIC MYSTIFIES THE MARCHERS 28

4 BETSY BRAVES THE BILLOWS 39

5 THE ROSES REPULSE THE REFUGEES. . . 42

6 SHAGGY SEEKS HIS STRAY BROTHER .... 48

7 POLYCHROME S PITIFUL PLIGHT 65

8 TIK-TOK TACKLES A TOUGH TASK 78

9 RUGGEDO S RAGE is RASH AND RECKLESS 92

10 A TERRIBLE TUMBLE THROUGH A TUBE 107

ii THE FAMOUS FELLOWSHIP OF FAIRIES. . 120

12 THE LOVELY LADY OF LIGHT 129

13 THE JINJIN S JUST JUDGMENT 136

14 THE LONG-EARED HEARER LEARNS BY

LISTENING 149

15 THE DRAGON DEFIES DANGER 159

16 THE NAUGHTY NOME 168

17 A TRAGIC TRANSFORMATION 177

18 A CLEVER CONQUEST 193

19 KING KALIKO 202

20 Quox QUIETLY QUITS. . . , 213

21 A BASHFUL BROTHER 221

22 KINDLY KISSES 233

23 RUGGEDO REFORMS 245

24 DOROTHY is DELIGHTED 251

25 THE LAND OF LOVE 263

ST HISTORIAN
TITLE CONFE

.
SAN FitAMCtSCO

ALDA

CHAPTER 1
Anr/ /

"I WON T!" cried Ann; "I won t sweep the floor. It is
beneath my dignity."

"Some one must sweep it," replied Anil s younger* sister,
Salye; "else we shall soon be wading in dust. And you are
the eldest, and the head of the family."

"I m Queen of Oogaboo," said Ann, proudly. "But,"
she added with a sigh, "my kingdom is the smallest and the
poorest in all the Land of Oz."

This was quite true. Away up in the mountains, in a far
corner of the beautiful fairyland of Oz, lies a small valley
which is named Oogaboo, and in this valley lived a few people
who were usually happy and contented and never cared to

Tik-Tok of Oz

wander over the mountain pass into the more settled parts of
the land. They knew that all of Oz, including their own
territory, was ruled by a beautiful Princess named Ozma, who
lived in the splendid Emerald City; yet the simple folk of
Oogaboo never visited Ozma. They had a royal family of
their own not especially to rule over them, but just as a
matter of pride. Ozma permitted the various parts of her
country to have their Kings and Queens and Emperors and
the like, but all were ruled over by the lovely girl Queen of the
Emerald City.

The King of Oogaboo used to be a man named Jol Jemkiph
Soforth, who for many years did all the drudgery of deciding
disputes and telling his people when to plant cabbages and
pickle; ;oiuon&./ :Bv.f the King s wife had a sharp tongue and
small, respect -for the King, her husband ; therefore one night
King Jol crept over the pass into the Land of Oz and disap
peared from Oogaboo for good and all. The Queen waited a
few years for him to return and then started in search of him,
leaving her eldest daughter, Ann Soforth, to act as Queen.

Now, Ann had not forgotten when her birthday came, for
that meant a party and feasting and dancing, but she had quite
forgotten how many years the birthdays marked. In a land
where people live always, this is not considered a cause for
regret, so we may justly say that Queen Ann of Oogaboo was
old enough to make jelly and let it go at that.

Chapter One

But she didn t make jelly, or do any more of the housework
than she could help. She was an ambitious woman and con
stantly resented the fact that her kingdom was so tiny and her
people so stupid and unenterprising. Often she wondered
what had become of her father and mother, out beyond the
pass, in the wonderful Land of Oz, and the fact that they did
not return to Oogaboo led Ann to suspect that they had found
a better place to live. So, when Salye refused to sweep the
floor of the living room in the palace, and Ann would not sweep
it, either, she said to her sister :

"I m going away. This absurd Kingdom of Oogaboo
tires me."

"Go, if you want to," answered Salye; "but you are very
foolish to leave this place."

"Why?" asked Ann.

"Because in the Land of Oz, which is Ozma s country, you
will be a nobody, while here you are a Queen."

"Oh, yes ! Queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven women
and forty-four children !" returned Ann bitterly.

"Well, there are certainly more people than that in the
great Land of Oz," laughed Salye. "Why don t you raise an
army and conquer them, and be Queen of all Oz?" she asked,
trying to taunt Ann and so to.anger her. Then she made a face
at her sister and went into the back yard to swing in the
hammock.

Tik-Tok of Oz

Her jeering words, however, had given Queen Ann an idea.
She reflected that Oz was reported to be a peaceful country
and Ozma a mere girl who ruled with gentleness to all and was
obeyed because her people loved her. Even in Oogaboo the
story was told that Ozma s sole army consisted of twenty-
seven fine officers, who wore beautiful uniforms but carried
no weapons, because there was no one to fight. Once there
had been a private soldier, besides the officers, but uzma had
made him a Captain-General and taken away his gun for fear
it might accidentally hurt some one.

The more Ann thought about the matter the more she was
convinced it would be easy to conquer the Land of Oz and set
herself up as Ruler in Ozma s place, if she but had an Army to
do it with. Afterward she could go out into the world and con
quer other lands, and then perhaps she could find a way to the
moon, and conquer that. She had a warlike spirit that pre
ferred trouble to idleness.

It all depended on an Army, Ann decided. She carefully
counted in her mind all the men of her kingdom. Yes ; there
were exactly eighteen of them, all told. That would not make
a very big Army, but by surprising Ozma s unarmed officers her
men might easily subdue them. "Gentle people are always
afraid of those that bluster," Ann told herself. "I don t wish
to shed any blood, for that would shock my nerves and I might
faint; but if we threaten and flash our weapons I am sure

Chapter One

the people of Oz will fall upon their knees before me and
surrender."

This argument, which she repeated to herself more than
once, finally determined the Queen of Oogaboo to under
take the audacious venture.

"Whatever happens," she reflected, "can make me no more
unhappy than my staying shut up in this miserable valley and
sweeping floors and quarreling with Sister Salye ; so I will ven
ture all, and win what I may."

That very day she started out to organize her Army.

The first man she came to was Jo Apple, so called because
he had an apple orchard.

"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the world, and I
want you to join my Army."

"Don t ask me to do such a fool thing, for I must politely
refuse Your Majesty," said Jo Apple.

"I have no intention of asking you. I shall command you,
as Queen of Oogaboo, to join," said Ann.

"In that case, I suppose I must obey," the man remarked,
in a sad voice. "But I pray you to consider that I am a very
important citizen, and for that reason am entitled to an office
of high rank."

"You shall be a General," promised Ann.

"With gold epaulets and a sword?" he asked.

"Of course," said the Queen.

Tik-Tok of Oz

Then she went to the next man, whose name was Jo Bunn,
as he owned an orchard where graham-buns and wheat-buns,
in great variety, both hot and cold, grew on the trees.

"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the world, and I
command you to join my Army."

"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "The bun crop has to be
picked."

"Let your wife and children do the picking," said Ann.

"But I m a man of great importance, Your Majesty," he
protested.

"For that reason you shall be one of my Generals, and wear
a cocked hat with gold braid, and curl your mustaches and
clank a long sword," she promised.

So he consented, although sorely against his will, and the
Queen walked on to the next cottage. Here lived Jo Cone,
so called because the trees in his orchard bore crops of excel
lent ice-cream cones.

"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the world, and you
must join my Army."

"Excuse me, please," said Jo Cone. "I am a bad fighter.
My good wife conquered me years ago, for she can fight better
than I. Take her, Your Majesty, instead of me, and I ll bless
you for the favor."

"This must be an army of men fierce, ferocious warriors,"
declared Ann, looking sternly upon the mild little man.

Chapter One

"And you will leave my wife here in Oogaboo ?" he asked.

"Yes; and make you a General."

Til go," said Jo Cone, and Ann went on to the cottage of
Jo Clock, who had an orchard of clock-trees. This man at
first insisted that he would not join the army, but Queen Ann s
promise to make him a General finally won his consent.

"How many Generals are there in your army?" he asked.

"Four, so far," replied Ann.

"And how big will the army be?" was his next question.

"I intend to make every one of the eighteen men in Ooga-
boo join it," she said.

"Then four Generals are enough," announced Jo Clock.
"I advise you to make the rest of them Colonels."

Ann tried to follow his advice. The next four men she vis
ited who were Jo Plum, Jo Egg, Jo Banjo and Jo Cheese,
named after the trees in their orchards she made Colonels of
her Army; but the fifth one, Jo Nails, said Colonels and Gen
erals were getting to be altogether too common in the Army of
Oogaboo and he preferred to be a Major. So Jo Nails, Jo
Cake, Jo Ham and Jo Stockings were all four made Majors,
while the next four Jo Sandwich, Jo Padlocks, Jo Sundae
and Jo Buttons were appointed Captains of the Army.

But now Queen Ann was in a quandary. There remained
but two other men in all Oogaboo, and if she made these two
Lieutenants, while there were four Captains, four Majors,

Tik-Tok of Oz

four Colonels and four Generals, there was likely to be
jealousy in her army, and perhaps mutiny and desertions.

One of these men, however, was Jo Candy, and he would
not go at all. No promises could tempt him, nor could threats
move him. He said he must remain at home to harvest his
crop of jackson-balls, lemon-drops, bonbons and chocolate-
creams. Also he had large fields of cracker jack and buttered
pop corn to be mowed and threshed, and he was determined
not to disappoint the children of Oogaboo by going away to
conquer the world and so let the candy crop spoil.

Finding Jo Candy so obstinate, Queen Ann let him have
his own way and continued her journey to the house of the
eighteenth and last man in Oogaboo, who was a young fellow
named Jo Files. This Files had twelve trees which bore steel
files of various sorts ; but also he had nine book-trees, on which
grew a choice selection of story-books. In case you have never
seen books growing upon trees, I will explain that those in Jo
Files orchard were enclosed in broad green husks which, when
fully ripe, turned to a deep red color. Then the books were
picked and husked and were ready to read. If they were
picked too soon, the stories were found to be confused and
uninteresting and the spelling bad. However, if allowed to
ripen perfectly, the stories were fine reading and the spelling
and grammar excellent.

Files freely gave his books to all who wanted them, but the

Tik-Tok of Oz

people of Oogaboo cared little for books and so he had to read
most of them himself, before they spoiled. For, as you prob
ably know, as soon as the books were read the words disap
peared and the leaves withered and faded which is the worst
fault of all books which grow upon trees.

When Queen Ann spoke to this young man Files, who was
both intelligent and ambitious, he said he thought it would be
great fun to conquer the world. But he called her attention
to the fact that he was far superior to the other men of her
army. Therefore, he would not be one of her Generals or
Colonels or Majors or Captains, but claimed the honor of being
sole Private.

Ann did not like this idea at all.

"I hate to have a Private Soldier in my army," she said;
"they re so common. I am told that Princess Ozma once had
a private soldier, but she made him her Captain-General,
which is good evidence that the private was unnecessary."

"Ozma s army doesn t fight," returned Files; "but your
army must fight like fury in order to conquer the world. I
have read in my books that it is always the private soldiers
who do the fighting, for no officer is ever brave enough to face
the foe. Also, it stands to reason that your officers must have
some one to command and to issue their orders to; therefore
I ll be the one. I long to slash and slay the enemy and become
a hero. Then, when we return to Oogaboo, I ll take all the

Chapter One

marbles away from the children and melt them up and make a
marble statue of myself for all to look upon and admire."

Ann was much pleased with Private Files. He seemed
indeed to be such a warrior as she needed in her enterprise, and
her hopes of success took a sudden bound when Files told her
he knew where a gun-tree grew and would go there at once and
pick the ripest and biggest musket the tree bore..

CHAPTER 2

Out of Oogaboo

THREE days later the Grand Army of Oogaboo assembled
in the square in front of the royal palace. The sixteen officers
were attired in gorgeous uniforms and carried sharp, glitter
ing swords. The Private had picked his gun and, although
it was not a very big weapon, Files tried to look fierce and
succeeded so well that all his commanding officers were
secretly afraid of him.

The women were there, protesting that Queen Ann Sof orth
had no right to take their husbands and fathers from them; but
Ann commanded them to keep silent, and that was the hardest
order to obey they had ever received.

The Queen appeared before her Army dressed in an impos-

Tik-Tok of Oz

ing uniform of green, covered with gold braid. She wore a
green soldier-cap with a purple plume in it and looked so royal
and dignified that everyone in Oogaboo except the Army was
glad she was going. The Army was sorry she was not going
alone.

"Form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice.

Salye leaned out of the palace window and laughed.

"I believe your Army can run better than it can fight/* she
observed.

"Of course," replied General Bunn, proudly. "We re
not looking for trouble, you know, but for plunder. The more
plunder and the less fighting we get, the better we shall like
our work."

"For my part," said Files, "I prefer war and carnage to any
thing. The only way to become a hero is to conquer, and the
story-books all say that the easiest way to conquer is to fight."

"That s the idea, my brave man !" agreed Ann. "To fight
is to conquer and to conquer is to secure plunder and to secure
plunder is to become a hero. With such noble determination
to back me, the world is mine ! Good-bye, Salye. When we
return we shall be rich and famous. Come, Generals; let us
march."

At this the Generals straightened up and threw out their
chests. Then they swung their glittering swords in rapid
circles and cried to the Colonels :

Chapter Two

"For ward March!"

Then the Colonels shouted to the Majors: Tor ward
March !" and the Majors yelled to the Captains : "For ward
March!" and the Captains screamed to the Private:

-For ward March!"

So Files shouldered his gun and began to march, and all the
officers followed after him. Queen Ann came last of all, rejoic
ing in her noble army and wondering why she had not decided
long ago to conquer the world.

In this order the procession marched out of Oogaboo and
took the narrow mountain pass which led into the lovely
Fairyland of Oz.

CHAPTER 3

Magic Mystifies the Marchers

PRINCESS OZMA was all unaware that the Army of Ooga-
boo, led by their ambitious Queen, was determined to conquer
her Kingdom. The beautiful girl Ruler of Oz was busy with
the welfare of her subjects and had no time to think of Ann
Soforth and her disloyal plans. But there was one who con
stantly guarded the peace and happiness of the Land of Oz
and this was the Official Sorceress of the Kingdom, Glinda
the Good.

In her magnificent castle, which stands far north of the
Emerald City where Ozma holds her court, Glinda owns a
wonderful magic Record Book, in which is printed every event
that takes place anywhere, just as soon as it happens.

Chapter Three

The smallest things and the biggest things are all recorded
in this book. If a child stamps its foot in anger, Glinda reads
about it; if a city burns down, Glinda finds the fact noted in
her book.

The Sorceress always reads her Record Book every day,
and so it was she knew that Ann Soforth, Queen of Oogaboo,
had foolishly assembled an army of sixteen officers and one
private soldier, with which she intended to invade and conquer
the Land of Oz.

There was no danger but that Ozma, supported by the
magic arts of Glinda the Good and the powerful Wizard of Oz
both her firm friends could easily defeat a far more impos
ing army than Ann s ; but it would be a shame to have the peace
of Oz interrupted by any sort of quarreling or fighting. So
Glinda did not even mention the matter to Ozma, or to any
one else. She merely went into a great chamber of her castle,
known as the Magic Room, where she performed a magical
ceremony which caused the mountain pass that led from Ooga
boo to make several turns and twists. The result was that
when Ann and her army came to the end of the pass they were
not in the Land of Oz at all, but in an adjoining territory that
was quite distinct from Ozma s domain and separated from
Oz by an invisible barrier.

As the Oogaboo people emerged into this country, the pass
they had traversed disappeared behind them and it was not

Tik-Tok of Oz

likely they would ever find their way back into the valley of
Oogaboo. They were greatly puzzled, indeed, by their sur
roundings and did not know which way to go. None of them
had ever visited Oz, so it took them some time to discover they
were not in Oz at all, but in an unknown country.

"Never mind," said Ann, trying to conceal her disappoint
ment; "we have started out to conquer the world, and here is
part of it. In time, as we pursue our victorious journey, we
will doubtless come to Oz; but, until we get there, we may as
well conquer whatever land we find ourselves in."

"Have we conquered this place, Your Majesty?" anx
iously inquired Major Cake.

"Most certainly," said Ann. "We have met no people, as
yet, but when we do, we will inform them that they are our
slaves."

"And afterward we will plunder them of all their posses
sions," added General Apple.

"They may not possess anything," objected Private Files;
"but I hope they will fight us, just the same. A peaceful con
quest wouldn t be any fun at all."

"Don t worry," said the Queen. "We can fight, whether
our foes do or not; and perhaps we would find it more comfort
able to have the enemy surrender promptly."

It was a barren country and not very pleasant to travel in.
Moreover, there was little for them to eat, and as the officers

Chapter Three

became hungry they became fretful. Many would have
deserted had they been able to find their way home, but as the
Oogaboo people were now hopelessly lost in a strange country
they considered it more safe to keep together than to separate.

Queen Ann s temper, never very agreeable, became sharp
and irritable as she and her army tramped over the rocky roads
without encountering either people or plunder. She scolded
her officers until they became surly, and a few of them were
disloyal enough to ask her to hold her tongue. Others began
to reproach her for leading them into difficulties and in the
space of three unhappy days every man was mourning for his
orchard in the pretty valley of Oogaboo.

Files, however, proved a different sort. The more difficul
ties he encountered the more cheerful he became, and the sighs
of the officers were answered by the merry whistle of the
Private. His pleasant disposition did much to encourage
Queen Ann and before long she consulted the Private Sol
dier more often dian she did his superiors.

It was on the third day of their pilgrimage that they
encountered their first adventure. Toward evening the sky
was suddenly darkened and Major Nails exclaimed :

"A fog is coming toward us."

"I do not think it is a fog," replied Files, looking with
.nterest at the approaching cloud. "It seems to me more like
the breath of a Rak."

Tik-Tok of Oz

"What is a Rak?" asked Ann, looking about fearfully.

"A terrible beast with a horrible appetite," answered the
soldier, growing a little paler than usual. "I have never seen
a Rak, to be sure, but I have read of them in the story-books
that grew in my orchard, and if this is indeed one of those fear
ful monsters, we are not likely to conquer the world."

Hearing this, the officers became quite worried and gath
ered closer about their soldier.

"What is the thing like ?" asked one.

"The only picture of a Rak that I ever saw in a book was
rather blurred," said Files, "because the book was not quite
ripe when it was picked. But the creature can fly in the air and
run like a deer and swim like a fish. Inside its body is a glow
ing furnace of fire, and the Rak breathes in air and breathes
out smoke, which darkens the sky for miles around, wherever
it goes. It is bigger than a hundred men and feeds on any liv
ing thing."

The officers now began to groan and to tremble, but Files
tried to cheer them, saying :

"It may not be a Rak, after all, that we see approaching us,
and you must not forget that we people of Oogaboo, which is
part of the fairyland of Oz, cannot be killed."

"Nevertheless," said Captain Buttons, "if the Rak catches
us, and chews us up into small pieces, and swallows us what
will happen then?"

Chapter Three

Then each small piece will still be alive/ declared Files.

"I cannot see how that would help us/ wailed Colonel
Banjo. "A hamburger steak is a hamburger steak, whether
it is alive or not!"

"I tell you, this may not be a Rak," persisted Files. "We
will know, when the cloud gets nearer, whether it is the breath
of a Rak or not. If it has no smell at all, it is probably a fog;
but if it has an odor of salt and pepper, it is a Rak and we must
prepare for a desperate fight."

They all eyed the dark cloud fearfully. Before long it
reached the frightened group and began to envelop them.
Every nose sniffed the cloud and every one detected in it the
odor of salt and pepper.

"The Rak!" shouted Private Files, and with a howl of
despair the sixteen officers fell to the ground, writhing and
moaning in anguish. Queen Ann sat down upon a rock and
faced the cloud more bravely, although her heart was beating
fast. As for Files, he calmly loaded his gun and stood ready to
fight the foe, as a soldier should.

They were now in absolute darkness, for the cloud which
covered the sky and the setting sun was black as ink. Then
through the gloom appeared two round, glowing balls of red,
and Files at once decided these must be the monster s eyes.

He raised his gun, took aim and fired.

There were several bullets in the gun, all gathered from an

Tik-Tok of Oz

excellent bullet-tree in Oogaboo, and they were big and hard.
They flew toward the monster and struck it, and with a wild,
weird cry the Rak came fluttering down and its huge body fell
plump upon the forms of the sixteen officers, who thereupon
screamed louder than before.

"Badness me!" moaned the Rak. "See what you ve done
with that dangerous gun of yours!"

"I can t see," replied Files, "for the cloud formed by your
breath darkens my sight!"

"Don t tell me it was an accident," continued the Rak,
reproachfully, as it still flapped its wings in a helpless man
ner. "Don t claim you didn t know the gun was loaded, I beg
of you!"

"I don t intend to," replied Files. "Did the bullets hurt
you very badly ?"

"One has broken my jaw, so that I can t open my mouth.
You will notice that my voice sounds rather harsh and husky,
because I have to talk with my teeth set close together.
Another bullet broke my left wing, so that I can t fly ; and still
another broke my right leg, so that I can t walk. It was the
most careless shot I ever heard of!"

"Can t you manage to lift your body off from my command
ing officers?" inquired Files. "From their cries I m afraid
your great weight is crushing them."

"I hope it is," growled the Rak. "I want to crush them, if

Tik-Tok of Oz

possible, for I have a bad disposition. If only I could open
my mouth, I d eat all of you, although my appetite is poorly
this warm weather."

With this the Rak began to roll its immense body sidewise,
so as to crush the officers more easily ; but in doing this it rolled
completely off from them and the entire sixteen scrambled to
their feet and made off as fast as they could run.

Private Files could not see them go but he knew from the
sound of their voices that they had escaped, so he ceased to
worry about them.

"Pardon me if I now bid you good-bye/ he said to the Rak.
"The parting is caused by our desire to continue our journey.
If you die, do not blame me, for I was obliged to shoot you as a
matter of self-protection."

"I shall not die," answered the monster, "for I bear a
charmed life. But I beg you not to leave me !"

"Why not?" asked Files.

"Because my broken jaw will heal in about an hour, and
then I shall be able to eat you. My wing will heal in a day
and my leg will heal in a week, when I shall be as well as ever.
Having shot me, and so caused me all this annoyance, it is
only fair and just that you remain here and allow me to eat
you as soon as I can open my jaws."

"I beg to differ with you," returned the soldier firmly. "I ;
have made an engagement with Queen Ann of Oogaboo to

Chapter Three

help her conquer the world, and I cannot break my word for
the sake of being eaten by a Rak."

"Oh; that s different/ said the monster. "If you ve an
engagement, don t let me detain you."

So Files felt around in the dark and grasped the hand of the
trembling Queen, whom he led away from the flapping, sighing
Rak. They stumbled over the stones for a way but presently
began to see dimly the path ahead of them, as they got farther
and farther away from the dreadful spot where the wounded
monster lay.

By and by they reached a little hill and could see the last
rays of the sun flooding a pretty valley beyond, for now they
had passed beyond the cloudy breath of the Rak. Here were
huddled the sixteen officers, still frightened and panting from
their run. They had halted only because it was impossible for
them to run any farther.

Queen Ann gave them a severe scolding for their cowardice,
at the same time praising Files for his courage.

"We are wiser than he, however," muttered General Clock,
"for by running away we are now able to assist Your Majesty
in conquering the world; whereas, had Files been eaten by the
Rak, he would have deserted your Army."

After a brief rest they descended into the valley, and as
soon as they were out of sight of the Rak the spirits of the
entire party rose quickly. Just at dusk they came to a brook,

Tik-Tok of Oz

on the banks of which Queen Ann commanded them to make
camp for the night.

Each officer carried in his pocket a tiny white tent. This,
when placed upon the ground, quickly grew in size until it was
large enough to permit the owner to enter it and sleep within
its canvas walls. Files was obliged to carry a knapsack, in
which was not only his own tent but an elaborate pavilion for
Queen Ann, besides a bed and chair and a magic table. This
table, when set upon the ground in Ann s pavilion, became
of large size, and in a drawer of the table was contained the
Queen s supply of extra clothing, her manicure and toilet
articles and other necessary things. The royal bed was the
only one in the camp, the officers and private sleeping in ham
mocks attached to their tent poles.

There was also in the knapsack a flag bearing the royal
emblem of Oogaboo, and this flag Files flew upon its staff
every night, to show that the country they were in had been
conquered by the Queen of Oogaboo. So far, no one but them
selves had seen the flag, but Ann was pleased to see it flutter
in the breeze and considered herself already a famous
conqueror.

CHAPTER 4

Betsy Braves the Billows

THE waves dashed and the lightning flashed and the thunder
rolled and the ship struck a rock. Betsy Bobbin was running
across the deck and the shock sent her flying through the air
until she fell with a splash into the dark blue water. The
same shock caught Hank, a thin little, sad-faced mule, and
tumbled him also into the sea, far from the ship s side.

When Betsy came up, gasping for breath because the wet
plunge had surprised her, she reached out in the dark and
grabbed a bunch of hair. At first she thought it was the end of
a rope, but presently she heard a dismal "Hee-haw !" and knew
she was holding fast to the end of Hank s tail.

Suddenly the sea was lighted up by a vivid glare. The

Tik-Tok of Oz

ship, now in the far distance, caught fire, blew up and sank
beneath the waves.

Betsy shuddered at the sight, but just then her eye caught
a mass of wreckage floating near her and she let go the mule s
tail and seized the rude raft, pulling herself up so that she rode
upon it in safety. Hank also saw the raft and swam to it, but
he was so clumsy he never would have been able to climb upon
it had not Betsy helped him to get aboard.

They had to crowd close together, for their support was
only a hatch-cover torn from the ship s deck; but it floated
them fairly well and both the girl and the mule knew it would
keep them from drowning.

The storm was not over, by any means, when the ship went
down. Blinding bolts of lightning shot from cloud to cloud
and the clamor of deep thunderclaps echoed far over the sea.
The waves tossed the little raft here and there as a child tosses
a rubber ball and Betsy had a solemn feeling that for hundreds
of watery miles in every direction there was no living thing
besides herself and the small donkey.

Perhaps Hank had the same thought, for he gently rubbed
his nose against the frightened girl and said "Hee-haw!" in
his softest voice, as if to comfort her.

"You ll protect me, Hank dear, won t you?" she cried
helplessly, and the mule said "Hee-haw!" again, in tones that
meant a promise.

Chapter Four

On board the ship, during the days that preceded the wreck,
when the sea was calm, Betsy and Hank had become good
friends; so, while the girl might have preferred a more power
ful protector in this dreadful emergency, she felt that the mule
would do all in a mule s power to guard her safety.

All night they floated, and when the storm had worn itself
out and passed away with a few distant growls, and the waves
had grown smaller and easier to ride, Betsy stretched herself
out on the wet raft and fell asleep.

Hank did not sleep a wink. Perhaps he felt it his duty to
guard Betsy. Anyhow, he crouched on the raft beside the tired
sleeping girl and watched patiently until the first light of
dawn swept over the sea.

The light wakened Betsy Bobbin. She sat up, rubbed her
eyes and stared across the water.

"Oh, Hank; there s land ahead!" she exclaimed.

"Hee-haw !" answered Hank in his plaintive voice.

The raft was floating swiftly toward a very beautiful coun
try and as they drew near Betsy could see banks of lovely
flowers showing brightly between leafy trees. But no people
were to be seen at all.

CHAPTER 5

The Roses Repulse the Refugees

GENTLY the raft grated on the sandy beach. Then Betsy
easily waded ashore, the mule following closely behind her.
The sun was now shining and the air was warm and laden with
the fragrance of roses.

"I d like some breakfast, Hank," remarked the girl, feeling
more cheerful now that she was on dry land; "but we can t eat
the flowers, although they do smell mighty good."

"Hee-haw !" replied Hank and trotted up a little pathway
to the top of the bank.

Betsy followed and from the eminence looked around her.
A little way off stood a splendid big greenhouse, its thousands
of crystal panes glittering in the sunlight.

Chapter Five

"There ought to be people ccinewhere round/ observed
Betsy thoughtfully; "gardeners, or somebody. Let s go and
see, Hank. I m getting hungrier ev ry minute."

So they walked toward the great greenhouse and came to its
entrance without meeting with anyone at all. A door stood
ajar, so Hank went in first, thinking if there was any danger
he could back out and warn his companion. But Betsy was
close at his heels and the moment she entered was lost in
amazement at the wonderful sight she saw.

The greenhouse was filled with magnificent rosebushes, all
growing in big pots. On the central stem of each bush
bloomed a splendid Rose, gorgeously colored and deliciously
fragrant, and in the center of each Rose was the face of a
lovely girl.

As Betsy and Hank entered, the heads of the Roses were
drooping and their eyelids were closed in slumber; but the
mule was so amazed that he uttered a loud "Hee-haw !" and at
the sound of his harsh voice the rose leaves fluttered, the Roses
raised their heads and a hundred startled eyes were instantly
fixed upon the intruders.

"I I beg your pardon!" stammered Betsy, blushing and
confused.

"O-o-o-h !" cried the Roses, in a sort of sighing chorus ; and
one of them added : "What a horrid noise !"

"Why, that was only Hank," said Betsy, and as if to prove

Tik-Tok of Oz

the truth of her words the mule uttered another loud "Hee
haw!"

At this all the Roses turned on their stems as far as they
were able and trembled as if some one were shaking their
bushes. A dainty Moss Rose gasped: "Dear me! How
dreadfully dreadful!"

"It isn t dreadful at all/ said Betsy, somewhat indignant.
"When you get used to Hank s voice it will put you to sleep."

The Roses now looked at the mule less fearfully and one
of them asked :

"Is that savage beast named Hank?"

"Yes; Hank s my comrade, faithful and true," answered
the girl, twining her arms around the little mule s neck and
hugging him tight. "Aren t you, Hank?"

Hank could only say in reply : "Hee-haw !" and at his bray
the Roses shivered again. ^

"Please go away!" begged one. "Can t you see you re
frightening us out of a week s growth?"

"Go away!" echoed Betsy. "Why, we ve no place to go.
We ve just been wrecked."

"Wrecked?" asked the Roses in a surprised chorus.

"Yes; we were on a big ship and the storm came and
wrecked it," explained the girl. "But Hank and I caught hold
of a raft and floated ashore to this place, and we re tired and
hungry. What country is this, please?"

Tik-Tok of Oz

This is the Rose Kingdom," replied the Moss Rose,
haughtily, "and it is devoted to the culture of the rarest and
fairest Roses grown/

"I believe it," said Betsy, admiring the pretty blossoms.

"But only Roses are allowed here," continued a delicate
Tea Rose, bending her brows in a frown; "therefore you must
go away before the Royal Gardener finds you and casts you
back into the sea."

"Oh! Is there a Royal Gardener, then? inquired Betsy.

"To be sure."

"And is he a Rose, also*?"

"Of course not; he s a man a wonderful man," was the
reply.

"Well, I m not afraid of a man," declared the girl, much
relieved, and even as she spoke the Royal Gardener popped
into the greenhouse a spading fork in one hand and a water
ing pot in the other.

He was a funny little man, dressed in a rose-colored cos
tume, with ribbons at his knees and elbows, and a bunch of
ribbons in his hair. His eyes were small and twinkling, his
nose sharp and his face puckered and deeply lined.

"O-ho!" he exclaimed, astonished to find strangers in his
greenhouse, and when HanR gave a loud^bray the Gardener
threw the watering pot over the mule s head and danced
around with his fork* in such agitation that presently he fell

Chapter Five

over the handle of the implement and sprawled at full length
upon the ground.

Betsy laughed and pulled the watering pot off from Hank s
head. The little mule was angry at the treatment he had
received and backed toward the Gardener threateningly.

"Look out for his heels!" called Betsy warningly and the
Gardener scrambled to his feet and hastily hid behind the
Roses.

"You are breaking the Law!" he shouted, sticking out his
head to glare at the girl and the mule.

"What Law?" asked Betsy.

"The Law of the Rose Kingdom. No strangers are
allowed in these domains."

"Not when they re shipwrecked?" she inquired.

"The Law doesn t except shipwrecks," replied the Royal
Gardener, and he was about to say more when suddenly there
was a crash of glass and a man came tumbling through the
roof of the greenhouse and fell plump to the ground.

CHAPTER 6

Shaggy Seeks his Stray Brother

THIS sudden arrival was a queer looking man, dressed all in
garments so shaggy that Betsy at first thought he must be some
animal. But the stranger ended his fall in a sitting position
and then the girl saw it was really a man. He held an apple in
his hand, which he had evidently been eating when he fell, and
so little was he jarred or flustered by the accident that he con
tinued to munch this apple as he calmly looked around him.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Betsy, approaching him.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?"

"Me ? Oh, I m Shaggy Man," said he, taking another bite
of the apple. "Just dropped in for a short call. Excuse my
seeming haste."

Chapter Six

"Why, I s pose you couldn t help the haste," said Betsy.

"No. I climbed an apple tree, outside; branch gave way
and here I am."

As he spoke the Shaggy Man finished his apple, gave the
core to Hank who ate it greedily and then stood up to bow
politely to Betsy and the Roses.

The Royal Gardener had been frightened nearly into fits
by the crash of glass and the fall of the shaggy stranger into
the bower of Roses, but now he peeped out from behind a bush
and cried in his squeaky voice :

"You re breaking the Law! You re breaking the Law!"

Shaggy stared at him solemnly.

"Is the glass the Law in this country?" he asked.

"Breaking the glass is breaking the Law," squeaked the
Gardener, angrily. "Also, to intrude in any part of the Rose
Kingdom is breaking the Law."

"How do you know?" asked Shaggy.

"Why, it s printed in a book," said the Gardener, coming
forward and taking a small book from his pocket. "Page thir
teen. Here it is : If any stranger enters the Rose Kingdom he
shall at once be condemned by the Ruler and put to death/
So you see, strangers," he continued triumphantly, "it s death
for you all and your time has come !"

But just here Hank interposed. He had been stealthily
backing toward the Royal Gardener, whom he disliked, and

Tik-Tok of Oz

now the mule s heels shot out and struck the little man in the
middle. He doubled up like the letter "U" and flew out of
the door so swiftly never touching the ground that he was
gone before Betsy had time to wink.

But the mule s attack frightened the girl.

"Come," she whispered, approaching the Shaggy Man and
taking his hand; "let s go somewhere else. They ll surely kill
us if we stay here!"

"Don t worry, my dear," replied Shaggy, patting the
child s head. "I m not afraid of anything, so long as I have
the Love Magnet."

"The Love Magnet! Why, what is that? asked Betsy.

"It s a charming little enchantment that wins the heart of
everyone who looks upon it," was the reply. "The Love
Magnet used to hang over the gateway to the Emerald City,
in the Land of Oz; but when I started on this journey our
beloved Ruler, Ozma of Oz, allowed me to take it with me."

"Oh!" cried Betsy, staring hard at him; "are you really
from the wonderful Land of Oz ?"

"Yes. Ever been there, my dear ?"

"No; but I ve heard about it. And do you know Princess
Ozma?"

"Very well indeed."

"And and Princess Dorothy?"

"Dorothy s an old chum of mine," declared Shaggy.

Chapter Six

"Dear me!" exclaimed Betsy. "And why did you ever
leave such a beautiful land as Oz?"

"On an errand," said Shaggy, looking sad and solemn.
"I m trying to find my dear little brother."

"Oh! Is he lost?" questioned Betsy, feeling very sorry
for the poor man.

"Been lost these ten years," replied Shaggy, taking out a
handkerchief and wiping a tear from his eye. "I didn t know
it until lately, when I saw it recorded in the magic Record
Book of the Sorceress Glinda, in the Land of Oz. So now I m
trying to find him."

"Where was he lost?" asked the girl sympathetically.

"Back in Colorado, where I used to live before I went to
Oz. Brother was a miner, and dug gold out of a mine. One
day he went into his mine and never came out. They searched
for him, but he was not there. Disappeared entirely," Shaggy
ended miserably.

"For goodness sake ! What do you s pose became of him?"
she asked.

"There is only one explanation," replied Shaggy, taking
another apple from his pocket and eating it to relieve his
misery. "The Nome King probably got him."

"The Nome King ! Who is he ?"

"Why, he s sometimes called the Metal Monarch, and his
name is Ruggedo. Lives in some underground cavern.

Tik-Tok of Oz

Claims to own all the metals hidden in the earth. Don t ask
me why."

"Why?"

" Cause I don t know. But this Ruggedo gets wild with
anger if anyone digs gold out of the earth, and my private
opinion is that he captured brother and carried him off to his
underground kingdom. No don t ask me why. I see you re
dying to ask me why. But I don t know."

But dear me ! in that case you will never find your lost
brother!" exclaimed the girl.

"Maybe not; but it s my duty to try," answered Shaggy.
"I ve wandered so far without finding him, but that only
proves he is not where I ve been looking. What I seek now is
the hidden passage to the underground cavern of the terrible
Metal Monarch."

"Well," said Betsy doubtfully, "it strikes me that if you
ever manage to get there the Metal Monarch will make you,
too, his prisoner."

"Nonsense!" answered Shaggy, carelessly. "You mustn t
forget the Love Magnet."

"What about it?" she asked.

"When the fierce Metal Monarch sees the Love Magnet,
he will love me dearly and do anything I ask."

"It must be wonderful," said Betsy, with awe.

"It is," the man assured her. "Shall I show it to you?"

Chapter Six

"Oh, do!" she cried; so Shaggy searched in his shaggy
pocket and drew out a small silver magnet, shaped like a
horseshoe.

The moment Betsy saw it she began to like the Shaggy
Man better than before. Hank also saw the Magnet and
crept up to Shaggy to rub his head lovingly against the
man s knee.

But they were interrupted by the Royal Gardener, who
stuck his head into the greenhouse and shouted angrily :

"You are all condemned to death! Your only chance to
escape is to leave here instantly/

This startled little Betsy, but the Shaggy Man merely
waved the Magnet toward the Gardener, who, seeing it,
rushed forward and threw himself at Shaggy s feet, murmur
ing in honeyed words :

"Oh, you lovely, lovely man! How fond I am of you!
Every shag and bobtail that decorates you is dear to me all
I have is yours ! But for goodness sake get out of here before
you die the death."

"I m not going to die," declared Shaggy Man.

:t You must. It s the Law," exclaimed the Gardener, begin
ning to weep real tears. "It breaks my heart to tell you this
bad news, but the Law says that all strangers must be con
demned by the Ruler to die the death."

"No Ruler has condemned us yet," said Betsy.

Tik-Tok of Oz

"Of course not," added Shaggy. "We haven t even seen
the Ruler of the Rose Kingdom."

"Well, to tell the truth," said the Gardener, in a perplexed
tone of voice, "we haven t any real Ruler, just now. You see,
all our Rulers grow on bushes in the Royal Gardens, and the
last one we had got mildewed and withered before his time.
So we had to plant him, and at this time there is no one grow
ing on the Royal Bushes who is ripe enough to pick."

"How do you know?" asked Betsy.

"Why, I m the Royal Gardener. Plenty of royalties are
growing, I admit; but just now they are all green. Until one
ripens, I am supposed to rule the Rose Kingdom myself, and
see that its Laws are obeyed. Therefore, much as I love you,
Shaggy, I must put you to death."

"Wait a minute," pleaded Betsy. "I d like to see those
Royal Gardens before I die. 5

"So would I," added Shaggy Man. "Take us there.
Gardener."

"Oh, I can t do that," objected the Gardener. But
Shaggy again showed him the Love Magnet and after one
glance at it the Gardener could no longer resist.

He led Shaggy, Betsy and Hank to the end of the great
greenhouse and carefully unlocked a small door. Passing
through this they came into the splendid Royal Garden of the
Rose Kingdom.

Chapter Six

It was all surrounded by a tall hedge and within the
enclosure grew several enormous rosebushes having thick
green leaves of the texture of velvet. Upon these bushes grew
the members of the Royal Family of the Rose Kingdom
men, women and children in all stages of maturity. They all
seemed to have a light green hue, as if unripe or not fully
developed, their flesh and clothing being alike green. They
stood perfectly lifeless upon their branches, which swayed
softly in the breeze, and their wide-open eyes stared straight
ahead, unseeing and unintelligent.

While examining these curious growing people, Betsy
passed behind a big central bush and at once uttered an
exclamation of surprise and pleasure. For there, blooming in
perfect color and shape, stood a Royal Princess, whose beauty
was amazing.

"Why, she s ripe!" cried Betsy, pushing aside some of the
broad leaves to observe her more clearly.

"Well, perhaps so," admitted the Gardener, who had come
to the girl s side; "but she s a girl, and so we can t use her for
a Ruler."

"No, indeed!" came a chorus of soft voices, and looking
around Betsy discovered that all the Roses had followed them
from the greenhouse and were now grouped before the
entrance.

"You see," explained the Gardener, "the subjects of Rose

Tik-Tok of Oz

Kingdom don t want a girl Ruler. They want a King."

"A King! We want a King!" repeated the chorus of
Roses.

"Isn t she Royal?" inquired Shaggy, admiring the lovely
Princess.

"Of course, for she grows on a Royal Bush. This Princess
is named Ozga, as she is a distant cousin of Ozma of Oz; and,
were she but a man, we would joyfully hail her as our Ruler."

The Gardener then turned away to talk with his Roses and
Betsy whispered to her companion : "Let s pick her, Shaggy."

"All right," said he. "If she s royal, she has the right to
rule this Kingdom, and if we pick her she will surely protect us
and prevent our being hurt, or driven away."

So Betsy and Shaggy each took an arm of the beautiful
Rose Princess and a little twist of her feet set her free of the
branch upon which she grew. Very gracefully she stepped
down from the bush to the ground, where she bowed low to
Betsy and Shaggy and said in a delightfully sweet voice:
"I thank you."

But at the sound of these words the Gardener and the
Roses turned and discovered that the Princess had been
picked, and was now alive. Over every face flashed an expres
sion of resentment and anger, and one of the Roses cried
aloud :

"Audacious mortals ! What have you done ?"

Tik-Tok of Oz

Ticked a Princess for you, that s all," replied Betsy,
cheerfully.

"But we won t have her! We want a King!" exclaimed
a Jacque Rose, and another added with a voice of scorn : "No
girl shall rule over us !"

The newly-picked Princess looked from one to another of
her rebellious subjects in astonishment. A grieved look came
over her exquisite features.

"Have I no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she asked
gently. "Have I not come from my Royal Bush to be your
Ruler?"

"You were picked by mortals, without our consent,"
replied the Moss Rose, coldly; "so we refuse to allow you to
rule us."

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" cried the Tea
Rose.

"Just a second, please !" called Shaggy, taking the Love
Magnet from his pocket. "I guess this will win their love,
Princess. Here take it in your hand and let the roses

see it."

Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held it poised before
the eyes of her subjects; but the Roses regarded it with calm
disdain.

"Why, what s the matter*?" demanded Shaggy in surprise.
"The Magnet never failed to work before !"

Chapter Six

"I know/ said Betsy, nodding her head wisely. "These
Roses have no hearts."

"That s it," agreed the Gardener. "They re pretty, and
sweet, and alive ; but still they are Roses. Their stems have
thorns, but no hearts."

The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet to the Shaggy
Man.

"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" commanded
the Roses. "We will have no Ruler until a man-rose a King
is ripe enough to pick."

"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You must
excuse me, my dear Shaggy, for opposing your wishes, but you
and the others, including Ozga, must get out of Rose King
dom immediately, if not before."

"Don t you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy, carelessly
displaying the Magnet.

"I do. I dote on thee !" answered the Gardener earnestly;
"but no true man will neglect his duty for the sake of love.
My duty is to drive you out, so out you go !"

With this he seized a garden fork and began jabbing it at
the strangers, in order to force them to leave. Hank the mule
was not afraid of the fork and when he got his heels near to the
Gardener the man fell back to avoid a kick.

But now the Roses crowded around the outcasts and it

Tik-Tok of Oz

was soon discovered that beneath their draperies of green
leaves were many sharp thorns which were more dangerous
than Hank s heels. Neither Betsy nor Ozga nor Shaggy nor
the mule cared to brave those thorns and when they pressed
away from them they found themselves slowly driven
through the garden door into the greenhouse. From there they
were forced out at the entrance and so through the territory
of the flower-strewn Rose Kingdom, which was not of very
great extent.

The Rose Princess was sobbing bitterly; Betsy was indig
nant and angry; Hank uttered defiant "Hee-haws" and the
Shaggy Man whistled softly to himself.

The boundary of the Rose Kingdom was a deep gulf, but
there was a drawbridge in one place and this the Royal Gar
dener let down until the outcasts had passed over it. Then he
drew it up again and returned with his Roses to the green
house, leaving the four queerly assorted comrades to wander
into the bleak and unknown country that lay beyond.

"I don t mind, much," remarked Shaggy, as he led the way
over the stony, barren ground. "I ve got to search for my long-
lost little brother, anyhow, so it won t matter where I go."

"Hank and I will help you find your brother," said Betsy
in her most cheerful voice. "I m so far away from home now
that I don t s pose I ll ever find my way back; and, to tell the
truth, it s more fun traveling around and having adventures

Tik-Tok of Oz

than sticking at home. Don t you think so, Hank?"

"Hee-haw!" said Hank, and the Shaggy Man thanked
them both.

"For my part," said Princess Ozga of Roseland, with a
gentle sigh, "I must remain forever exiled from my Kingdom.
So I, too, will be glad to help the Shaggy Man find his lost
brother."

"That s very kind of you, ma am," said Shaggy. "But
unless I can find the underground cavern of Ruggedo,* the
Metal Monarch, I shall never find poor brother."

"Doesn t anyone know where it is?" inquired Betsy.

"Some one must know, of course," was Shaggy s reply.
"But we are not the ones. The only way to succeed is for us
to keep going until we find a person who can direct us to
Ruggedo s cavern."

"We may find it ourselves, without any help," suggested
Betsy. "Who knows?"

"No one knows that, except the person who s writing this
story," said Shaggy. "But we won t find anything not even
supper unless we travel on. Here s a path. Let s take it
and see where it leads to."

*This King was formerly named "Roquat," but after he drank of the
"Waters of Oblivion" he forgot his own name and had to take another.

6 4

CHAPTER 7

Polychrome s Pitiful Plight

THE Rain King got too much water in his basin and spilled
some over the brim. That made it rain in a certain part of the
country a real hard shower, for a time and sent the Rain
bow scampering to the place to show the gorgeous colors of
his glorious bow as soon as the mist of rain had passed and the
sky was clear.

The coming of the Rainbow is always a joyous event to
earth folk, yet few have ever seen it close by. Usually the
Rainbow is so far distant that you can observe its splendid
hues but dimly, and that is why we seldom catch sight of the
dancing Daughters of the Rainbow.

In the barren country where the rain had just fallen there

Tik-Tok of Oz

appeared to be no human beings at all; but the Rainbow
appeared, just the same, and dancing gayly upon its arch were
the Rainbow s Daughters, led by the fairylike Polychrome,
who is so dainty and beautiful that no girl has ever quite
equalled her in loveliness.

Polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down the arch
of the bow to the ground, daring her sisters to follow her.
Laughing and gleeful, they also touched the ground with their
twinkling feet; but all the Daughters of the Rainbow knew
that this was a dangerous pastime, so they quickly climbed
upon their bow again.

All but Polychrome. Though the sweetest and merriest
of them all, she was likewise the most reckless. Moreover, it
was an unusual sensation to pat the cold, damp earth with her
rosy toes. Before she realized it the bow had lifted and disap
peared in the billowy blue sky, and here was Polychrome
standing helpless upon a rock, her gauzy draperies floating
about her like brilliant cobwebs and not a soul fairy or
mortal to help her regain her lost bow !

"Dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across her
pretty face, "I m caught again. This is the second time my
carelessness has left me on earth while my sisters returned to
our Sky Palaces. The first time I enjoyed some pleasant
adventures, but this is a lonely, forsaken country and I shall
be very unhappy until my Rainbow comes again and I can

Chapter Seven

climb aboard. Let me think what is best to be done."

She crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her draperies
about her and bowed her head.

It was in this position that Betsy Bobbin spied Polychrome
as she came along the stony path, followed by Hank, the
Princess and Shaggy. At once the girl ran up to the radiant
Daughter of the Rainbow and exclaimed :

"Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!"

Polychrome raised her golden head. There were tears in
her blue eyes.

"I m the most miserable girl in the whole world!" she
sobbed.
The others gathered around her.

"Tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the Princess.

"I I ve lost my bow!" wailed Polychrome.

"Take me, my dear," said Shaggy Man in a sympathetic
tone, thinking she meant "beau" instead of "bow."

"I don t want you!" cried Polychrome, stamping her foot
imperiously; "I want my Rainbow"

"Oh; that s different," said Shaggy. "But try to forget it.
When I was young I used to cry for the Rainbow myself, but
I couldn t have it. Looks as if you couldn t have it, either;
so please don t cry."

Polychrome looked at him reproachfully.

"I don t like you," she said.

Tik-Tok of Oz

"No?" replied Shaggy, drawing the Love Magnet from
his pocket; "not a little bit? just a wee speck of a like?

"Yes, yes !" said Polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy
as she gazed at the enchanted talisman; "I love you, Shaggy
Man!"

"Of course you do," said he calmly; "but I don t take any
credit for it. It s the Love Magnet s powerful charm. But
you seem quite alone and friendless, little Rainbow. Don t
you want to join our party until you find your father and
sisters again?"

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"We don t just know that," said Betsy, taking her hand;
"but we re trying to find Shaggy s long-lost brother, who has
been captured by the terrible Metal Monarch. Won t you
come with us, and help us?"

Polychrome looked from one to another of the queer party
of travelers and a bewitching smile suddenly lighted her face.

"A donkey, a mortal maid, a Rose Princess and a Shaggy
Man!" she exclaimed. "Surely you need help, if you intend
to face Ruggedo."

"Do you know him, then?" inquired Betsy.

"No, indeed. Ruggedo s caverns are beneath the earth s
surface, where no Rainbow can ever penetrate. But I ve
heard of the Metal Monarch. He is also called the Nome
King, you know, and he has made trouble for a good many

Chapter Seven

people mortals and fairies in his time," said Polychrome.

"Do you fear him, then"?" asked the Princess, anxiously,

"No one can harm a Daughter of the Rainbow," said
Polychrome proudly. "Fm a sky fairy."

"Then," said Betsy, quickly, "you will be able to tell us
the way to Ruggedo s cavern."

"No," returned Polychrome, shaking her head, "that is
one thing I cannot do. But I will gladly go with you and
help you search for the place."

This promise delighted all the wanderers and after the
Shaggy Man had found the path again they began moving
along it in a more happy mood. The Rainbow s Daughter
danced lightly over the rocky trail, no longer sad, but with
her beautiful features wreathed in smiles. Shaggy came
next, walking steadily and now and then supporting the Rose
Princess, who followed him. Betsy and Hank brought up
the rear, and if she tired with walking the girl got upon
Hank s back and let the stout little donkey carry her for
awhile.

At nightfall they came to some trees that grew beside a
tiny brook and here they made camp and rested until morn
ing. Then away they tramped, finding berries and fruits
here and there which satisfied the hunger of Betsy, Shaggy
and Hank, so that they were well content with their lot.

It surprised Betsy to see the Rose Princess partake of their

Tik-Tok of Oz

food, for she considered her a fairy; but when she mentioned
this to Polychrome, the Rainbow s Daughter explained that
when Ozga was driven out of her Rose Kingdom she ceased
to be a fairy and would never again be more than a mere
mortal. Polychrome, however, was a fairy wherever she hap
pened to be, and if she sipped a few dewdrops by moonlight
for refreshment no one ever saw her do it.

As they continued their wandering journey, direction
meant very little to them, for they were hopelessly lost in this
strange country. Shaggy said it would be best to go toward
the mountains, as the natural entrance to Ruggedo s under
ground cavern was likely to be hidden in some rocky, deserted
place; but mountains seemed all around them except in the
one direction that they had come from, which led to the Rose
Kingdom and the sea. Therefore it mattered little which
way they traveled.

By and by they espied a faint trail that looked like a path
and after following this for some time they reached a cross
roads. Here were many paths, leading in various directions,
and there was a signpost so old that there were now no words
upon the sign. At one side was an old well, with a chain
windlass for drawing water, yet there was no house or other
building anywhere in sight.

While the party halted, puzzled which way to proceed, the
mule approached the well and tried to look into it.

Chapter Seven

"He s thirsty/ 5 said Betsy.

"It s a dry well/ remarked Shaggy. "Probably there has
been no water in it for many years. But, come; let us decide
which way to travel."

No one seemed able to decide that. They sat down in a
group and tried to consider which road might be the best to
take. Hank, however, could not keep away from the well and
finally he reared up on his hind legs, got his head over the edge
and uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" Betsy watched her animal
friend curiously.

"I wonder if he sees anything down there?" she said.

At this, Shaggy rose and went over to the well to investi
gate, and Betsy went with him. The Princess and Poly
chrome, who had become fast friends, linked arms and saun
tered down one of the roads, to find an easy path.

"Really," said Shaggy, "there does seem to be something
at the bottom of this old well."

"Can t we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked the girl.

There was no bucket at the end of the windlass chain,
but there was a big hook that at one time was used to hold a
bucket. Shaggy let down this hook, dragged it around on
the bottom and then pulled it up. An old hoopskirt came
with it, and Betsy laughed and threw it away. The thing
frightened Hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt before, and
he kept a good distance away from it.

Tik-Tok of Oz

Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured with the
hook and drew up, but none of these was important.

"This well seems to have been the dump for all the old
rubbish in the country," he said, letting down the hook once
more. "I guess I ve captured everything now. No the
hook has caught again. Help me, Betsy! Whatever this
thing is, it s heavy."

She ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after
much effort a confused mass of copper came in sight.

"Good gracious !" exclaimed Shaggy. "Here is a surprise,
indeed!"

"What is it?" inquired Betsy, clinging to the windlass
and panting for breath.

For answer the Shaggy Man grasped the bundle of copper
and dumped it upon the ground, free of the well. Then he
turned it over with his foot, spread it out, and to Betsy s
astonishment the thing proved to be a copper man.

"Just as I thought," said Shaggy, looking hard at the
object. "But unless there are two copper men in the world
this is the most astonishing thing I ever came across."

At this moment the Rainbow s Daughter and the Rose
Princess approached them, and Polychrome said:

"What have you found, Shaggy One?"

"Either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied.

"Oh, here s a sign on his back!" cried Betsy, who had

Chapter Seven

knelt down to examine the man. "Dear me; how funny!
Listen to this."

Then she read the following words, engraved upon the
copper plates of the man s body:

SMITH & TINKER S

Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive,

Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking
MECHANICAL MAN

Fitted with our Special Clockwork Attachment.
Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything but Live.

"Isn t he wonderful!" exclaimed the Princess.
"Yes; but here s more," said Betsy, reading from another
engraved plate :

DIRECTIONS FOR USING:

For THINKING: Wind the Clockwork Man under

his left arm, (marked No. i).
For SPEAKING: Wind the Clockwork Man under

his right arm, (marked No. 2) .
For WALKING and ACTION: Wind Clockwork Man

in the middle of his back, (marked No. 3) .
N. B. This Mechanism is guaranteed to work per
fectly for a thousand years.

Tik-Tok of Oz

"If he s guaranteed for a thousand years/ said Poly
chrome, "he ought to work yet."

"Of course/ replied Shaggy. "Let s wind him up."

In order to do this they were obliged to set the copper man
upon his feet, in an upright position, and this was no easy
task. He was inclined to topple over, and had to be propped
again and again. The girls assisted Shaggy, and at last Tik-
Tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone upon his broad
feet.

"Yes," said Shaggy, looking at the copper man carefully,
"this must be, indeed, my old friend Tik-Tok, whom I left
ticking merrily in the Land of Oz. But how he came to this
lonely place, and got into that old well, is surely a mystery."

"If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us," suggested
Betsy. "Here s the key, hanging to a hook on his back.
What part of him shall I wind up first?"

"His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome, "for it re
quires thought to speak or move intelligently."

So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little
flashes of light began to show in the top of his head, which
was proof that he had begun to think.

"Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his phonograph."

"What s that?" she asked.

"Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may be inter
esting, but they don t tell us anything."

Chapter Seven

So Betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and
then from the interior of his copper body came in jerky tones
the words: "Ma-ny thanks!"

"Hurrah!" cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped Tik-
Tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that the copper
man lost his balance and tumbled to the ground in a heap.
But the clockwork that enabled him to speak had been wound
up and he kept saying: "Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up! Pick-
me-up!" until they had again raised him and balanced him
upon his feet, when he added politely: "Ma-ny thanks!"

"He won t be self-supporting until we wind up his
action," remarked Shaggy; so Betsy wound it, as tight as she
could for the key turned rather hard and then Tik-Tok
lifted his feet, marched around in a circle and ended by stop
ping before the group and making them all a low bow.

"How in the world did you happen to be in that well,
when I left you safe in Oz?" inquired Shaggy.

"It is a long sto-ry," replied Tik-Tok, "but I ll tell it in
a few words. Af-ter you had gone in search of your broth-er,
Oz-ma saw you wan-der-ing in strange lands when-ev-er she
looked in her mag-ic pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er
in the Nome King s cav-ern; so she sent me to tell you where
to find your broth-er and told me to help you if I could. The
Sor-cer-ess, Glin-da the Good, trans-port-ed me to this place
in the wink of an eye; but here I met the Nome King him-

Tik-Tok of Oz

self old Rug-ge-do, who is called in these parts the Met-al
Mon-arch. Rug-ge-do knew what I had come for, and he was
so an-gry that he threw me down the well. Af-ter my works
ran down I was help-less un-til you came a-long and pulled
me out a-gain. Ma-ny thanks/

"This is, indeed, good news," said Shaggy. "I suspected
that my brother was the prisoner of Ruggedo; but now I know
it. Tell us, Tik-Tok, how shall we get to the Nome King s
underground cavern*?"

"The best way is to walk," said Tik-Tok. "We might
crawl, or jump, or roll o-ver and o-ver un-til we get there; but
the best way is to walk."

"I know; but which road shall we take?"

"My ma-chin-er-y is-n t made to tell that," replied
Tik-Tok.

"There is more than one entrance to the underground
cavern," said Polychrome ; "but old Ruggedo has cleverly con
cealed every opening, so that earth dwellers can not intrude
in his domain. If we find our way underground at all, it will
be by chance."

"Then," said Betsy, "let us select any road, haphazard,
and see where it leads us."

"That seems sensible," declared the Princess. "It may
require a lot of time for us to find Ruggedo, but we have more
time than anything else."

Chapter Seven

"If you keep me wound up/ said Tik-Tok, "I will last
a thou-sand years."

"Then the only question to decide is which way to go/
added Shaggy, looking first at one road and then at another.

But while they stood hesitating, a peculiar sound reached
their ears a sound like the tramping of many feet.

"What s coming?" cried Betsy; and then she ran to the
left-hand road and glanced along the path. "Why, it s an
army!" she exclaimed. "What shall we do, hide or run?"

"Stand still," commanded Shaggy. "I m not afraid of an
army. If they prove to be friendly, they can help us ; if they
are enemies, I ll show them the Love Magnet."

CHAPTER 8

Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task

WHILE Shaggy and his companions stood huddled in a
group at one side, the Army of Oogaboo was approaching
along the pathway, the tramp of their feet being now and
then accompanied by a dismal groan as one of the officers
stepped on a sharp stone or knocked his funnybone against
his neighbor s sword-handle.

Then out from among the trees marched Private Files,
bearing the banner of Oogaboo, which fluttered from a long
pole. This pole he stuck in the ground just in front of the
well and then he cried in a loud voice :

"I hereby conquer this territory in the name of Queen Ann
Soforth of Oogaboo, and all the inhabitants of the land I
proclaim her slaves!"

Chapter Eight

Some of the officers now stuck their heads out of the bushes
and asked:

"Is the coast clear, Private Files?"

"There is no coast here/ was the reply, "but all s well."

"I hope there s water in it," said General Cone, mustering
courage to advance to the well; but just then he caught a
glimpse of Tik-Tok and Shaggy and at once fell upon his
knees, trembling and frightened, and cried out :

"Mercy, kind enemies! Mercy! Spare us, and we will
be your slaves forever!"

The other officers, who had now advanced into the clear
ing, likewise fell upon their knees and begged for mercy.

Files turned around and, seeing the strangers for the first
time, examined them with much curiosity. Then, discover
ing that three of the party were girls, he lifted his cap and
made a polite bow.

"What s all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as Queen
Ann reached the place and beheld her kneeling army.

"Permit us to introduce ourselves," replied Shaggy, step
ping forward. "This is Tik-Tok, the Clockwork Man who
works better than some meat people. And here is Princess
Ozga of Roseland, just now unfortunately exiled from her
Kingdom of Roses. I next present Polychrome, a sky fairy,
who lost her Bow by an accident and can t find her way home.
The small girl here is Betsy Bobbin, from some unknown

Tik-Tok of Oz

earthly paradise called Oklahoma, and with her you see Mr.
Hank, a mule with a long tail and a short temper."

"Puh!" said Ann, scornfully; "a pretty lot of vagabonds
you are, indeed ; all lost or strayed, I suppose, and not worth
a Queen s plundering. I m sorry I ve conquered you."

"But you haven t conquered us yet," called Betsy indig
nantly.

"No," agreed Files, "that is a fact. But if my officers will
kindly command me to conquer you, I will do so at once, after
which we can stop arguing and converse more at our ease."

The officers had by this time risen from their knees and
brushed the dust from their trousers. To them the enemy did
not look very fierce, so the Generals and Colonels and Majors
and Captains gained courage to face them and began strut
ting in their most haughty manner.

"You must understand," said Ann, "that I am the Queen
of Oogaboo, and this is my invincible Army. We are busy
conquering the world, and since you seem to be a part of the
world, and are obstructing our journey, it is necessary for us
to conquer you unworthy though you may be of such high
honoY."

"That s all right," replied Shaggy. "Conquer us as often
as you like. We don t mind."

"But we won t be anybody s slaves," added Betsy,
positively.

Tik-Tok of Oz

"We ll see about that," retorted the Queen, angrily.
"Advance, Private Files, and bind the enemy hand and
foot!"

But Private Files looked at pretty Betsy and fascinating
Polychrome and the beautiful Rose Princess and shook his
head.

"It would be impolite, and I won t do it," he asserted.

"You must !" cried Ann. "It is your duty to obey orders."

"I haven t received any orders from my officers," objected
the Private.

But the Generals now shouted : "Forward, and bind the
prisoners!" and the Colonels and Majors and Captains
repeated the command, yelling it as loud as they could.

All this noise annoyed Hank, who had been eyeing the
Army of Oogaboo with strong disfavor. The mule now
dashed forward and began backing upon the officers and
kicking fierce and dangerous heels at them. The attack was
so sudden that the officers scattered like dust in a whirlwind,
dropping their swords as they ran and trying to seek refuge
behind the trees and bushes.

Betsy laughed joyously at the comical rout of the "noble
army," and Polychrome danced with glee. But Ann was
furious at this ignoble defeat of her gallant forces by one
small mule.

"Private Files, I command you to do your duty!" she

Chapter Eight

cried again, and then she herself ducked to escape the mule s
heels for Hank made no distinction in favor of a lady who
was an open enemy. Betsy grabbed her champion by the
forelock, however, and so held him fast, and when the officers
saw that the mule was restrained from further attacks they
crept fearfully back and picked up their discarded swords.

"Private Files, seize and bind these prisoners!" screamed
the Queen.

"No," said Files, throwing down his gun and removing
the knapsack which was strapped to his back, "I resign my
position as the Army of Oogaboo. I enlisted to fight the
enemy and become a hero, but if you want some one to bind
harmless girls you will have to hire another Private."

Then he walked over to the others and shook hands with
Shaggy and Tik-Tok.

"Treason!" shrieked Ann, and all the officers echoed
her cry.

"Nonsense," said Files. "I ve the right to resign if I

want to."

"Indeed you haven t!" retorted the Queen. "If you
resign it will break up my Army, and then I cannot conquer
the world." She now turned to the officers and said : "I must
ask you to do me a favor. I know it is undignified in officers
to fight, but unless you immediately capture Private Files
and force him to obey my orders there will be no plunder for

Tik-Tok of Oz

any of us. Also it is likely you will all suffer the pangs of
hunger, and when we meet a powerful foe you are liable to be
captured and made slaves."

The prospect of this awful fate so frightened the officers
that they drew their swords and rushed upon Files, who stood
beside Shaggy, in a truly ferocious manner. The next
instant, however, they halted and again fell upon their knees;
for there, before them, was the glistening Love Magnet, held
in the hand of the smiling Shaggy Man, and the sight of this
magic talisman at once won the heart of every Oogabooite.
Even Ann saw the Love Magnet, and forgetting all enmity
and anger threw herself upon Shaggy and embraced him
lovingly.

Quite disconcerted by this unexpected effect of the Mag
net, Shaggy disengaged himself from the Queen s encircling
arms and quickly hid the talisman in his pocket. The adven
turers from Oogaboo were now his firm friends, and there was
no more talk about conquering and binding any of his party.

"If you insist on conquering anyone," said Shaggy, "you
may march with me to the underground Kingdom of Ruggedo.
To conquer the world, as you have set out to do, you must
conquer everyone under its surface as well as those upon its
surface, and no one in all the world needs conquering so much
as Ruggedo."

"Who is he?" asked Ann.

Tik-Tok of Oz

The Metal Monarch, King of the Nomes."

"Is he rich?" inquired Major Stockings in an anxious
voice.

"Of course," answered Shaggy. "He owns all the metal
that lies underground gold, silver, copper, brass and tin.
He has an idea he also owns all the metals above ground, for
he says all metal was once a part of his kingdom. So, by con
quering the Metal Monarch, you will win all the riches in
the world."

"Ah!" exclaimed General Apple, heaving a deep sigh,
"that would be plunder worth our while. Let s conquer him,
Your Majesty."

The Queen looked reproachfully at Files, who was sitting
next to the lovely Princess and whispering in her ear.

"Alas," said Ann, "I have no longer an Army. I have
plenty of brave officers, indeed, but no private soldier for
them to command. Therefore I cannot conquer Ruggedo and
win all his wealth."

"Why don t you make one of your officers the Private?"
asked Shaggy; but at once every officer began to protest and
the Queen of Oogaboo shook her head as she replied :

"That is impossible. A private soldier must be a terrible
fighter, and my officers are unable to fight. They are excep
tionally brave in commanding others to fight, but could not
themselves meet the enemy and conquer."

Chapter Eight

"Very true, Your Majesty," said Colonel Plum, eagerly.
"There are many kinds of bravery and one cannot be expected
to possess them all. I myself am brave as a lion in all ways
until it comes to fighting, but then my nature revolts. Fight
ing is unkind and liable to be injurious to others; so, being a
gentleman, I never fight."

"Nor I!" shouted each of the other officers.

"You see," said Ann, "how helpless I am. Had not
Private Files proved himself a traitor and a deserter, I would
gladly have conquered this Ruggedo; but an Army without
a private soldier is like a bee without a stinger."

"I am, not a traitor, Your Majesty," protested Files. "I
resigned in a proper manner, not liking the job. But there
are plenty of people to take my place. Why not make Shaggy
Man the private soldier?"

"He might be killed," said Ann, looking tenderly at
Shaggy, "for he is mortal, and able to die. If anything hap
pened to him, it would break my heart."

"It would hurt me worse than that," declared Shaggy.
"You must admit, Your Majesty, that I am commander of this
expedition, for it is my brother we are seeking, rather than
plunder. But I and my companions would like the assistance
of your Army, and if you help us to conquer Ruggedo and to
rescue my brother from captivity we will allow you to keep
all the gold and jewels and other plunder you may find."

Tik-Tok of Oz

This prospect was so tempting that the officers began
whispering together and presently Colonel Cheese said:
"Your Majesty, by combining our brains we have just
evolved a most brilliant idea. We will make the Clockwork
Man the private soldier!"

"Who? Me?" asked Tik-Tok. "Not for a sin-gle sec-ond!
I can-not fight, and you must not f or-get that it was Rug-ge-do
who threw me in the well."

"At that time you had no gun," said Polychrome. "But if
you join the Army of Oogaboo you will carry the gun that
Mr. Files used."

"A sol-dier must be a-ble to run as well as to fight," pro
tested Tik-Tok, "and if my works run down, as they of-ten
do, I could nei-ther run nor fight."

"I ll keep you wound up, Tik-Tok," promised Betsy.

"Why, it isn t a bad idea," said Shaggy. "Tik-Tok will
make an ideal soldier, for nothing can injure him except a
sledge hammer. And, since a private soldier seems to be
necessary to this Army, Tik-Tok is the only one of our party
fitted to undertake the job/

"What must I do? asked Tik-Tok.

"Obey orders," replied Ann. "When the officers com
mand you to do anything, you must do it; that is all."

"And that s enough, too," said Files.

"Do I get a salary?" inquired Tik-Tok.

Chapter Eight

"You get your share of the plunder," answered the Queen.

"Yes," remarked Files, "one-half of the plunder goes to
Queen Ann, the other half is divided among the officers, and
the Private gets the rest."

"That will be sat-is-faotor-y," said Tik-Tok, picking up
the gun and examining it wonderingly, for he had never
before seen such a weapon.

Then Ann strapped the knapsack to Tik-Tok s copper
back and said: "Now we are ready to march to Ruggedo s
Kingdom and conquer it. Officers, give the command to
march."

"Fall in!" yelled the Generals, drawing their swords.

"Fall in!" cried the Colonels, drawing their swords.

"Fall in!" shouted the Majors, drawing their swords.

"Fall in!" bawled the Captains, drawing their swords.

Tik-Tok looked at them and then around him in surprise.

"Fall in what? The well?" he asked.

"No," said Queen Ann, "you must fall in marching order."

"Can-not I march with-out fall-ing in-to it?" asked the
Clockwork Man.

"Shoulder your gun and stand ready to march," advised
Files ; so Tik-Tok held the gun straight and stood still.

"What next?" he asked.

The Queen turned to Shaggy.

"Which road leads to the Metal Monarch s cavern?"

Tik~Tok of Oz

"We don t know, Your Majesty," was the reply.

"But this is absurd !" said Ann with a frown. "If we can t
get to Ruggedo, it is certain that we can t conquer him."

"You are right," admitted Shaggy; "but I did not say we
could not get to him. We have only to discover the way, and
that was the matter we were considering when you and your
magnificent Army arrived here."

"Well, then, get busy and discover it," snapped the
Queen.

That was no easy task. They all stood looking from one
road to another in perplexity. The paths radiated from the
little clearing like the rays of the midday sun, and each path
seemed like all the others.

Files and the Rose Princess, who had by this time become
good friends, advanced a little way along one of the roads
and found that it was bordered by pretty wild flowers.

"Why don t you ask the flowers to tell you the way?" he
said to his companion.

"The flowers?" returned the Princess, surprised at the
question.

"Of course," said Files. "The field-flowers must be
second-cousins to a Rose Princess, and I believe if you ask
them they will tell you."

She looked more closely at the flowers. There were
hundreds of white daisies, golden buttercups, bluebells and

Chapter Eight

daffodils growing by the roadside, and each flower-head was
firmly set upon its slender but stout stem. There were even
a few wild roses scattered here and there and perhaps it was
the sight of these that gave the Princess courage to ask the
important question.

She dropped to her knees, facing the flowers, and extended
both her arms pleadingly toward them.

"Tell me, pretty cousins," she said in her sweet, gentle
voice, "which way will lead us to the Kingdom of Ruggedo,
the Nome King?

At once all the stems bent gracefully to the right and the
flower heads nodded once twice thrice in that direction.

"That s it!" cried Files joyfully. "Now we know the
way."

Ozga rose to her feet and looked wonderingly at the field-
flowers, which had now resumed their upright position.

"Was it the wind, do you think?" she asked in a
low whisper.

"No, indeed," replied Files. "There is not a breath of
wind stirring. But these lovely blossoms are indeed your
cousins and answered your question at once, as I knew they
would."

CHAPTER 9

Ruggedo s Rage is Rash and Reckless

THE way taken by the adventurers led up hill and down
dale and wound here and there in a fashion that seemed aim
less. But always it drew nearer to a range of low mountains
and Files said more than once that he was certain the
entrance to Ruggedo s cavern would be found among these
rugged hills.

In this he was quite correct. Far underneath the nearest
mountain was a gorgeous chamber hollowed from the solid
rock, the walls and roof of which glittered with thousands of
magnificent jewels. Here, on a throne of virgin gold, sat the
famous Nome King, dressed in splendid robes and wearing
a superb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby.

Chapter Nine

Ruggedo, the Monarch of all the Metals and Precious
Stones of the Underground World, was a round little man
with a flowing white beard, a red face, bright eyes and a scowl
that covered all his forehead. One would think, to look at
him, that he ought to be jolly; one might think, considering
his enormous wealth, that he ought to be happy; but this was
not the case. The Metal Monarch was surly and cross because
mortals had dug so much treasure out of the earth and kept it
above ground, where all the power of Ruggedo and his nomes
was unable to recover it. He hated not only the mortals but
also the fairies who live upon the earth or above it, and
instead of being content with the riches he still possessed he
was unhappy because he did not own all the gold and jewels
in the world.

Ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in his chair when
suddenly he sat upright, uttered a roar of rage and began
pounding upon a huge gong that stood beside him.

The sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated to many
caverns beyond, where countless thousands of nomes were
working at their unending tasks, hammering out gold and
silver and other metals, or melting ores in great furnaces, or
polishing glittering gems. The nomes trembled at the sound
of the King s gong and whispered fearfully to one another
that something unpleasant was sure to happen; but none
dared pause in his task.

Tik-Tok of Oz

The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed aside
and Kaliko, the King s High Chamberlain, entered the royal
presence.

"What s up, Your Majesty?" he asked, with a wide yawn,
for he had just wakened.

"Up?" roared Ruggedo, stamping his foot viciously.
"Those foolish mortals are up, that s what ! And they want to
come down."

"Down here?" inquired Kaliko.

"Yes!"

"How do you know?" continued the Chamberlain, yawn
ing again.

"I feel it in my bones," said Ruggedo. "I can always feel
it when those hateful earth-crawlers draw near to my King
dom. I am positive, Kaliko, that mortals are this very minute
on their way here to annoy me and I hate mortals more than
I do catnip tea!"

"Well, what s to be done?" demanded the nome.

"Look through your spyglass, and see where the invaders
are," commanded the King.

So Kaliko went to a tube in the wall of rock and put his
eye to it. The tube ran from the cavern up to the side of the
mountain and turned several curves and corners, but as it was
a magic spyglass Kaliko was able to see through it just as
easily as if it had been straight.

Chapter Nine

"Ho hum," said he. "I see em, Your Majesty."

"What do they look like?" inquired the Monarch.

"That s a hard question to answer, for a queerer assort
ment of creatures I never yet beheld," replied the nome.
"However, such a collection of curiosities may prove danger
ous. There s a copper man, worked by machinery "

"Bah! that s only Tik-Tok," said Ruggedo. "I m not
afraid of him. Why, only the other day I met the fellow and
threw him down a well."

"Then some one must have pulled him out again," said
Kaliko. "And there s a little girl"

"Dorothy?" asked Ruggedo, jumping up in fear.

"No; some other girl. In fact, there are several girls, of
various sizes; but Dorothy is not with them, nor is Ozma."

"That s good!" exclaimed the King, sighing in relief.

Kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass.

"I see," said he, "an army of men from Oogaboo. They
are all officers and carry swords. And there is a Shaggy Man
who seems very harmless and a little donkey with big

ears. 3

"Pooh!" cried Ruggedo, snapping his fingers in scorn.
"I ve no fear of such a mob as that. A dozen of my nomes
can destroy them all in a jiffy."

"I m not so sure of that," said Kaliko. "The people of
Oogaboo are hard to destroy, and I believe the Rose Princess

Tik-Tok of Oz

is a fairy. As for Polychrome, you know very well that the
Rainbow s Daughter cannot be injured by a nome."

"Polychrome! Is she among them?" asked the King.

"Yes; I have just recognized her."

"Then these people are coming here on no peaceful
errand," declared Ruggedo, scowling fiercely. "In fact, no
one ever comes here on a peaceful errand. I hate everybody,
and everybody hates me!"

"Very true," said Kaliko.

"I must in some way prevent these people from reaching
my dominions. Where are they now?"

"Just now they are crossing the Rubber Country, Your
Majesty."

"Good! Are your magnetic rubber wires in working
order?"

"I think so," replied Kaliko. "Is it your Royal Will that
we have some fun with these invaders?"

"It is," answered Ruggedo. "I want to teach them a
lesson they will never forget."

Now, Shaggy had no idea that he was in a Rubber Coun
try, nor had any of his companions. They noticed that every
thing around them was of a dull gray color and that the path
upon which they walked was soft and springy, yet they had
no suspicion that the rocks and trees were rubber and even
the path they trod was made of rubber.

Chapter Nine

Presently they came to a brook where sparkling water
dashed through a deep channel and rushed away between
high rocks far down the mountain-side. Across the brook
were stepping-stones, so placed that travelers might easily
leap from one to another and in that manner cross the water
to the farther bank.

Tik-Tok was marching ahead, followed by his officers and
Queen Ann. After them came Betsy Bobbin and Hank,
Polychrome and Shaggy, and last of all the Rose Princess
with Files. The Clockwork Man saw the stream and the
stepping-stones and, without making a pause, placed his foot
upon the first stone.

The result was astonishing. First he sank down in the
soft rubber, which then rebounded and sent Tik-Tok soaring
high in the air, where he turned a succession of flip-flops and
alighted upon a rubber rock far in the rear of the party.

General Apple did not see Tik-Tok bound, so quickly
had he disappeared ; therefore he also stepped upon the stone
(which you will guess was connected with Kaliko s magnetic
rubber wire) and instantly shot upward like an arrow. Gen
eral Cone came next and met with a like fate, but the others
now noticed that something was wrong and with one accord
they halted the column and looked back along the path.

There was Tik-Tok, still bounding from one rubber rock to
another, each time rising a less distance from the ground.

Tik-Tok of Oz

And there was General Apple, bounding away in another
direction, his three-cornered hat jammed over his eyes and
his long sword thumping him upon the arms and head as it
swung this way and that. And there, also, appeared General
Cone, who had struck a rubber rock headforemost and was
so crumpled up that his round body looked more like a
bouncing-ball than the form of a man.

Betsy laughed merrily at the strange sight and Polychrome
echoed her laughter. But Ozga was grave and wondering,
while Queen Ann became angry at seeing the chief officers of
the Army of Oogaboo bounding around in so undignified a
manner. She shouted to them to stop, but they were unable
to obey, even though they would have been glad to do so.
Finally, however, they all ceased bounding and managed to
get upon their feet and rejoin the Army.

"Why did you do that?" demanded Ann, who seemed
greatly provoked.

"Don t ask them why," said Shaggy earnestly. "I knew
you would ask them why, but you ought not to do it. The
reason is plain. Those stones are rubber; therefore they are
not stones. Those rocks around us are rubber, and therefore
they are not rocks. Even this path is not a path; it s rubber.
Unless we are very careful, your Majesty, we are all likely
to get the bounce, just as your poor officers and Tik-Tok did."

"Then let s be careful," remarked Files, who was full of

Tik-Tok of Oz

wisdom; but Polychrome wanted to test the quality of the
rubber, so she began dancing. Every step sent her higher and
higher into the air, so that she resembled a big butterfly flutter
ing lightly. Presently she made a great bound and bounded
way across the stream, landing lightly and steadily on the
other side.

"There is no rubber over here," she called to them. "Sup
pose you all try to bound over the stream, without touching
the stepping-stones."

Ann and her officers were reluctant to undertake such a
risky adventure, but Betsy at once grasped the value of the
suggestion and began jumping up and down until she found
herself bounding almost as high as Polychrome had done.
Then she suddenly leaned forward and the next bound took
her easily across the brook, where she alighted by the side of
the Rainbow s Daughter.

"Come on, Hank!" called the girl, and the donkey tried
to obey. He managed to bound pretty high but when he tried
to bound across the stream he misjudged the distance and fell
with a splash into the middle of the water.

"Hee-haw!" he wailed, struggling toward the far bank.
Betsy rushed forward to help him out, but when the mule
stood safely beside her she was amazed to find he was not
wet at all.

"It s dry water," said Polychrome, dipping her hand into

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Chapter Nine

the stream and showing how the water fell from it ^nd left it
perfectly dry.

"In that case," returned Betsy, "they can all vAlk through
the water."

She called to Ozga and Shaggy to wade across, assuring
them the water was shallow and would not wet them. At
once they followed her advice, avoiding the rubber stepping-
stones, and made the crossing with ease. This encouraged the
entire party to wade through the dry water, and in a few min
utes all had assembled on the bank and renewed their journey
along the path that led to the Nome King s dominions.

When Kaliko again looked through his magic spyglass he
exclaimed :

"Bad luck, Your Majesty! All the invaders have passed
the Rubber Country and now are fast approaching the entrance
to your caverns."

Ruggedo raved and stormed at the news and his anger was

so great that several times, as he strode up and down his

jeweled cavern, he paused to kick Kaliko upon his shins,
which were so sensitive that the poor nome howled with pain.
Finally the King said :

"There s no help for it; we must drop these audacious
invaders down the Hollow Tube."

Kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at his master
wonderingly.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"If you do .that, Your Majesty," he said, "you will make
Tititi-Hoochoo very angry."

"Neve* fliincf that, retorted Ruggedo. "Tititi-Hoochoo
lives on the other side of the world, so what do I care for his
anger?

Kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan.

"Remember his terrible powers," he pleaded, "and remem
ber that he warned you, the last time you slid people through
the Hollow Tube, that if you did it again he would take
vengeance upon you."

The Metal Monarch walked up and down in silence,
thinking deeply.

"Of two dangers," said he, "it is wise to choose the least.
What do you suppose these invaders want?"

"Let the Long-Eared Hearer listen to them," suggested
Kaliko.

"Call him here at once!" commanded Ruggedo eagerly.

So in a few minutes there entered the cavern a nome with
enormous ears, who bowed low before the King.

"Strangers are approaching," said Ruggedo, "and I wish
to know their errand. Listen carefully to their talk and tell
me why they are coming here, and what for."

The nome bowed again and spread out his great ears, sway
ing them gently up and down and back and forth. For half
an hour he stood silent, in an attitude of listening, while both

102

Tik-Tok of Oz

the King and Kaliko grew impatient at the delay. At last the
Long-Eared Hearer spoke :

"Shaggy Man is coming here to rescue his brother from
captivity," said he.

"Ha, the Ugly One!" exclaimed Ruggedo. "Well,
Shaggy Man may have his ugly brother, for all I care. He s
too lazy to work and is always getting in my way. Where is
the Ugly One now, Kaliko?"

"The last time Your Majesty stumbled over the prisoner
you commanded me to send him to the Metal Forest, which
I did. I suppose he is still there."

"Very good. The invaders will have a hard time finding
the Metal Forest," said the King, with a grin of malicious
delight, "for half the time I can t find it myself. Yet I created
the forest and made every tree, out of gold and silver, so as
to keep the precious metals in a safe place and out of the reach
of mortals. But tell me, Hearer, do the strangers want any
thing else?

"Yes, indeed they do!" returned the nome. "The Army
of Oogaboo is determined to capture all the rich metals and
rare jewels in your kingdom, and the officers and their Queen
have arranged to divide the spoils and carry them away."

When he heard this Ruggedo uttered a bellow of rage and
began dancing up and down, rolling his eyes, clicking his
teeth together and swinging his arms furiously. Then, in an

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Chapter Nine

ecstasy of anger he seized the long ears of the Hearer and
pulled and twisted them cruelly; but Kaliko grabbed up the
King s sceptre and rapped him over the knuckles with it, so
that Ruggedo let go the ears and began to chase his Royal
Chamberlain around the throne.

The Hearer took advantage of this opportunity to slip
away from the cavern and escape, and after the King had tired
himself out chasing Kaliko he threw himself into his throne
and panted for breath, while he glared wickedly at his defiant
subject.

"You d better save your strength to fight the enemy,"
suggested Kaliko. "There will be a terrible battle when the
Army of Oogaboo gets here."

"The Army won t get here," said the King, still coughing
and panting. "I ll drop em down the Hollow Tube every
man Jack and every girl Jill of em!"

"And defy Tititi-Hoochoo?" asked Kaliko.

"Yes. Go at once to my Chief Magician and order him to
turn the path toward the Hollow Tube, and to make the top
of the Tube invisible, so they ll all fall into it."

Kaliko went away shaking his head, for he thought Rug
gedo was making a great mistake. He found the Magician
and had the path twisted so that it led directly to the opening
of the Hollow Tube, and this opening he made invisible.

Having obeyed the orders of his master, the Royal Cham-

105

Tik-Tok of Oz

berlain went to his private room and began to write letters of
recommendation of himself, stating that he was an honest
man, a good servant and a small eater.

"Pretty soon," he said to himself, "I shall have to look for
another job, for it is certain that Ruggedo has ruined himself
by this reckless defiance of the mighty Tititi-Hoochoo. And
in seeking a job nothing is so effective as a letter of recom
mendation."

106

CHAPTER 10

A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube

I SUPPOSE that Polychrome, and perhaps Queen Ann and
her Army, might have been able to dispel the enchantment of
Ruggedo s Chief Magician had they known that danger lay
in their pathway; for the Rainbow s Daughter was a fairy
and as Oogaboo is a part of the Land of Oz its inhabitants
cannot easily be deceived by such common magic as the Nome
King could command. But no one suspected any especial
danger until after they had entered Ruggedo s cavern, and so
they were journeying along in quite a contented manner when
Tik-Tok, who marched ahead, suddenly disappeared.

The officers thought he must have turned a corner, so they
kept on their way and all of them likewise disappeared one

107

Tik-Tok of Oz

after another. Queen Ann was rather surprised at this, and
in hastening forward to learn the reason she also vanished
from sight.

Betsy Bobbin had tired her feet by walking, so she was
now riding upon the back of the stout little mule, facing back
ward and talking to Shaggy and Polychrome, who were just
behind. Suddenly Hank pitched forward and began falling
and Betsy would have tumbled over his head had she not
grabbed the mule s shaggy neck with both arms and held on
for dear life.

All around was darkness, and they were not falling directly
downward but seemed to be sliding along a steep incline.
Hank s hoofs were resting upon some smooth substance over
which he slid with the swiftness of the wind. Once Betsy s
heels flew up and struck a similar substance overhead. They
were, indeed, descending the "Hollow Tube" that led to the
other side of the world.

"Stop, Hank stop !" cried the girl ; but Hank only uttered
a plaintive "Hee-haw!" for it was impossible for him to obey.

After several minutes had passed and no harm had befallen
them, Betsy gained courage. She could see nothing at all,
nor could she hear anything except the rush of air past her
ears as they plunged downward along the Tube. Whether
she and Hank were alone, or the others were with them, she
could not tell. But had some one been able to take a flash-

108

Chapter Ten

light photograph of the Tube at that time a most curious
picture would have resulted. There was Tik-Tok, flat upon
his back and sliding headforemost down the incline. And
there were the Officers of the Army of Oogaboo, all tangled
up in a confused crowd, flapping their arms and trying to
shield their faces from the clanking swords, which swung back
and forth during the swift journey and pommeled everyone
within their reach. Now followed Queen Ann, who had struck
the Tube in a sitting position and went flying along with a
dash and abandon that thoroughly bewildered the poor lady,
who had no idea what had happened to her. Then, a little
distance away, but unseen by the others in the inky darkness,
slid Betsy and Hank, while behind them were Shaggy and
Polychrome and finally Files and the Princess.

When first they tumbled into the Tube all were too dazed
to think clearly, but the trip was a long one, because the cavity
led straight through the earth to a place just opposite the Nome
King s dominions, and long before the adventurers got to the
end they had begun to recover their wits.

"This is awful, Hank!" cried Betsy in a loud voice, and
Queen Ann heard her and called out : "Are you safe, Betsy?"

"Mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "How could any
one be safe when she s going about sixty miles a minute*?"
Then, after a pause, she added : "But where do you s pose
we re going to, Your Maj sty?"

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Don t ask her that, please don t!" said Shaggy, who was
not too far away to overhear them. "And please don t ask me
why, either."

"Why?" said Betsy.

"No one can tell where we are going until we get there,"
replied Shaggy, and then he yelled "Ouch!" for Polychrome
had overtaken him and was now sitting on his head.

The Rainbow s Daughter laughed merrily, and so infec
tious was this joyous laugh that Betsy echoed it and Hank
said "Hee-haw !" in a mild and sympathetic tone of voice.

"I d like to know where and when we ll arrive, just the
same," exclaimed the little girl.

"Be patient and you ll find out, my dear," said Polychrome.
"But isn t this an odd experience? Here am I, whose home is
in the skies, making a journey through the center of the earth
where I never expected to be !"

"How do you know we re in the center of the earth?" asked
Betsy, her voice trembling a little through nervousness.

"Why, we can t be anywhere else," replied Polychrome.
"I have often heard of this passage, which was once built by
a Magician who was a great traveler. He thought it would
save him the bother of going around the earth s surface, but
he tumbled through the Tube so fast that he shot out at the
other end and hit a star in the sky, which at once exploded."

"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.

11O

Chapter Ten

"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."

"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the girl.

"No one knows that," answered Polychrome. "But I don t
think it matters much."

"It matters a good deal, if we also hit the stars when we
come out," said Queen Ann, with a moan.

"Don t worry," advised Polychrome. "I believe the
Magician was going the other way, and probably he went much
faster than we are going."

"It s fast enough to suit me," remarked Shaggy, gently
removing Polychrome s heel from his left eye. "Couldn t
you manage to fall all by yourself, my dear?"

"I ll try," laughed the Rainbow s Daughter.

All this time they were swiftly falling through the Tube,
and it was not so easy for them to talk as you may imagine
when you read their words. But although they were so help
less and altogether in the dark as to their fate, the fact that
they were able to converse at all cheered them considerably.

Files and Ozga were also conversing as they clung tightly
to one another, and the young fellow bravely strove to reas
sure the Princess, although he was terribly frightened, both on
her account and on his own.

An hour, under such trying circumstances, is a very long
time, and for more than an hour they continued their fearful
journey. Then, just as they began to fear the Tube would

ill

Tik-Tok of Oz

never end, Tik-Tok popped out into broad daylight and, after
making a graceful circle in the air, fell with a splash into a
great marble fountain.

Out came the officers, in quick succession, tumbling heels
over head and striking the ground in many undignified
attitudes.

"For the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a Peculiar Person
who was hoeing pink violets in a garden. "What can all this
mean?"

For answer, Queen Ann sailed up from the Tube, took a
ride through the air as high as the treetops, and alighted
squarely on top of the Peculiar Person s head, smashing a
jeweled crown over his eyes and tumbling him to the ground.

The mule was heavier and had Betsy clinging to his back,
so he did not go so high up. Fortunately for his little rider he
struck the ground upon his four feet. Betsy was jarred a trifle
but not hurt and when she looked around her she saw the
Queen and the Peculiar Person struggling together upon the
ground, where the man was trying to choke Ann and she had
both hands in his bushy hair and was pulling with all her
might. Some of the officers, when they got upon their feet,
hastened to separate the combatants and sought to restrain
the Peculiar Person so that he could not attack their Queen
again.

By this time, Shaggy, Polychrome, Ozga and Files had all

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Tik-Tok of Oz

arrived and were curiously examining the strange country
in which they found themselves and which they knew to be
exactly on the opposite side of the world from the place where
they had fallen into the Tube. It was a lovely place, indeed,
and seemed to be the garden of some great Prince, for through
the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be seen the towers of
an immense castle. But as yet the only inhabitant to greet
them was the Peculiar Person just mentioned, who had shaken
off the grasp of the officers without effort and was now trying
to pull the battered crown from off his eyes.

Shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to do this and
when the man was free and could see again he looked at his
visitors with evident amazement.

"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "Where did you come
from and how did you get here?"

Betsy tried to answer him, for Queen Ann was surly and
silent.

"I can t say, exac ly where we came from, cause I don t
know the name of the place," said the girl, "but the way we
got here was through the Hollow Tube."

"Don t call it a hollow Tube, please," exclaimed the
Peculiar Person in an irritated tone of voice. "If it s a tube,
it s sure to be hollow."

"Why?" asked Betsy.

"Because all tubes are made that way. But this Tube is

Chapter Ten

private property and everyone is forbidden to fall into it."

"We didn t do it on purpose," explained Betsy, and Poly
chrome added :

"I am quite sure that Ruggedo. the Nome King, pushed
us down that Tube."

"Ha ! Ruggedo ! Did you say Ruggedo ?" cried the man,
becoming much excited.

"That is what she said," replied Shaggy, "and I believe she
is right. We were on our way to conquer the Nome King when
suddenly we fell into the Tube."

"Then you are enemies of Ruggedo?" inquired the Pecu
liar Person.

"Not exac ly enemies," said Betsy, a little puzzled by the
question, " cause we don t know him at all; but we started
out to conquer him, which isn t as friendly as it might be."

"True," agreed the man. He looked thoughtfully from
one to another of them for a while and then he turned his head
over his shoulder and said : "Never mind the fire and pincers,
my good brothers. It will be best to take these strangers to
the Private Citizen."

"Very well, Tubekins," responded a Voice, deep and pow
erful, that seemed to come out of the air, for the speaker was
invisible.

All our friends gave a jump, at this. Even Polychrome
was so startled that her gauze draperies fluttered like a ban-

Tik-Tok of Oz

ner in a breeze. Shaggy shook his head and sighed; Queen
Ann looked very unhappy; the officers clung to each other,
trembling violently.

But soon they gained courage to look more closely at the
Peculiar Person. As he was a type of all the inhabitants of
this extraordinary land whom they afterward met, I will try
to tell you what he looked like.

His face was beautiful, but lacked expression. His eyes
were large and blue in color and his teeth finely formed and
white as snow. His hair was black and bushy and seemed
inclined to curl at the ends. So far no one could find any fault
with his appearance. He wore a robe of scarlet, which did not
cover his arms and extended no lower than his bare knees. On
the bosom of the robe was embroidered a terrible dragon s
head, as horrible to look at as the man was beautiful. His
arms and legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was bright
yellow and the skin of the other arm a vivid green. He had
one blue leg and one pink one, while both his feet which
showed through the open sandals he wore were jet black.

Betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous colors were
dyes or the natural tints of the skin, but while she was thinking
it over the man who had been called "Tubekins" said :

"Follow me to the Residence all of you! 53

But just then a Voice exclaimed: "Here s another of
them, Tubekins, lying in the water of the fountain."

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok, and he ll
drown."

"Water is a bad thing for his clockworks, anyhow/ agreed
Shaggy, as with one accord they all started for the fountain.
But before they could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-
Tok from the marble basin and set him upon his feet beside
it, water dripping from every joint of his copper body.

"Ma ny tha tha tha thanks!" he said; and then his
copper jaws clicked together and he could say no more. He
next made an attempt to walk but after several awkward
trials found he could not move his joints.

Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen greeted
Tik-Tok s failure, and the new arrivals in this strange land
found it very uncomfortable to realize that there were many
creatures around them who were invisible, yet could be heard
plainly. .

"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very sorry
for Tik-Tok.

"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs oiling,"
replied Shaggy.

At once an oil-can appeared before him, held on a level
with his eyes by some unseen hand. Shaggy took the can and
tried to oil Tik-Tok s joints. As if to assist him, a strong cur
rent of warm air was directed against the copper man, which
quickly dried him. Soon he was able to say "Ma-ny thanks !"

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quite smoothly and his joints worked fairly well.

"Come !" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back upon
them he walked up the path toward the castle.

"Shall we go?" asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but just
then she received a shove that almost pitched her forward on
her head; so she decided to go. The officers who hesitated
received several energetic kicks, but could not see who deliv
ered them; therefore they also decided very wisely to go.
The others followed willingly enough, for unless they ven
tured upon another terrible journey through the Tube they
must make the best of the unknown country they were in, and
the best seemed to be to obey orders.

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The Famous Fellowship of Fairies

AFTER a short walk through very beautiful, gardens they
came to the castle and followed Tubekins through the entrance
and into a great domed chamber, where he commanded them to
be seated.

From the crown which he wore, Betsy had thought this man
must be the King of the country they were in, yet after he had
seated all the strangers upon benches that were ranged in a
semicircle before a high throne, Tubekins bowed humbly
before the vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and
disappeared.

The hall was an immense place, but there seemed to be no
one in it beside themselves. Presently, however, they heard

12O

Chapter Eleven

a low cough near them, and here and there was the faint
rustling of a robe and a slight patter as of footsteps. Then
suddenly there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the
sound all was changed.

Gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw that it
was filled with hundreds of men and women, all with beauti
ful faces and staring blue eyes and all wearing scarlet robes
and jeweled crowns upon their heads. In fact, these people
seemed exact duplicates of Tubekins and it was difficult to
find any mark by which to tell them apart.

"My! what a lot of Kings and Queens!" whispered Betsy
to Polychrome, who sat beside her and appeared much inter
ested in the scene but not a bit worried.

"It is certainly a strange sight," was Polychrome s reply;
"but I cannot see how there can be more than one King, or
Queen, in any one country, for were these all rulers, no one
could tell who was Master."

One of the Kings who stood near and overheard this remark
turned to her and said: "One who is Master of himself is
always a King, if only to himself. In this favored land all
Kings and Queens are equal, and it is our privilege to bow
before one supreme Ruler the Private Citizen."

"Who s he?" inquired Betsy.

As if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell again rang
out and instantly there appeared seated in the throne the

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Tik-Tok of Oz

man who was lord and master of all these royal ones. This
fact was evident when with one accord they fell upon their
knees and touched their foreheads to the floor.

The Private Citizen was not unlike the others, except that
his eyes were black instead of blue and in the centers of the
black irises glowed red sparks that seemed like coals of fire.
But his features were very beautiful and dignified and his
manner composed and stately. Instead of the prevalent
scarlet robe, he wore one of white, and the same dragon s head
that decorated the others was embroidered upon its bosom.

"What charge lies against these people, Tubekins?" he
asked in quiet, even tones.

"They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty Citi
zen," was the reply.

"You see, it was this way," said Betsy. "We were march
ing to the Nome King, to conquer him and set Shaggy s brother
free, when on a sudden "

"Who are you?" demanded the Private Citizen sternly.

"Me? Oh, I m Betsy Bobbin, and"

"Who is the leader of this party?" asked the Citizen.

"Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and "

"Then keep quiet," said the Citizen. "Who is the leader?"

No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn
stood up.

"Sit down !" commanded the Citizen. "I can see that six-

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teen of you are merely officers, and of no account."

"But we have an Army," said General Clock, blusteringly,
for he didn t like to be told he was of no account.

"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.

"It s me," said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a little rusty.
"I m the on-ly Pri-vate Sol-dier in the par-ty."

Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed respectfully to
the Clockwork Man.

"Pardon me for not realizing your importance before,"
said he. "Will you oblige me by taking a seat beside me on
my throne?"

Tik-Tok rose and walked over to the throne, all the Kings
and Queens making way for him. Then with clanking steps
he mounted the platform and sat on the broad seat beside the
Citizen.

Ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor shown to
the humble Clockwork Man, but Shaggy seemed much pleased
that his old friend s importance had been recognized by the
ruler of this remarkable country. The Citizen now began to
question Tik-Tok, who told in his mechanical voice about
Shaggy s quest of his lost brother, and how Ozma of Oz had
sent the Clockwork Man to assist him, and how they had fallen
in with Queen Ann and her people from Oogaboo. Also he
told how Betsy and Hank and Polychrome and the Rose Prin
cess had happened to join their party.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"And you intended to conquer Ruggedo, the Metal
Monarch and King of the Nomes?" asked the Citizen.

Yes. That seemed the on-ly thing for us to do," was Tik-
Tok s reply. "But he was too clev-er for us. When we got
close to his cav-ern he made our path lead to the Tube, and
made the op-en-ing in-vis-i-ble, so that we all fell in-toit
be-fore we knew it was there. It was an eas-y way to get rid
of us and now Rug-ge-do is safe and we are far a-way in a
strange land."

The Citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be think
ing. Then he said :

"Most noble Private Soldier, I must inform you that by
the laws of our country anyone who comes through the For
bidden Tube must be tortured for nine days ,and ten nights
and then thrown back into the Tube. But it is wise to disre
gard laws when they conflict with justice, and it seems that
you and your followers did not disobey our laws willingly,
being forced into the Tube by Ruggedo. Therefore the Nome
King is alone to blame, and he alone must be punished."

"That suits me," said Tik-Tok. "But Rug-ge-do is on
the o-ther side of the world where he is a-way out of your
reach."

The Citizen drew himself up proudly.

"Do you imagine anything in the world or upon it can be
out of the reach of the Great Jinjin?" he asked.

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Chapter Eleven

"Oh! Are you, then, the Great Jinjin?" inquired Tik-
Tok.

"lam."

"Then your name is Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?

"It is."

Queen Ann gave a scream and began to tremble. Shaggy
was so disturbed that he took out a handkerchief and wiped
the perspiration from his brow. Polychrome looked sober and
uneasy for the first time, while Files put his arms around the
Rose Princess as if to protect her. As for the officers, the name
of the great Jin j in set them moaning and weeping at a great
rate and every one fell upon his knees before the throne, beg
ging for mercy. Betsy was worried at seeing her companions
so disturbed, but did not know what it was all about. Only
Tik-Tok was unmoved at the discovery.

"Then," said he, "if you are Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo, and think
Rug-ge-do is to blame, I am sure that some-thing queer will
hap-pen to the King of the Nomes."

"I wonder what twill be," said Betsy.

The Private Citizen otherwise known as Tititi-Hoochoo,
the Great Jin j in looked at the little girl steadily.

"I will presently decide what is to happen to Ruggedo,"
said he in a hard, stern voice. Then, turning to the throng of
Kings and Queens, he continued : "Tik-Tok has spoken truly,
for his machinery will not allow him to lie, nor will it allow

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Tik-Tok of Oz

his thoughts to think falsely. Therefore these people are not
our enemies and must be treated with consideration and jus
tice. Take them to your palaces and entertain them as guests
until to-morrow, when I command that they be brought again
to my Residence. By then I shall have formed my plans."

No sooner had Tititi-Hoochoo spoken than he disappeared
from sight. Immediately after, most of the Kings and Queens
likewise disappeared. But several of them remained visible
and approached the strangers with great respect. One of the
lovely Queens said to Betsy :

"I trust you will honor me by being my guest. I am Erma,
Queen of Light."

"May Hank come with me?" asked the girl.

"The King of Animals will care for your mule," was the
reply. "But do not fear for him, for he will be treated royally.
All of your party will be reunited on the morrow."

"I I d like to have some one with me," said Betsy,
pleadingly.

Queen Erma looked around and smiled upon Polychrome.

"Will the Rainbow s Daughter be an agreeable com
panion?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl.

So Polychrome and Betsy became guests of the Queen of
Light, while other beautiful Kings and Queens took charge of
the others of the party.

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i 7

Tik-Tok of Oz

The two girls followed Erma out of the hall and through
the gardens of the Residence to a village of pretty dwellings.
None of these was so large or imposing as the castle of the
Private Citizen, but all were handsome enough to be called
palaces as, in fact, they really were.

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CHAPTER 12

The Lovely Lady of Light

THE PALACE of the Queen of Light stood on a little emi
nence and was a mass of crystal windows, surmounted by a
vast crystal dome. When they entered the portals Erma was
greeted by six lovely maidens, evidently of high degree, who
at once aroused Betsy s admiration. Each bore a wand in her
hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and their costumes were
also emblematic of the lights they represented. Erma intro
duced them to her guests and each made a graceful and courte
ous acknowledgment.

First was Sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very fair ; the
second was Moonlight, a soft, dreamy damsel with nut-brown
hair; next came Starlight, equally lovely but inclined to be
retiring and shy. These three were dressed in shimmering

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Tik-Tok of Oz

robes of silvery white. The fourth was Daylight, a brilliant
damsel with laughing eyes and frank manners, who wore a
variety of colors. Then came Firelight, clothed in a fleecy
flame-colored robe that wavered around her shapely form
in a very attractive manner. The sixth maiden, Electra, was
the most beautiful of all, and Betsy thought from the first
that both Sunlight and Daylight regarded Electra with envy
and were a little jealous of her.

But all were cordial in their greetings to the strangers and
seemed to regard the Queen of Light with much affection, for
they fluttered around her in a flashing, radiant group as she
led the way to her regal drawing-room.

This apartment was richly and cosily furnished, the
upholstery being of many tints, and both Betsy and Poly
chrome enjoyed resting themselves upon the downy divans
after their strenuous adventures of the day.

The Queen sat down to chat with her guests, who noticed
that Daylight was the only maiden now seated beside Erma.
The others had retired to another part of the room, where they
sat modestly with entwined arms and did not intrude them
selves at all.

The Queen told the strangers all about this beautiful
land, which is one of the chief residences of fairies who minis
ter to the needs of mankind. So many important fairies lived

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Chapter Twelve

there that, to avoid rivalry, they had elected as their Ruler
the only important personage in the country who had no
duties to mankind to perform and was, in effect, a Private
Citizen. This Ruler, or Jin j in, as was his title, bore the name
of Tititi-Hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him
was that he had no heart. But instead of this he possessed
a high degree of Reason and Justice and while he showed no
mercy in his judgments he never punished unjustly or without
reason. To wrong-doers Tititi-Hoochoo was as terrible as he
was heartless, but those who were innocent of evil had nothing
to fear from him.

All the Kings and Queens of this fairyland paid reverence
to Jin j in, for as they expected to be obeyed by others they
were willing to obey the one in authority over them.

The inhabitants of the Land of Oz had heard many tales
of this fearfully just Jin j in, whose punishments were always
equal to the faults committed. Polychrome also knew of him,
although this was the first time she had ever seen him face to
face. But to Betsy the story was all new, and she was greatly
interested in Tititi-Hoochoo, whom she no longer feared.

Time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly Betsy
noticed that Moonlight was sitting beside the Queen of Light,
instead of Daylight.

"But tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you all wear
a dragon s head embroidered on your gowns?"

Tik-Tok of Oz

Erma s pleasant face became grave as she answered:

"The Dragon, as you must know, was the first living
creature ever made; therefore the Dragon is the oldest and
\ isest of living things. By good fortune the Original
Dragon, who still lives, is a resident of this land and supplies
us with wisdom whenever we are in need of it. He is old as
the world and remembers everything that has happened since
the world was created/

"Did he ever have any children?" inquired the girl.

"Yes, many of them. Some wandered into other lands,
where men, not understanding them, made war upon them;
but many still reside in this country. None, however, is as
wise as the Original Dragon, for whom we have great respect.
As he was the first resident here, we wear the emblem of the
dragon s head to show that we are the favored people who
alone have the right to inhabit this fairyland, which in beauty
almost equal the Fairyland of Oz, and in power quite sur
passes it."

"I understand about the dragon, now," said Polychrome,
nodding her lovely head. Betsy did not quite understand,
but she was at present interested in observing the changing
lights. As Daylight had given way to Moonlight, so now
Starlight sat at the right hand of Erma the Queen, and with
her coming a spirit of peace and content seemed to fill the
room. Polychrome, being herself a fairy, had many questions

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to ask about the various Kings and Queens who lived in this
far-away, secluded place, and before Erma had finished
answering them a rosy glow filled the room and Firelight
took her place beside the Queen.

Betsy liked Firelight, but to gaze upon her warm and
glowing features made the little girl sleepy, and presently she
began to nod. Thereupon Erma rose and took Betsy s hand
gently in her own.

"Come/ said she; "the feast time has arrived and the feast
is spread."

"That s nice," exclaimed the small mortal. "Now that I
think of it, I m awful hungry. But p raps I can t eat your
fairy food."

The Queen smiled and led her to a doorway. As she
pushed aside a heavy drapery a flood of silvery light greeted
them, and Betsy saw before her a splendid banquet hall, with
a table spread with snowy linen and crystal and silver. At
one side was a broad, throne-like seat for Erma and beside her
now sat the brilliant maid Electra. Polychrome was placed
on the Queen s right hand and Betsy upon her left. The other
five messengers of light now waited upon them, and each per
son was supplied with just the food she liked best. Poly
chrome found her dish of dewdrops, all fresh and sparkling,
while Betsy was so lavishly served that she decided she had
never in her life eaten a dinner half so good.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"I s pose," she said to the Queen, "that Miss Electra is
the youngest of all these girls."

"Why do you suppose that?" inquired Erma, with a smile.
Cause electric ty is the newest light we know of.

Didn t Mr. Edison discover it?"

"Perhaps he was the first mortal to discover it," replied the
Queen. "But electricity was a part of the world from its crea
tion, and therefore my Electra is as old as Daylight or Moon
light, and equally beneficent to mortals and fairies alike."

Betsy was thoughtful for a time. Then she remarked, as
she looked at the six messengers of light :

"We couldn t very well do without any of em; could we?"

Erma laughed softly. "/ couldn t, I m sure," she replied,
"and I think mortals would miss any one of my maidens, as
well. Daylight cannot take the place of Sunlight, which gives
us strength and energy. Moonlight is of value when Day
light, worn out with her long watch, retires to rest. If the
moon in its course is hidden behind the earth s rim, and my
sweet Moonlight cannot cheer us, Starlight takes her place, for
the skies always lend her power. Without Firelight we
should miss much of our warmth and comfort, as well as much
cheer when the walls of houses encompass us. But always,
when other lights forsake us, our glorious Electra is ready to
flood us with bright rays. As Queen of Light, I love all my
maidens, for I know them to be faithful and true."

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"I love em, too!" declared Betsy. "But sometimes, when
I m real sleepy, I can get along without any light at all."

"Are you sleepy now?" inquired Erma, for the feast had
ended.

"A little," admitted the girl.

So Electra showed her to a pretty chamber where there was
a soft, white bed, and waited patiently until Betsy had
undressed and put on a shimmery silken nightrobe that lay
beside her pillow. Then the light-maid bade her good night
and opened the door.

When she closed it after her Betsy was in darkness. In
six winks the little girl was fast asleep.

135

CHAPTER 13

The Jinjin s Ju Judgment

ALL the adventurers were reunited next morning when they
were brought from various palaces to the Residence of Tititi-
Hoochoo and ushered into the great Hall of State.

As before, no one was visible except our friends and their
escorts until the first bell sounded. Then in a flash the room
was seen to be filled with the beautiful Kings and Queens of
the land. The second bell marked the appearance in the
throne of the mighty Jin j in, whose handsome countenance
was as composed and expressionless as ever.

All bowed low to the Ruler. Their voices softly mur
mured: "We greet the Private Citizen, mightiest of Rulers,
whose word is Law and whose Law is just."

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Chapter Thirteen

Tititi-Hoochoo bowed in acknowledgment. Then, look
ing around the brilliant assemblage, and at the little group of
adventurers before him, he said :

"An unusual thing has happened. Inhabitants of other
lands than ours, who are different from ourselves in many
ways, have been thrust upon us through the Forbidden Tube,
which one of our people foolishly made years ago and was
properly punished for his folly. But these strangers had no
desire to come here and were wickedly thrust into the Tube
by a cruel King on the other side of the world, named Rug-
gedo. This King is an immortal, but he is not good. His
magic powers hurt mankind more than they benefit them.
Because he had unjustly kept the Shaggy Man s brother a pris
oner, this little band of honest people, consisting of both
mortals and immortals, determined to conquer Ruggedo and
to punish him. Fearing they might succeed in this, the Nome
King misled them so that they fell into the Tube.

"Now, this same Ruggedo has been warned by me, many
times, that if ever he used this Forbidden Tube in any way
he would be severely punished. I find, by referring to the
Fairy Records, that this King s servant, a nome named Kaliko,
begged his master not to do such a wrong act as to drop these
people into the Tube and send them tumbling into our coun
try. But Ruggedo defied me and my orders.

"Therefore these strangers are innocent of any wrong. It

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Tik-Tok of Oz

is only Ruggedo who deserves punishment, and I will punish
him." He paused a moment and then continued in the same
cold, merciless voice :

These strangers must return through the Tube to their
own side of the world; but I will make their fall more easy
and pleasant than it was before. Also I shall send with them
an Instrument of Vengeance, who in my name will drive Rug
gedo from his underground caverns, take away his magic
powers and make him a homeless wanderer on the face of the
earth a place he detests."

There was a little murmur of horror from the Kings and
Queens at the severity of this punishment, but no one uttered
a protest, for all realized that the sentence was just.

"In selecting my Instrument of Vengeance," went on
Tititi-Hoochoo, "I have realized that this will be an
unpleasant mission. Therefore no one of us who is blameless
should be forced to undertake it. In this wonderful land it
is seldom one is guilty of wrong, even in the slightest degree,
and on examining the Records I found no King or Queen
had erred. Nor had any among their followers or servants
done any wrong. But finally I came to the Dragon Family,
which we highly respect, and then it was that I discovered the
error of Quox.

"Quox, as you well know, is a young dragon who has not
yet acquired the wisdom of his race. Because of this lack, he

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Chapter Thirteen

has been disrespectful toward his most ancient ancestor, the
Original Dragon, telling him once to mind his own business
and again saying that the Ancient One had grown foolish with
age. We are aware that dragons are not the same as fairies
and cannot be altogether guided by our laws, yet such dis
respect as Quox has shown should not be unnoticed by us.
Therefore I have selected Quox as my royal Instrument of
Vengeance and he shall go through the Tube with these people
and inflict upon Ruggedo the punishment I have decreed."

All had listened quietly to this speech and now the Kings
and Queens bowed gravely to signify their approval of the
Jinjin s judgment.

Tititi-Hoochoo turned to Tubekins.

"I command you," said he, "to escort these strangers to the
Tube and see that they all enter it."

The King of the Tube, who had first discovered our friends
and brought them to the Private Citizen, stepped forward
and bowed. As he did so, the Jinjin and all the Kings and
Queens suddenly disappeared and only Tubekins remained
visible.

"All right," said Betsy, with a sigh; "I don t mind going
back so very much, cause the Jinjin promised to make it easy
for us."

Indeed, Queen Ann and her officers were the only ones
who looked solemn and seemed to fear the return journey.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

One thing that bothered Ann was her failure to conquer this
land of Tititi-Hoochoo. As they followed their guide through
the gardens to the mouth of the Tube she said to Shaggy :

"How can I conquer the world, if I go away and leave this
rich country unconquered?"

"You can t," he replied. "Don t ask me why, please, for
if you don t know I can t inform you."

"Why not?" said Ann; but Shaggy paid no attention to
the question.

This end of the Tube had a silver rim and around it was
a gold railing to which was attached a sign that read :

"IF YOU ARE OUT, STAY THERE.
IF YOU ARE IN, DON T COME OUT."

On a little silver plate just inside the Tube was engraved
the words:

" Burrowed and built by
Hiergargo the Magician^
In the Tear of the World

19625478
For his own exclusive uses

"He was some builder, I must say," remarked Betsy, when

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Chapter Thirteen

she had read the inscription; "but if he had known about that
star I guess he d have spent his time playing solitaire."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" inquired Shaggy, who
was impatient to start.

"Quox," replied Tubekins. "But I think I hear him
coming."

"Is the young dragon invisible?" asked Ann, who had
never seen a live dragon and was a little fearful of meeting
one.

"No, indeed," replied the King of the Tube. "You ll see
him in a minute; but before you part company I m sure you ll
wish he was invisible."

"Is he dangerous, then?" questioned Files.

"Not at all. But Quox tires me dreadfully," said Tube-
kins, "and I prefer his room to his company."

At that instant a scraping sound was heard, drawing
nearer and nearer until from between two big bushes
appeared a huge dragon, who approached the party, nodded
his head and said : "Good morning."

Had Quox been at all bashful I am sure he would have
felt uncomfortable at the astonished stare of every eye in the
group except Tubekins, of course, who was not astonished
because he had seen Quox so often.

Betsy had thought a "young" dragon must be a small
dragon, yet here was one so enormous that the girl decided he

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Tik-Tok of Oz

must be full grown, if not overgrown. His body was a lovely
sky-blue in color and it was thickly set with glittering silver
scales, each one as big as a serving-tray. Around his neck was
a pink ribbon with a bow just under his left ear, and below
the ribbon appeared a chain of pearls to which was attached
a golden locket about as large around as the end of a bass
drum. This locket was set with many large and beautiful
jewels.

The head and face of Quox were not especially ugly, when
you consider that he was a dragon ; but his eyes were so large
that it took him a long time to wink and his teeth seemed very
sharp and terrible when they showed, which they did when
ever the beast smiled. Also his nostrils were quite large and
wide, and those who stood near him were liable to smell brim
stone especially when he breathed out fire, as it is the nature
of dragons to do. To the end of his long tail was attached a
big electric light.

Perhaps the most singular thing about the dragon s
appearance at this time was the fact that he had a row of seats
attached to his back, one seat for each member of the party.
These seats were double, with curved backs, so that two could
sit in them, and there were twelve of these double seats, all
strapped firmly around the dragon s thick body and placed
one behind the other, in a row that extended from his shoul
ders nearly to his tail.

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"Aha!" exclaimed Tubekins; "I see that Tititi-Hoochoo
has transformed Quox into a carryall."

"I m glad of that/ 5 said Betsy. "I hope, Mr. Dragon, you
won t mind our riding on your back."

"Not a bit," replied Quox. "I m in disgrace just now, you
know, and the only way to redeem my good name is to obey
the orders of the Jinjin. If he makes me a beast of burden,
it is only a part of my punishment, and I must bear it like a
dragon. I don t blame you people at all, and I hope you ll
enjoy the ride. Hop on, please. All aboard for the other side
of the world!"

Silently they took their places. Hank sat in the front seat
with Betsy, so that he could rest his front hoofs upon the
dragon s head. Behind them were Shaggy and Polychrome,
then Files and the Princess, and Queen Ann and Tik-Tok.
The officers rode in the rear seats. When all had mounted to
their places the dragon looked very like one of those sight
seeing wagons so common in big cities only he had legs
instead of wheels.

"All ready?" asked Quox, and when they said they were
he crawled to the mouth of the Tube and put his head in.

"Good-bye, and good luck to you!" called Tubekins; but
no one thought to reply, because just then the dragon slid his
great body into the Tube and the journey to the other side of
the world had begun.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

At first they went so fast that they could scarcely catch
their breaths, but presently Quox slowed up and said with a
sort of cackling laugh :

"My scales! but that is some tumble. I think I shall take
it easy and fall slower, or I m likely to get dizzy. Is it very
far to the other side of the world?"

"Haven t you ever been through this Tube before?"
inquired Shaggy.

"Never. Nor has anyone else in our country; at least, not
since I was born."

"How long ago was that?" asked Betsy.

"That I was born? Oh, not very long ago. I m only a
mere child. If I had not been sent on this journey, I would
have celebrated my three thousand and fifty-sixth birthday
next Thursday. Mother was going to make me a birthday
cake with three thousand and fifty-six candles on it; but now,
of course, there will be no celebration, for I fear I shall not
get home in time for it."

"Three thousand and fifty-six years !" cried Betsy. "Why,
I had no idea anything could live that long!"

"My respected Ancestor, whom I would call a stupid old
humbug if I had not reformed, is so old that I am a mere baby
compared with him," said Quox. "He dates from the begin
ning of the world, and insists on telling us stories of things
that happened fifty thousand years ago, which are of no inter-

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est at all to youngsters like me. In fact, Grandpa isn t up to
date. He lives altogether in the past, so I can t see any good
reason for his being alive to-day. . . . Are you people able
to see your way, or shall I turn on more light?"

"Oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only there s
nothing to see but ourselves," answered Betsy.

This was true. The dragon s big eyes were like head
lights on an automobile and illuminated the Tube far ahead
of them. Also he curled his tail upward so that the electric
light on the end of it enabled them to see one another quite
clearly. But the Tube itself was only dark metal, smooth as
glass but exactly the same from one of its ends to the other.
Therefore there was no scenery of interest to beguile the
journey.

They were now falling so gently that the trip was proving
entirely comfortable, as the Jinjin had promised it would be;
but this meant a longer journey and the only way they could
make time pass was to engage in conversation. The
dragon seemed a willing and persistent talker and he was of
so much interest to them that they encouraged him to chatter.
His voice was a little gruff but not unpleasant when one
became used to it.

"My only fear," said he presently, "is that this constant
sliding over the surface of the Tube will dull my claws. You
see, this hole isn t straight down, but on a steep slant, and so

Tik~Tok of Oz

instead of tumbling freely through the air I must skate along
the Tube. Fortunately, there is a file in my tool-kit, and if
my claws get dull they can be sharpened again."

"Why do you want sharp claws?" asked Betsy.

"They are my natural weapons, and you must not forget
that I have been sent to conquer Ruggedo."

"Oh, you needn t mind about that," remarked Queen Ann,
in her most haughty manner; "for when we get to Ruggedo I
and my invincible Army can conquer him without your
assistance."

"Very good," returned the dragon, cheerfully. "That
will save me a lot of bother if you succeed. But I think I
shall file my claws, just the same."

He gave a long sigh, as he said this, and a sheet of flame,
several feet in length, shot from his mouth. Betsy shuddered
and Hank said "Hee-haw!" while some of the officers
screamed in terror. But the dragon did not notice that he
had done anything unusual.

"Is there fire inside of you?" asked Shaggy.

"Of course," answered Quox. "What sort of a dragon
would I be if my fire went out?"

"What keeps it going?" Betsy inquired.

"I ve no idea. I only know it s there," said Quox. "The
fire keeps me alive and enables me to move ; also to think and
speak."

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"Ah! You are ver-y much like my-self," said Tik-Tok.
"The on-ly dif-fer-ence is that I move by clock-work, while
you move by fire."

"I don t see a particle of likeness between us, I must con
fess," retorted Quox, gruffly. "You are not a live thing;
you re a dummy."

"But I can do things, you must ad-mit," said Tik-Tok.

"Yes, when you are wound up," sneered the dragon.
"But if you run down, you are helpless."

"What would happen to you, Quox, if you ran out of
gasoline?" inquired Shaggy, who did not like this attack
upon his friend.

"I don t use gasoline."

"Well, suppose you ran out of fire."

"What s the use of supposing that?" asked Quox. "My
great-great-great-grandfather has lived since the world
began, and he has never once run out of fire to keep him going.
But I will confide to you that as he gets older he shows more
smoke and less fire. As for Tik-Tok, he s well enough in his
way, but he s merely copper. And the Metal Monarch knows
copper through and through. I wouldn t be surprised if
Ruggedo melted Tik-Tok in one of his furnaces and made
copper pennies of him."

"In that case, I would still keep going," remarked Tik-
Tok, calmly.

Tik-Tok of Oz

"Pennies do," said Betsy regretfully.

"This is all nonsense/ said the Queen, with irritation.
"Tik-Tok is my great Army all but the officers and I
believe he will be able to conquer Ruggedo with ease. What
do you think, Polychrome*?"

"You might let him try," answered the Rainbow s
Daughter, with her sweet ringing laugh, that sounded like
the tinkling of tiny bells. "And if Tik-Tok fails, you have
still the big fire-breathing dragon to fall back on."

"Ah!" said the dragon, another sheet of flame gushing
from his mouth and nostrils; "it s a wise little girl, this
Polychrome. Anyone would know she is a fairy."

148

CHAPTER 14

The Long-Eared Hearer Learns
by Listening

DURING this time Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch and
King of the Nomes, was trying to amuse himself in his
splendid jeweled cavern. It was hard work for Ruggedo to
find amusement to-day, for all the nomes were behaving well
and there was no one to scold or to punish. The King had
thrown his sceptre at Kaliko six times, without hitting him
once. Not that Kaliko had done anything wrong. On the
contrary, he had obeyed the King in every way but one : he
would not stand still, when commanded to do so, and let the
heavy sceptre strike him.

We can hardly blame Kaliko for this, and even the cruel
Ruggedo forgave him; for he knew very well that if he

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Tik-Tok of Oz

mashed his Royal Chamberlain he could never find another
so intelligent and obedient. Kaliko could make the nomes
work when their King could not, for the nomes hated Ruggedo
and there were so many thousands of the quaint little under
ground people that they could easily have rebelled and defied
the King had they dared to do so. Sometimes, when Ruggedo
abused them worse than usual, they grew sullen and threw
down their hammers and picks. Then, however hard the
King scolded or whipped them, they would not work until
Kaliko came and begged them to. For Kaliko was one of
themselves and was as much abused by the King as any nome
in the vast series of caverns.

But to-day all the little people were working indus
triously at their tasks and Ruggedo, having nothing to do,
was greatly bored. He sent for the Long-Eared Hearer and
asked him to listen carefully and report what was going on in
the big world.

"It seems," said the Hearer, after listening for awhile,
"that the women in America have clubs."

"Are there spikes in them*?" asked Ruggedo, yawning.

"I cannot hear any spikes, Your Majesty," was the reply.

"Then their clubs are not as good as my sceptre. What
else do you hear 6 ?"

"There s a war."

"Bah! there s always a war. What else?"

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For a time the Hearer was silent, bending forward and
spreading out his big ears to catch the slightest sound. Then
suddenly he said :

"Here is an interesting thing, Your Majesty. These
people are arguing as to who shall conquer the Metal
Monarch, seize his treasure and drive him from his
dominions."

"What people?" demanded Ruggedo, sitting up straight
in his throne.

"The ones you threw down the Hollow Tube."

"Where are they now?"

"In the same Tube, and coming back this way," said the
Hearer.

Ruggedo got out of his throne and began to pace up and
down the cavern.

"I wonder what can be done to stop them," he mused.

"Well," said the Hearer, "if you could turn the Tube
upside down, they would be falling the other way, Your
Majesty."

Ruggedo glared at him wickedly, for it was impossible to
turn the Tube upside down and he believed the Hearer was
slyly poking fun at him. Presently he asked :

"How far away are those people now?"

"About nine thousand three hundred and six miles, seven
teen furlongs, eight feet and four inches as nearly as I can

Tik-Tok of Oz

judge from the sound of their voices/ replied the Hearer.

"Aha ! Then it will be some time before they arrive," said
Ruggedo, "and when they get here I shall be ready to receive
them."

He rushed to his gong and pounded upon it so fiercely
that Kaliko came bounding into the cavern with one shoe off
and one shoe on, for he was just dressing himself after a swim
in the hot bubbling lake of the Underground Kingdom.

"Kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down the Tube
are coming back again!" he exclaimed.

"I thought they would," said the Royal Chamberlain,
pulling on the other shoe. "Tititi-Hoochoo would not allow
them to remain in his kingdom, of course, and so I ve been
expecting them back for some time. That was a very foolish
action of yours, Rug."

"What, to throw them down the Tube?"

"Yes. Tititi-Hoochoo has forbidden us to throw even
rubbish into the Tube."

"Pooh! what do I care for the Jinjin?" asked Ruggedo
scornfully. "He never leaves his own kingdom, which is on
the other side of the world."

"True; but he might send some one through the Tube to
punish you," suggested Kaliko.

"Fd like to see him do it ! Who could conquer my thou
sands of nomes?"

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"Why, they ve been conquered before, if I remember
aright," answered Kaliko with a grin. "Once I saw you run
ning from a little girl named Dorothy, and her friends, as if
you were really afraid."

"Well, I was afraid, that time," admitted the Nome King,
with a deep sigh, "for Dorothy had a Yellow Hen that
laid eggs!"

The King shuddered as he said "eggs," and Kaliko also
shuddered, and so did the Long-Eared Hearer; for eggs are
the only things that the nomes greatly dread. The reason for
this is that eggs belong on the earth s surface, where birds and
fowl of all sorts live, and there is something about a hen s
egg, especially, that fills a nome with horror. If by chance
the inside of an egg touches one of these underground people,
he withers up and blows away and that is the end of him
unless he manages quickly to speak a magical word which
only a few of the nomes know. Therefore Ruggedo and his
followers had very good cause to shudder at the mere mention
of eggs.

"But Dorothy," said the King, "is not with this band of
invaders ; nor is the Yellow Hen. As for Tititi-Hoochoo, he
has no means of knowing that we are afraid of eggs."

"You mustn t be too sure of that," Kaliko warned him.
"Tititi-Hoochoo knows a great many things, being a fairy,
and his powers are far superior to any we can boast."

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Ruggedo shrugged impatiently and turned to the Hearer.

"Listen," said he, "and tell me if you hear any eggs com
ing through the Tube."

The Long-Eared one listened and then shook his head.
But Kaliko laughed at the King.

"No one can hear an egg, Your Majesty," said he. "The
only way to discover the truth is to look through the Magic
Spyglass."

"That s it!" cried the King. "Why didn t I think of it
before? Look at once, Kaliko!"

So Kaliko went to the Spyglass and by uttering a mumbled
charm he caused the other end of it to twist around, so that
it pointed down the opening of the Tube. Then he put his
eye to the glass and was able to gaze along all the turns and
windings of the Magic Spyglass and then deep into the Tube,
to where our friends were at that time falling.

"Dear me!" he exclaimed. "Here comes a dragon."

"A big one?" asked Ruggedo.

"A monster. He has an electric light on the end of his tail,
so I can see him very plainly. And the other people are all
riding upon his back."

"How about the eggs?" inquired the King.

Kaliko looked again.

"I can see no eggs at all," said he; "but I imagine that the
dragon is as dangerous as eggs. Probably Tititi-Hoochoo has

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Tik-Tok of Oz

sent him here to punish you for dropping those strangers into
the Forbidden Tube. I warned you not to do it, Your
Majesty."

This news made the Nome King anxious. For a few
minutes he paced up and down, stroking his long beard and
thinking with all his might. After this he turned to Kaliko
and said :

"All the harm a dragon can do is to scratch with his claws
and bite with his teeth."

"That is not all, but it s quite enough," returned Kaliko
earnestly. "On the other hand, no one can hurt a dragon,
because he s the toughest creature alive. One flop of his huge
tail could smash a hundred nomes to pancakes, and with teeth
and claws he could tear even you or me into small bits, so that
it would be almost impossible to put us together again.
Once, a few hundred years ago, while wandering through
some deserted caverns, I came upon a small piece of a nome
lying on the rocky floor. I asked the piece of nome what had
happened to it. Fortunately the mouth was a part of this
piece the mouth and the left eye so it was able to tell me
that a fierce dragon was the cause. It had attacked the poor
nome and scattered him in every direction, and as there was
no friend near to collect his pieces and put him together, they
had been separated for a great many years. So you see, Your
Majesty, it is not in good taste to sneer at a dragon."

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The King had listened attentively to Kaliko. Said he :

"It will only be necessary to chain this dragon which
Tititi-Hoochoo has sent here, in order to prevent his reaching
us with his claws and teeth."

"He also breathes flames," Kaliko reminded him.

"My nomes are not afraid of fire, nor am I," said Ruggedo.

"Well, how about the Army of Oogaboo?"

"Sixteen cowardly officers and Tik-Tok! Why, I could
defeat them single-handed; but I won t try to. I ll summon
my army of nomes to drive the invaders out of my territory,
and if we catch any of them I intend to stick needles into them
until they hop with pain."

"I hope you won t hurt any of the girls," said Kaliko.

"I ll hurt em all!" roared the angry Metal Monarch.
"And that braying Mule I ll make into hoof -soup, and feed it
to my nomes, that it may add to their strength."

"Why not be good to the strangers and release your
prisoner, the Shaggy Man s brother?" suggested Kaliko.

"Never!"

"It may save you a lot of annoyance. And you don t want
the Ugly One."

"I don t want him; that s true. But I won t allow any
body to order me around. I m King of the Nomes and I m
the Metal Monarch, and I shall do as I please and what I
please and when I please!"

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Tik-Tok of Oz

With this speech Ruggedo threw his sceptre at Kaliko s
head, aiming it so well that the Royal Chamberlain had to
fall flat upon the floor in order to escape it. But the Hearer
did not see the sceptre coming and it swept past his head so
closely that it broke off the tip of one of his long ears. He
gave a dreadful yell that quite startled Ruggedo, and the
King was sorry for the accident because those long ears of the
Hearer were really valuable to him.

So the Nome King forgot to be angry with Kaliko and
ordered his Chamberlain to summon General Guph and the
army of nomes and have them properly armed. They were
then to march to the mouth of the Tube, where they could
seize the travelers as soon as they appeared.

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CHAPTER 15

The Dragon Defies Danger

ALTHOUGH the journey through the Tube was longer,
this time, than before, it was so much more comfortable that
none of our friends minded it at all. They talked together
most of the time and as they found the dragon good-natured
and fond of the sound of his own voice they soon became well
acquainted with him and accepted him as a companion.

"You see," said Shaggy, in his frank way, "Quox is on our
side, and therefore the dragon is a good fellow. If he hap
pened to be an enemy, instead of a friend, I am sure I should
dislike him very much, for his breath smells of brimstone, he
is very conceited and he is so strong and fierce that he would
prove a dangerous foe."

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Yes, indeed," returned Quox, who had listened to this
speech with pleasure; "I suppose I am about as terrible as any
living thing. I am glad you find me conceited, for that proves
I know my good qualities. As for my breath smelling of
brimstone, I really can t help it, and I once met a man whose
breath smelled of onions, which I consider far worse."

"I don t," said Betsy; "I love onions."

"And I love brimstone," declared the dragon, "so don t
let us quarrel over one another s peculiarities."

Saying this, he breathed a long breath and shot a flame
fifty feet from his mouth. The brimstone made Betsy cough,
but she remembered about the onions and said nothing.

They had no idea how far they had gone through the
center of the earth, nor when to expect the trip to end. At one
time the little girl remarked:

"I wonder when we ll reach the bottom of this hole. And
isn t it funny, Shaggy Man, that what is the bottom to us
now, was the top when we fell the other way?"

"What puzzles me," said Files, "is that we are able to fall
both ways."

"That," announced Tik-Tok, "is be-cause the world
is round."

"Exactly," responded Shaggy. "The machinery in your
head is in fine working order, Tik-Tok. You know, Betsy,
that there is such a thing as the Attraction of Gravitation,

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Chapter Fifteen

which draws everything toward the center of the earth. That
is why we fall out of bed, and why everything clings to the
surface of the earth."

"Then why doesn t everything go on down to the center of
the earth?" inquired the little girl.

"I was afraid you were going to ask me that," replied
Shaggy in a sad tone. "The reason, my dear, is that the earth
is so solid that other solid things can t get through it. But
when there s a hole, as there is in this case, we drop right down
to the center of the world."

"Why don t we stop there?" asked Betsy.

"Because we go so fast that we acquire speed enough to
carry us right up to the other end."

"I don t understand that, and it makes my head ache to
try to figure it out," she said after some thought. "One thing
draws us to the center and another thing pushes us away from
it. But"

"Don t ask me why, please," interrupted the Shaggy Man.
"If you can t understand it, let it go at that."

"Do you understand it?" she inquired.

"All the magic isn t in fairyland," he said gravely.
"There s lots of magic in all Nature, and you may see it as
well in the United States, where you and I once lived, as you
can here."

"I never did," she replied.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Because you were so used to it all that you didn t realize
it was magic. Is anything more wonderful than to see a
flower grow and blossom, or to get light out of the electricity
in the air? The cows that manufacture milk for us must have
machinery fully as remarkable as that in Tik-Tok s copper
body, and perhaps you ve noticed that "

And then, before Shaggy could finish his speech, the strong
light of day suddenly broke upon them, grew brighter, and
completely enveloped them. The dragon s claws no longer
scraped against the metal Tube, for he shot into the open air
a hundred feet or more and sailed so far away from the slant
ing hole that when he landed it was on the peak of a mountain
and just over the entrance to the many underground caverns
of the Nome King.

Some of the officers tumbled off their seats when Quox
struck the ground, but most of the dragon s passengers only
felt a slight jar. All were glad to be on solid earth again and
they at once dismounted and began to look about them.
Queerly enough, as soon as they had left the dragon, the seats
that were strapped to the monster s back disappeared, and
this probably happened because there was no further use for
them and because Quox looked far more dignified in just his
silver scales. Of course he still wore the forty yards of ribbon
around his neck, as well as the great locket, but these only
made him look "dressed up," as Betsy remarked.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Now the army of nomcs had gathered thickly around the
mouth of the Tube, in order to be ready to capture the band
of invaders as soon as they popped out. There were, indeed,
hundreds of nomes assembled, and they were led by Guph,
their most famous General. But they did not expect the
dragon to fly so high, and he shot out of the Tube so suddenly
that it took them by surprise. When the nomes had rubbed
the astonishment out of their eyes and regained their wits,
they discovered the dragon quietly seated on the mountain
side far above their heads, while the other strangers were
standing in a group and calmly looking down upon them.

General Guph was very angry at the escape, which was no
one s fault but his own.

"Come down here and be captured!" he shouted, waving
his sword at them.

"Come up here and capture us if you dare!" replied
Queen Ann, who was winding up the clockwork of her Private
Soldier, so he could fight more briskly.

Guph s first answer was a roar of rage at the defiance; then
he turned and issued a command to his nomes. These were
all armed with sharp spears and with one accord they raised
these spears and threw them straight at their foes, so that they
rushed through the air in a perfect cloud of flying weapons.

Some damage might have been done had not the dragon
quickly crawled before the others, his body being so big that

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it shielded every one of them, including Hank. The spears
rattled against the silver scales of Quox and then fell harm
lessly to the ground. They were magic spears, of course, and
all straightway bounded back into the hands of those who had
thrown them, but even Guph could see that it was useless to
repeat the attack.

It was now Queen Ann s turn to attack, so the Generals
yelled "For ward march!" and the Colonels and Majors and
Captains repeated the command and the valiant Army of
Oogaboo, which seemed to be composed mainly of Tik-Tok,
marched forward in single column toward the nomes, while
Betsy and Polychrome cheered and Hank gave a loud "Hee
haw!" and Shaggy shouted "Hooray!" and Queen Ann
screamed: "At em, Tik-Tok at em!"

The nomes did not await the Clockwork Man s attack but
in a twinkling disappeared into the underground caverns.
They made a great mistake in being so hasty, for Tik-Tok
had not taken a dozen steps before he stubbed his copper toe
on a rock and fell flat to the ground, where he cried : "Pick
me up! Pick me up! Pick me up!" until Shaggy and Files
ran forward and raised him to his feet again.

The dragon chuckled softly to himself as he scratched his
left ear with his hind claw, but no one was paying much
attention to Quox just then.

It was evident to Ann and her officers that there could be

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Tik~Tok of Oz

no fighting unless the enemy was present, and in order to find
the enemy they must boldly enter the underground Kingdom
of the nomes. So bold a step demanded a council of war.

"Don t you think I d better drop in on Ruggedo and obey
the orders of the Jinjin?" asked Quox.

"By no means !" returned Queen Ann. "We have already
put the army of nomes to flight and all that yet remains is to
force our way into those caverns and conquer the Nome King
and all his people. *

"That seems to me something of a job," said the dragon,
closing his eyes sleepily. "But go ahead, if you like, and I ll
wait here for you. Don t be in any hurry on my account. To
one who lives thousands of years the delay of a few days
means nothing at all, and I shall probably sleep until the time
comes for me to act."

Ann was provoked at this speech.

"You may as well go back to Tititi-Hoochoo now," she
said, "for the Nome King is as good as conquered already."

But Quox shook his head. "No," said he ; "I ll wait."

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CHAPTER 16

The Naughty Nome

SHAGGY MAN had said nothing during the conversation
between Queen Ann and Quox, for the simple reason that
he did not consider the matter worth an argument. Safe
within his pocket reposed the Love Magnet, which had never
failed to win every heart. The nomes, he knew, were not like
the heartless Roses and therefore could be won to his side as
soon as he exhibited the magic talisman.

Shaggy s chief anxiety had been to reach Ruggedo s King
dom and now that the entrance lay before him he was con
fident he would be able to rescue his lost brother. Let Ann
and the dragon quarrel as to who should conquer the nonies,
if they liked; Shaggy would let them try, and if they failed

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he had the means of conquest in his own pocket.

But Ann was positive she could not fail, for she thought
her Army could do anything. So she called the officers
together and told them how to act, and she also instructed
Tik-Tok what to do and what to say.

"Please do not shoot your gun except as a last resort," she
added, "for I do not wish to be cruel or to shed any blood
unless it is absolutely necessary."

"All right," replied Tik-Tok; "but I do not think Rug-
ge-do would bleed if I filled him full of holes and put him in
a ci-der press."

Then the officers fell in line, the four Generals abreast
and then the four Colonels and the four Majors and the four
Captains. They drew their glittering swords and com
manded Tik-Tok to march, which he did. Twice he fell
down, being tripped by the rough rocks, but when he struck
the smooth path he got along better. Into the gloomy mouth
of the cavern entrance he stepped without hesitation, and
after him proudly pranced the officers and Queen Ann. The
others held back a little, waiting to see what would happen.

Of course the Nome King knew they were coming and was
prepared to receive them. Just within the rocky passage that
led to the jeweled throne-room was a deep pit, which was
usually covered. Ruggedo had ordered the cover removed
and it now stood open, scarcely visible in the gloom.

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The pit was so large around that it nearly filled the
passage and there was barely room for one to walk around it
by pressing close to the rock walls. This Tik-Tok did, for
his copper eyes saw the pit clearly and he avoided it; but the
officers marched straight into the hole and tumbled in a heap
on the bottom. An instant later Queen Ann also walked into
the pit, for she had her chin in the air and was careless where
she placed her feet. Then one of the nomes pulled a lever
which replaced the cover on the pit and made the officers of
Oogaboo and their Queen fast prisoners.

As for Tik-Tok, he kept straight on to the cavern where
Ruggedo sat in his throne and there he faced the Nome King
and said :

"I here-by con-quer you in the name of Queen Ann
So-f orth of Oo-ga-boo, whose Ar-my I am, and I de-clare that
you are her pris-on-er!"

Ruggedo laughed at him.

"Where is this famous Queen?" he asked.

"She ll be here in a min-ute," said Tik-Tok. "Per-haps
she stopped to tie her shoe-string."

"Now, see here, Tik-Tok," began the Nome King, in a
stern voice, "I ve had enough of this nonsense. Your Queen
and her officers are all prisoners, having fallen into my
power, so perhaps you ll tell me what you mean to do."

"My or-ders were to con-quer you," replied Tik-Tok,

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"and my ma-chin-er-y has done the best it knows how to
car-ry out those or-ders."

Ruggedo pounded on his gong and Kaliko appeared, fol
lowed closely by General Guph.

"Take this copper man into the shops and set him to work
hammering gold," commanded the King. "Being run by
machinery he ought to be a steady worker. He ought never
to have been made, but since he exists I shall hereafter put
him to good use."

"If you try to cap-ture me," said Tik-Tok, "I shall fight."

"Don t do that!" exclaimed General Guph, earnestly,
"for it will be useless to resist and you might hurt some one."

But Tik-Tok raised his gun and took aim and not knowing
what damage the gun might do the nomes were afraid to
face it.

While he was thus defying the Nome King and his high
officials, Betsy Bobbin rode calmly into the royal cavern,
seated upon the back of Hank the mule. The little girl had
grown tired of waiting for "something to happen" and so had
come to see if Ruggedo had been conquered.

"Nails and nuggets!" roared the King; "how dare you
bring that beast here and enter my presence unannounced?"

"There wasn t anybody to announce me," replied Betsy.
"I guess your folks were all busy. Are you conquered yet?"

"No!" shouted the King, almost beside himself with rage.

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"Then please give me something to eat, for I m awful
hungry," said the girl. "You see, this conquering business is
a good deal like waiting for a circus parade ; it takes a long
time to get around and don t amount to much anyhow/

The nomes were so much astonished at this speech that for
a time they could only glare at her silently, not finding words
to reply. The King finally recovered the use of his tongue
and said :

"Earth-crawler! this insolence to my majesty shall be
your death-warrant. You are an ordinary mortal, and to stop
a mortal from living is so easy a thing to do that I will not
keep you waiting half so long as you did for my conquest."

"I d rather you wouldn t stop me from living," remarked
Betsy, getting off Hank s back and standing beside him.
"And it would be a pretty cheap King who killed a visitor
while she was hungry. If you ll give me something to eat,
I ll talk this killing business over with you afterward; only,
I warn you now that I don t approve of it, and never will."

Her coolness and lack of fear impressed the Nome King,
although he bore an intense hatred toward all mortals.

"What do you wish to eat?" he asked gruffly.

"Oh, a ham-sandwich would do, or perhaps a couple of
hard-boiled eggs "

"Eggs!" shrieked the three nomes who were present, shud
dering till their teeth chattered.

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"What s the matter?" asked Betsy wonderingly. "Are
eggs as high here as they are at home?"

"Guph," said the King in an agitated voice, turning to his
General, "let us destroy this rash mortal at once! Seize her
and take her to the Slimy Cave and lock her in."

Guph glanced at Tik-Tok, whose gun was still pointed,
but just then Kaliko stole softly behind the copper man and
kicked his knee-joints so that they suddenly bent forward and
tumbled Tik-Tok to the floor, his gun falling from his grasp.

Then Guph, seeing Tik-Tok helpless, made a grab at
Betsy. At the same time Hank s heels shot out and caught
the General just where his belt was buckled. He rose into the
air swift as a cannon-ball, struck the Nome King fairly and
flattened his Majesty against the wall of rock on the opposite
side of the cavern. Together they fell to the floor in a dazed
and crumpled condition, seeing which Kaliko whispered to
Betsy:

"Come with me quick! and I will save you."

She looked into Kaliko s face inquiringly and thought he
seemed honest and good-natured, so she decided to follow
him. He led her and the mule through several passages and
into a small cavern very nicely and comfortably furnished.

"This is my own room," said he, "but you are quite wel
come to use it. Wait here a minute and I ll get you some
thing to eat."

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When Kaliko returned he brought a tray containing some
broiled mushrooms, a loaf of mineral bread and some
petroleum-butter. The butter Betsy could not eat, but the
bread was good and the mushrooms delicious.

"Here s the door key," said Kaliko, "and you d better
lock yourself in."

"Won t you let Polychrome and the Rose Princess come
here, too?" she asked.

"I ll see. Where are they?"

"I don t know. I left them outside," said Betsy.

"Well, if you hear three raps on the door, open it," said
Kaliko; "but don t let anyone in unless they give the three
raps."

"All right," promised Betsy, and when Kaliko left the
cosy cavern she closed and locked the door.

In the meantime Ann and her officers, finding themselves
prisoners in the pit, had shouted and screamed until they were
tired out, but no one had come to their assistance. It was very
dark and damp in the pit and they could not climb out because
the walls were higher than their heads and the cover was on.
The Queen was first angry and then annoyed and then dis
couraged; but the officers were only afraid. Every one of the
poor fellows heartily wished he was back in Oogaboo caring
for his orchard, and some were so unhappy that they began to
reproach Ann for causing them all this trouble and danger.

Tik-Tok of Oz

Finally the Queen sat down on the bottom of the pit and
leaned her back against the wall. By good luck her sharp
elbow touched a secret spring in the wall and a big flat rock
swung inward. Ann fell over backward, but the next instant
she jumped up and cried to the others:

"A passage ! A passage ! Follow me, my brave men, and
we may yet escape."

Then she began to crawl through the passage, which was as
dark and dank as the pit, and the officers followed her in
single file. They crawled, and they crawled, and they kept on
crawling, for the passage was not big enough to allow them
to stand upright. It turned this way and twisted that, some
times like a corkscrew and sometimes zigzag, but seldom ran
for long in a straight line.

"It will never end never !" moaned the officers, who were
rubbing all the skin off their knees on the rough rooks.

"It must end/ retorted Ann courageously, "or it never
would have been made. We don t know where it will lead us
to, but any place is better than that loathsome pit."

So she crawled on, and the officers crawled on, and while
they were crawling through this awful underground passage
Polychrome and Shaggy and Files and the Rose Princess, who
were standing outside the entrance to Ruggedo s domains,
were wondering what had become of them.

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A Tragic Transformation

"DON T let us worry," said Shaggy to his companions, "for
it may take the Queen some time to conquer the Metal
Monarch, as Tik-Tok has to do everything in his slow,
mechanical way."

"Do you suppose they are likely to fail?" asked the Rose
Princess.

"I do, indeed," replied Shaggy. "This Nome King is
really a powerful fellow and has a legion of nomes to assist
him, whereas our bold Queen commands a Clockwork Man
and a band of faint-hearted officers."

"She ought to have let Quox do the conquering," said
Polychrome, dancing lightly upon a point of rock and flut-

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Tik-Tok of Oz

tering her beautiful draperies. "But perhaps the dragon was
wise to let her go first, for when she fails to conquer Ruggedo
she may become more modest in her ambitions."

"Where is the dragon now?" inquired Ozga.

"Up there on the rocks," replied Files. "Look, my dear;
you may see him from here. He said he would take a little
nap while we were mixing up with Ruggedo, and he added
that after we had gotten into trouble he would wake up and
conquer the Nome King in a jiffy, as his master the Jinjin
has ordered him to do."

"Quox means well," said Shaggy, "but I do not think we
shall need his services; for just as soon as I am satisfied that
Queen Ann and her army have failed to conquer Ruggedo.
I shall enter the caverns and show the King my Love Magnet.
That he cannot resist; therefore the conquest will be made
with ease."

This speech of Shaggy Man s was overheard by the Long-
Eared Hearer, who was at that moment standing by Rug
gedo s side. For when the King and Guph had recovered from
Hank s kick and had picked themselves up, their first act was
to turn Tik-Tok on his back and put a heavy diamond on top
of him, so that he could not get up again. Then they carefully
put his gun in a corner of the cavern and the King sent Guph
to fetch the Long-Eared Hearer.

The Hearer was still angry at Ruggedo for breaking his

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ear, but he acknowledged the Nome King to be his master
and was ready to obey his commands. Therefore he repeated
Shaggy s speech to the King, who at once realized that his
Kingdom was in grave danger. For Ruggedo knew of the
Love Magnet and its powers and was horrified at the thought
that Shaggy might show him the magic talisman and turn all
the hatred in his heart into love. Ruggedo was proud of his
hatred and abhorred love of any sort.

"Really," said he, "I d rather be conquered and lose my
wealth and my Kingdom than gaze at that awful Love
Magnet. What can I do to prevent the Shaggy Man from
taking it out of his pocket?"

Kaliko returned to the cavern in time to overhear this
question, and being a loyal nome and eager to serve his King,
he answered by saying :

"If we can manage to bind the Shaggy Man s arms, tight
to his body, he could not get the Love Magnet out of his
pocket.

"True!" cried the King in delight at this easy solution of
the problem. "Get at once a dozen nomes, with ropes, and
place them in the passage where they can seize and bind
Shaggy as soon as he enters."

This Kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers outside the
entrance were growing more and more uneasy about their
friends.

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"I don t worry so much about the Oogaboo people," said
Polychrome, who had grown sober with waiting, and perhaps
a little nervous, "for they could not be killed, even though
Ruggedo might cause them much suffering and perhaps
destroy them utterly. But we should not have allowed Betsy
and Hank to go alone into the caverns. The little girl is
mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever, so if Rug
gedo captures her she will be wholly at his mercy."

That is indeed true," replied Shaggy. "I wouldn t like
to have anything happen to dear little Betsy, so I believe I ll
go in right away and put an end to all this worry."

"We may as well go with you," asserted Files, "for by
means of the Love Magnet you can soon bring the Nome King

to reason.

So it was decided to wait no longer. Shaggy walked
through the entrance first, and after him came the others.
They had no thought of danger to themselves, and Shaggy,
who was going along with his hands thrust into his pockets,
was much surprised when a rope shot out from the darkness
and twined around his body, pinning down his arms so
securely that he could not even withdraw his hands from the
pockets. Then appeared several grinning nomes, who
speedily tied knots in the ropes and then led the prisoner
along the passage to the cavern. No attention was paid to
the others, but Files and the Princess followed on after

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Shaggy, determined not to desert their friend and hoping that
an opportunity might arise to rescue him.

As for Polychrome, as soon as she saw that trouble had
overtaken Shaggy she turned and ran lightly back through
the passage and out of the entrance. Then she easily leaped
from rock to rock until she paused beside the great dragon,
who lay fast asleep.

"Wake up, Quox!" she cried. "It is time for you to act."

But Quox did not wake up. He lay as one in a trance,
absolutely motionless, with his enormous eyes tight closed.
The eyelids had big silver scales on them, like all the rest of
his body.

Polychrome might have thought Quox was dead had she
not known that dragons do not die easily or had she not
observed his huge body swelling as he breathed. She picked
up a piece of rock and pounded against his eyelids with it,
saying :

"Wake up, Quox wake up !" But he would not waken.

"Dear me, how unfortunate!" sighed the lovely Rain
bow s Daughter. "I wonder what is the best and surest way
to waken a dragon. All our friends may be captured and
destroyed while this great beast lies asleep."

She walked around Quox two or three times, trying to
discover some tender place on his body where a thump or
a punch might be felt; but he lay extended along the rocks

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Tik-Tok of Oz

with his chin flat upon the ground and his legs drawn under
neath his body, and all that one could see was his thick sky-
blue skin thicker than that of a rhinoceros and his silver
scales.

Then, despairing at last of wakening the beast, and wor
ried over the fate of her friends, Polychrome again ran down
to the entrance and hurried along the passage into the Nome
King s cavern.

Here she found Ruggedo lolling in his throne and smoking
a long pipe. Beside him stood General Guph and Kaliko,
and ranged before the King were the Rose Princess, Files and
the Shaggy Man. Tik-Tok still lay upon the floor, weighted
down by the big diamond.

Ruggedo was now in a more contented frame of mind.
One by one he had met the invaders and easily captured them.
The dreaded Love Magnet was indeed in Shaggy s pocket,
only a few feet away from the King, but Shaggy was power
less to show it and unless Ruggedo s eyes beheld the talisman
it could not affect him. As for Betsy Bobbin and her mule, he
believed Kaliko had placed them in the Slimy Cave, while
Ann and her officers he thought safely imprisoned in the pit.
Ruggedo had no fear of Files or Ozga, but to be on the safe
side he had ordered golden handcuffs placed upon their wrists.
These did not cause them any great annoyance but prevented
them from making an attack, had they been inclined to do so.

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The Nome King, thinking himself wholly master of the
situation, was laughing and jeering at his prisoners when
Polychrome, exquisitely beautiful and dancing like a ray of
light, entered the cavern.

"Oho!" cried the King; "a Rainbow under ground, eh?"
and then he stared hard at Polychrome, and still harder, and
then he sat up and pulled the wrinkles out of his robe and
arranged his whiskers. "On my word," said he, "you are a
very captivating creature; moreover, I perceive you are a
fairy."

"I am Polychrome, the Rainbow s Daughter," she said
proudly.

"Well," replied Ruggedo, "I like you. The others I hate.
I hate everybody but you ! Wouldn t you like to live always
in this beautiful cavern, Polychrome? See! the jewels that
stud the walls have every tint and color of your Rainbow
and they are not so elusive. I ll have fresh dewdrops gathered
for your feasting every day and you shall be Queen of all my
nomes and pull Kaliko s nose whenever you like."

"No, thank you," laughed Polychrome. "My home is in
the sky, and I m only on a visit to this solid, sordid earth. But
tell me, Ruggedo, why my friends have been wound with
cords and bound with chains?"

"They threatened me," answered Ruggedo. "The fools
did not know how powerful I am.

Tik-Tok of Oz

"Then, since they are now helpless, why not release them
and send them back to the earth s surface?"

"Because I hate em and mean to make em suffer for their
invasion. But I ll make a bargain with you, sweet Polly.
Remain here and live with me and I ll set all these people free.
You shall be my daughter or my wife or my aunt or grand
mother whichever you like only stay here to brighten my
gloomy kingdom and make me happy!"

Polychrome looked at him wonderingly. Then she turned
to Shaggy and asked :

"Are you sure he hasn t seen the Love Magnet?"

"I m positive," answered Shaggy. "But you seem to be
something of a Love Magnet yourself, Polychrome."

She laughed again and said to Ruggedo: "Not even to
rescue my friends would I live in your kingdom. Nor could
I endure for long the society of such a wicked monster as you."

"You forget," retorted the King, scowling darkly, "that
you also are in my power."

"Not so, Ruggedo. The Rainbow s Daughter is beyond
the reach of your spite or malice."

"Seize her!" suddenly shouted the King, and General
Guph sprang forward to obey. Polychrome stood quite still,
yet when Guph attempted to clutch her his hands met in air,
and now the Rainbow s Daughter was in another part of the
room, as smiling and composed as before.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Several times Guph endeavored to capture her and Rug-
gedo even came down from his throne to assist his General ;
but never could they lay hands upon the lovely sky fairy, who
flitted here and there with the swiftness of light and con
stantly defied them with her merry laughter as she evaded
their efforts.

So after a time they abandoned the chase and Ruggedo
returned to his throne and wiped the perspiration from his
face with a finely-woven handkerchief of cloth-of-gold.

"Well," said Polychrome, "what do you intend to do
now?"

"I m going to have some fun, to repay me for all my
bother," replied the Nome King. Then he said to Kaliko:
"Summon the executioners."

Kaliko at once withdrew and presently returned with a
score of nomes, all of whom were nearly as evil looking as their
hated master. They bore great golden pincers, and prods of
silver, and clamps and chains and various wicked-looking
instruments, all made of precious metals and set with dia
monds and rubies.

"Now, Pang," said Ruggedo, addressing the leader of the
executioners, "fetch the Army of Oogaboo and their Queen
from the pit and torture them here in my presence as well as
in the presence of their friends. It will be great sport."

"I hear Your Majesty, and I obey Your Majesty,"

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answered Pang, and went with his nomes into the passage. In
a few minutes he returned and bowed to Ruggedo.

"They re all gone," said he.

"Gone!" exclaimed the Nome King. "Gone where?"

"They left no address, Your Majesty; but they are not
in the pit."

"Picks and puddles!" roared the King; "who took the
cover off?"

"No one," said Pang. "The cover was there, but the pris
oners were not under it."

"In that case," snarled the King, trying to control his dis
appointment, "go to the Slimy Cave and fetch hither the girl
and the donkey. And while we are torturing them Kaliko
must take a hundred nomes and search for the escaped pris
oners the Queen of Oogaboo and her officers. If he does not
find them, I will torture Kaliko."

Kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, for he knew
the King was cruel and unjust enough to carry out this threat.
Pang and the executioners also went away, in another direc
tion, but when they came back Betsy Bobbin was not with
them, nor was Hank.

"There is no one in the Slimy Cave, Your Majesty,"
reported Pang.

"Jumping jellycakes!" screamed the King. "Another
escape*? Are you sure you found the right cave?"

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"There is but one Slimy Cave, and there is no one in it,"
returned Pang positively.

Ruggedo was beginning to be alarmed as well as angry.
However, these disappointments but made him the more vin
dictive and he cast an evil look at the other prisoners and said :

"Never mind the girl and the donkey. Here are four, at
least, who cannot escape my vengeance. Let me see ; I believe
I ll change my mind about Tik-Tok. Have the gold crucible
heated to a white, seething heat, and then we ll dump the cop
per man into it and melt him up."

"But, Your Majesty/ protested Kaliko, who had returned
to the room after sending a hundred nomes to search for the
Oogaboo people, "you must remember that Tik-Tok is a very
curious and interesting machine. It would be a shame to
deprive the world of such a clever contrivance/

"Say another word, and you ll go into the furnace with
him!" roared the King. "I m getting tired of you, Kaliko,
and the first thing you know I ll turn you into a potato and
make Saratoga-chips of you ! The next to consider," he added
more mildly, "is the Shaggy Man. As he owns the Love
Magnet, I think I ll transform him into a dove, and then we
can practice shooting at him with Tik-Tok s gun. Now, this
is a very interesting ceremony and I beg you all to watch me
closely and see that I ve nothing up my sleeve."

He came out of his throne to stand before the Shaggy

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Chapter Seventeen

Man, and then he waved his hands, palms downward, in seven
semicircles over his victim s head, saying in a low but clear
tone of voice the magic wugwa:

"Adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo!
Idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!"

The effect of this well-known sorcery was instantaneous.
Instead of the Shaggy Man, a pretty dove lay fluttering upon
the floor, its wings confined by tiny cords wound around them.
Ruggedo gave an order to Pang, who cut the cords with a pair
of scissors. Being freed, the dove quickly flew upward and
alighted on the shoulder of the Rose Princess, who stroked it
tenderly.

"Very good! Very good!" cried Ruggedo, rubbing his
hands gleefully together. "One enemy is out of my way,
and now for the others."

(Perhaps my readers should be warned not to attempt the
above transformation; for, although the exact magical
formula has been described, it is unlawful in all civilized
countries for anyone to transform a person into a dove by
muttering the words Ruggedo used. There were no laws to
prevent the Nome King from performing this transformation,
but if it should be attempted in any other country, and the
magic worked, the magician would be severely punished.)

When Polychrome saw Shaggy Man transformed into a
dove and realized that Ruggedo was about to do something

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as dreadful to the Princess and Files, and that Tik-Tok would
soon be melted in a crucible, she turned and ran from the
cavern, through the passage and back to the place where Quox
lay asleep.

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CHAPTER 18

A Clever Conquest

THE great dragon still had his eyes closed and was even
snoring in a manner that resembled distant thunder ; but Poly
chrome was now desperate, because any further delay meant
the destruction of her friends. She seized the pearl necklace,
to which was attached the great locket, and jerked it with all
her strength.

The result was encouraging. Quox stopped snoring and
his eyelids flickered. So Polychrome jerked again and
again till slowly the great lids raised and the dragon looked
at her steadily. Said he, in a sleepy tone :

"What s the matter, little Rainbow 4 ?"

"Come quick !" exclaimed Polychrome. "Ruggedo has cap-

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tured all our friends and is about to destroy them."

"Well, well/ said Quox, "I suspected that would happen.
Step a little out of my path, my dear, and I ll make a rush for
the Nome King s cavern."

She fell back a few steps and Quox raised himself on his
stout legs, whisked his long tail and in an instant had slid
down the rocks and made a dive through the entrance.

Along the passage he swept, nearly filling it with his
immense body, and now he poked his head into the jeweled
cavern of Ruggedo.

But the King had long since made arrangements to capture
the dragon, whenever he might appear. No sooner did Quox
stick his head into the room than a thick chain fell from above
and encircled his neck. Then the ends of the chain were
drawn tight for in an adjoining cavern a thousand nomes
were pulling on them and so the dragon could advance no
further toward the King. He could not use his teeth or his
claws and as his body was still in the passage he had not even
room to strike his foes with his terrible tail.

Ruggedo was delighted with the success of his strategem.
He had just transformed the Rose Princess into, a fiddle and
was about to transform Files into a fiddle bow, when the
dragon appeared to interrupt him. So he called out :

Welcome, my dear Quox, to my royal entertainment.
Since you are here, you shall witness some very neat magic,

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and after I have finished with Files and Tik-Tok I mean to
transform you into a tiny lizard one of the chameleon sort
and you shall live in my cavern and amuse me."

"Pardon me for contradicting Your Majesty," returned
Quox in a quiet voice, "but I don t believe you ll perform
any more magic."

"Eh? Why not?" asked the King in surprise.

"There s a reason," said Quox. "Do you see this ribbon
around my neck?"

"Yes; and I m astonished that a dignified dragon should
wear such a silly thing."

"Do you see it plainly?" persisted the dragon, with a little
chuckle of amusement.

"I do," declared Ruggedo.

"Then you no longer possess any magical powers, and are
as helpless as a clam," asserted Quox. "My great master,
Tititi-Hoochoo, the Jin j in, enchanted this ribbon in such a
way that whenever Your Majesty looked upon it all knowl
edge of magic would desert you instantly, nor will any mag
ical formula you can remember ever perform your bidding."

"Pooh! I don t believe a word of it!" cried Ruggedo,
half frightened, nevertheless. Then he turned toward Files
and tried to transform him into a fiddle bow. But he could
not remember the right words or the right pass of the hands
and after several trials he finally gave up the attempt.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

By this time the Nome King was so alarmed that he was
secretly shaking in his shoes.

"I told you not to anger Tititi-Hoochoo," grumbled
Kaliko, "and now you see the result of your disobedience."

Ruggedo promptly threw his sceptre at his Royal Chamber
lain, who dodged it with his usual cleverness, and then he
said with an attempt to swagger:

"Never mind; I don t need magic to enable me to destroy
these invaders ; fire and the sword will do the business and I
am still King of the Nomes and lord and master of my Under
ground Kingdom!"

"Again I beg to differ with Your Majesty," said Quox.
"The Great Jin j in commands you to depart instantly from
this Kingdom and seek the earth s surface, where you will
wander for all time to come, without a home or country, with
out a friend or follower, and without any more riches than you
can carry with you in your pockets. The Great Jin j in is so
generous that he will allow you to fill your pockets with
jewels or gold, but you must take nothing more."

Ruggedo now stared at the dragon in amazement.

"Does Tititi-Hoochoo condemn me to such a fate?" he
asked in a hoarse voice.

"He does," said Quox.

"And just for throwing a few strangers down the Forbid
den Tube?"

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Chapter Eighteen

"Just for that," repeated Quox in a stern, gruff voice.

"Well, I won t do it. And your crazy old Jinjin can t
make me do it, either!" declared Ruggedo. "I intend to
remain here, King of the Nomes, until the end of the world,
and I defy your Tititi-Hoochoo and all his fairies as well as
his clumsy messenger, whom I have been obliged to chain up !"

The dragon smiled again, but it was not the sort of smile
that made Ruggedo feel very happy. Instead, there was some
thing so cold and merciless in the dragon s expression that the
condemned Nome King trembled and was sick at heart.

There was little comfort for Ruggedo in the fact that the
dragon was now chained, although he had boasted of it. He
glared at the immense head of Quox as if fascinated and there
was fear in the old King s eyes as he watched his enemy s
movements.

For the dragon was now moving; not abruptly, but as if
he had something to do and was about to do it. Very deliber
ately he raised one claw, touched the catch of the great jeweled
locket that was suspended around his neck, and at once it
opened wide.

Nothing much happened at first; half a dozen hen s eggs
rolled out upon the floor and then the locket closed with a
sharp click. But the effect upon the nomes of this simple thing
was astounding. General Guph, Kaliko, Pang and his band
of executioners were all standing close to the door that led to

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the vast series of underground caverns which constituted the
dominions of the nomes, and as soon as they saw the eggs
they raised a chorus of frantic screams and rushed through
the door, slamming it in Ruggedo s face and placing a heavy
bronze bar across it.

Ruggedo, dancing with terror and uttering loud cries, now
leaped upon the seat of his throne to escape the eggs, which
had rolled steadily toward him. Perhaps these eggs, sent
by the wise and crafty Tititi-Hoochoo, were in some way
enchanted, for they all rolled directly after Ruggedo and
when they reached the throne where he had taken refuge they
began rolling up the legs to the seat.

This was too much for the King to bear. His horror of
eggs was real and absolute and he made a leap from the throne
to the center of the room and then ran to a far corner.

The eggs followed, rolling slowly but steadily in his direc
tion. Ruggedo threw his sceptre at them, and then his ruby
crown, and then he drew off his heavy golden sandals and
hurled these at the advancing eggs. But the eggs dodged
every missile and continued to draw nearer. The King stood
trembling, his eyes staring in terror, until they were but half
a yard distant; then with an agile leap he jumped clear over
them and made a rush for the passage that led to the outer
entrance.

Of course the dragon was in his way, being chained in the

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passage with his head in the cavern, but when he saw the King
making toward him he crouched as low as he could and
dropped his chin to the floor, leaving a small space between
his body and the roof of the passage.

Ruggedo did not hesitate an instant. Impelled by fear,
he leaped to the dragon s nose and then scrambled to his back,
where he succeeded in squeezing himself through the opening.
After the head was passed there was more room and he slid
along the dragon s scales to his tail and then ran as fast as his
legs would carry him to the entrance. Not pausing here, so
great was his fright, the King dashed on down the mountain
path, but before he had gone very far he stumbled and fell.

When he picked himself up he observed that no one was
following him, and while he recovered his breath he happened
to think of the decree of the Jin j in that he should be driven
from his Kingdom and made a wanderer on the face of the
earth. Well, here he was, driven from his cavern in truth;
driven by those dreadful eggs; but he would go back and
defy them; he would not submit to losing his precious King
dom and his tyrannical powers, all because Tititi-Hoochoo
had said he must.

So, although still afraid, Ruggedo nerved himself to creep
back along the path to the entrance, and when he arrived there
he saw the six eggs lying in a row just before the arched
opening.

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At first he paused a safe distance away to consider the case,
for the eggs were now motionless. While he was wondering
what could be done, he remembered there was a magical charm
which would destroy eggs and render them harmless to nomes.
There were nine passes to be made and six verses of incanta
tion to be recited; but Ruggedo knew them all. Now that he
had ample time to be exact, he carefully went through the
entire ceremony.

But nothing happened. The eggs did not disappear, as
he had expected; so he repeated the charm a second time.
When that also failed, he remembered, with a moan of
despair, that his magic power had been taken away from him
and in the future he could do no more than any common
mortal.

And there were the eggs, forever barring him from the
Kingdom which he had ruled so long with absolute sway ! He
threw rocks at them, but could not hit a single egg. He raved
and scolded and tore his hair and beard, and danced in helpless
passion, but that did nothing to avert the just judgment of
the Jin j in, which Ruggedo s own evil deeds had brought upon
him.

From this time on he was an outcast a wanderer upon the
face of the earth and he had even forgotten to fill his pockets
with gold and jewels before he fled from his former
Kingdom !

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CHAPTER 19

King Kaliko

AFTER the King had made good his escape Files said to the
dragon, in a said voice :

"Alas! why did you not come before? Because you were
sleeping instead of conquering, the lovely Rose Princess has
become a fiddle without a bow, while poor Shaggy sits there
a cooing dove !"

"Don t worry," replied Quox. "Tititi-Hoochoo knows
his business, and I had my orders from the Great Jin j in him
self. Bring the fiddle here and touch it lightly to my pink
ribbon."

Files obeyed and at the moment of contact with the ribbon
the Nome King s charm was broken and the Rose Princess

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herself stood before them as sweet and smiling as ever.

The dove, perched on the back of the throne, had seen and
heard all this, so without being told what to do it flew straight
to the dragon and alighted on the ribbon. Next instant
Shaggy was himself again and Quox said to him grumblingly :

"Please get off any left toe, Shaggy Man, and be more
particular where you step."

"I beg your pardon !" replied Shaggy, very glad to resume
his natural form. Then he ran to lift the heavy diamond
off Tik-Tok s chest and to assist the Clockwork Man to his
feet.

"Ma-ny thanks!" said Tik-Tok. "Where is the wick-ed
King who want-ed to melt me in a cru-ci-ble *?"

"He has gone, and gone for good," answered Polychrome,
who had managed to squeeze into the room beside the dragon
and had witnessed the occurrences with much interest. "But
I wonder where Betsy Bobbin and Hank can be, and if any
harm has befallen them."

"We must search the cavern until we find them," declared
Shaggy; but when he went to the door leading to the other
caverns he found it shut and barred.

"I ve a pretty strong push in my forehead," said Quox,
"and I believe I can break down that door, even though it s
made of solid gold."

"But you are a prisoner, and the chains that hold you are

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Tik-Tok of Oz

fastened in some other room, so that we cannot release you/
Files said anxiously.

"Oh, never mind that/ returned the dragon. "I have re
mained a prisoner only because I wished to be one," and with
this he stepped forward and burst the stout chains as easily as
if they had been threads.

But when he tried to push in the heavy metal door, even
his mighty strength failed, and after several attempts he gave
it up and squatted himself in a corner to think of a better
way.

"I ll o-pen the door/ asserted Tik-Tok, and going to the
King s big gong he pounded upon it until the noise was almost
deafening.

Kaliko, in the next cavern, was wondering what had hap
pened to Ruggedo and if he had escaped the eggs and out
witted the dragon. But when he heard the sound of the gong,
which had so often called him into the King s presence, he
decided that Ruggedo had been victorious; so he took away
the bar, threw open the door and entered the royal cavern.

Great was his astonishment to find the King gone and the
enchantments removed from the Princess and Shaggy. But
the eggs were also gone and so Kaliko advanced to the dragon,
whom he knew to be Tititi-Hoochoo s messenger, and bowed
humbly before the beast.

"What is your will?" he inquired.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Where is Betsy?" demanded the dragon.

"Safe in my own private room," said Kaliko.

"Go and get her!" commanded Quox.

So Kaliko went to Betsy s room and gave three raps upon
the door. The little girl had been asleep, but she heard the
raps and opened the door.

"You may come out now," said Kaliko. "The King has
fled in disgrace and your friends are asking for you."

So Betsy and Hank returned with the Royal Chamberlain
to the throne cavern, where she was received with great joy
by her friends. They told her what had happened to Rug-
gedo and she told them how kind Kaliko had been to her.
Quox did not have much to say until the conversation was
ended, but then he turned to Kaliko and asked:

"Do you suppose you could rule your nomes better than
Ruggedo has done?"

"Me?" stammered the Chamberlain, greatly surprised by
the question. "Well, I couldn t be a worse King, I m sure."

"Would the nomes obey you?" inquired the dragon.

"Of course," said Kaliko. "They like me better than ever
they did Ruggedo."

"Then hereafter you shall be the Metal Monarch, King
of the Nomes, and Tititi-Hoochoo expects you to rule your
Kingdom wisely and well," said Quox.

"Hooray!" cried Betsy; "I m glad of that. King Kaliko,

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Chapter Nineteen

I salute Your Majesty and wish you joy in your gloomy old
Kingdom!"

"We all wish him joy," said Polychrome; and then the
others made haste to congratulate the new King.

"Will you release my dear brother?" asked Shaggy.

"The Ugly One? Very willingly," replied Kaliko. "I
begged Ruggedo long ago to send him away, but he would
not do so. I also offered to help your brother to escape, but
he would not go."

"He s so conscientious!" said Shaggy, highly pleased.
"All of our family have noble natures. But is my dear brother
well?" he added anxiously.

"He eats and sleeps very steadily," replied the new King.

"I hope he doesn t work too hard," said Shaggy.

"He doesn t work at all. In fact, there is nothing he can
do in these dominions as well as our nomes, whose numbers
are so great that it worries us to keep them all busy. So your
brother has only to amuse himself."

"Why, it s more like visiting, than being a prisoner," as
serted Betsy.

"Not exactly," returned Kaliko. "A prisoner cannot go
where or when he pleases, and is not his own master."

"Where is my brother now?" inquired Shaggy.

"In the Metal Forest."

"Where is that?"

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"The Metal Forest is in the Great Domed Cavern, the
largest in all our dominions," replied Kaliko. "It is almost
like being out of doors, it is so big, and Ruggedo made the
wonderful forest to amuse himself, as well as to tire out his
hard-working nomes. All the trees are gold and silver and
the ground is strewn with precious stones, so it is a sort of
treasury."

"Let us go there at once and rescue my dear brother,"
pleaded Shaggy earnestly.

Kaliko hesitated.

"I don t believe I can find the way," said he. "Ruggedo
made three secret passages to the Metal Forest, but he
changes the location of these passages every week, so that no
one can get to the Metal Forest without his permission.
However, if we look sharp, we may be able to discover one of
these secret ways."

"That reminds me to ask what has become of Queen Ann
and the Officers of Oogaboo," said Files.

"I m sure I can t say," replied Kaliko.

"Do you suppose Ruggedo destroyed them?"

"Oh, no; I m quite sure he didn t. They fell into the
big pit in the passage, and we put the cover on to keep them
there ; but when the executioners went to look for them they
had all disappeared from the pit and we could find no trace
of them."

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That s funny," remarked Betsy thoughtfully. "I don t
believe Ann knew any magic, or she d have worked it before.
But to disappear like that seems like magic; now, doesn t it?"

They agreed that it did, but no one could explain the
mystery.

"However," said Shaggy, "they are gone, that is certain,
so we cannot help them or be helped by them. And the im
portant thing just now is to rescue my dear brother from
captivity."

"Why do they call him the Ugly One?" asked Betsy.

"I do not know," confessed Shaggy. "I cannot remember
his looks very well, it is so long since I have seen him; but
all of our family are noted for their handsome faces."

Betsy laughed and Shaggy seemed rather hurt; but Poly
chrome relieved his embarrassment by saying softly: "One
can be ugly in looks, but lovely in disposition."

"Our first task," said Shaggy, a little comforted by this
remark, "is to find one of those secret passages to the Metal
Forest."

"True," agreed Kaliko. "So I think I will assemble the
chief nomes of my kingdom in this throne room and tell them
that I am their new King. Then I can ask them to assist us in
searching for the secret passages."

"That s a good idea," said the dragon, who seemed to be
getting sleepy again.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as
Ruggedo used to do; but no one answered the summons.

"Of course not," said he, jumping up from the throne,
where he had seated himself. "That is my call, and I am
still the Royal Chamberlain, and will be until I appoint an
other in my place."

So he ran out of the room and found Guph and told him
to answer the summons of the King s gong. Having re
turned to the royal cavern, Kaliko first pounded the gong
and then sat in the throne, wearing Ruggedo 5 s discarded ruby
crown and holding in his hand the sceptre which Ruggedo
had so often thrown at his head.

When Guph entered he was amazed.

"Better get out of that throne before old Ruggedo comes
back," he said warningly.

"He isn t coming back, and I am now the King of the
Nomes, in his stead," announced Kaliko.

"All of which is quite true," asserted the dragon, and all
of those who stood around the throne bowed respectfully to
the new King.

Seeing this, Guph also bowed, for he was glad to be rid
of such a hard master as Ruggedo. Then Kaliko, in quite a
kingly way, informed Guph that he was appointed the Royal
Chamberlain, and promised not to throw the sceptre at his
head unless he deserved it.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

All this being pleasantly arranged, the new Chamber
lain went away to tell the news to all the nomes of the under
ground Kingdom, every one of whom would be delighted with
the change in Kings.

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CHAPTER 20

Quox Quietly Quits

WHEN the chief nomes assembled before their new King
they joyfully saluted him and promised to obey his com
mands. But, when Kaliko questioned them, none knew the
way to the Metal Forest, although all had assisted in its
making. So the King instructed them to search carefully for
one of the passages and to bring him the news as soon as they
had found it.

Meantime Quox had managed to back out of the rocky
corridor and so regain the open air and his old station on the
mountain-side, and there he lay upon the rocks, sound asleep,
until the next day. The others of the party were all given
as good rooms as the caverns of the nomes afforded, for King

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Kaliko felt that he was indebted to them for luu promotion
and was anxious to be as hospitable as he could

Much wonderment had been caused by the absolute &lt;ii
appearance of the sixteen officers of Oogaboo and thci r Onecn.

Not .1 iHinir had seen them, MOI \\cic they li &lt; o\ &lt; red during

the search for the passages leading to the Metal Forest. Per
haps no one was unhappv over their loss, but all were cnnou
to know what had become of them.

On the next day, when our friends went to visit thr drag
on, Quox said to them: "I must now bid you good-bye, for
m\ nn ion here is finished and I must depart for the other
side of the world, where I belong."

"Will you p through thr Tube again? 11 asked Betsy.

11 To be Mire. Hut it will be a lonely trip this time, with
no one to talk to, and 1 cannot invite any of you to i;o with
me. Therefore , as MUMI as I slide into the hole I shall ^o to
sleep, and when I pop out at the other end 1 will wake up
at home/ 1

I hey thanked the dragon for befriending them and wished
him a pleasant journey. Also they sent their thanks to the
prat Jinjin, whose just condemnation of Hui^cdo had served
their interests so well. Then ^}uo\ \.i\vned and stretched
hmiM-lt and ambled over to the Tube, into which he slid head
foremost and disappeared.

They really felt as if they had lost a friend, tor the dragon

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had been both kind and sociable during their brief acquaint
ance with him; but they knew it was his duty to return to his
own country. So they went back to the caverns to renew the
search for the hidden passages that led to the forest, but for
three days all efforts to find them proved in vain.

It was Polychrome s custom to go every day to the moun
tain and watch for her father, the Rainbow, for she was
growing tired with wandering upon the earth and longed to
rejoin her sisters in their sky palaces. And on the third day,
while she sat motionless upon a point of rock, whom should
she see slyly creeping up the mountain but Ruggedo!

The former King looked very forlorn. His clothes were
soiled and torn and he had no sandals upon his feet or hat
upon his head. Having left his crown and sceptre behind
when he fled, the old nome no longer seemed kingly, but more
like a beggarman.

Several times had Ruggedo crept up to the mouth of the
caverns, only to find the six eggs still on guard. He knew
quite well that he must accept his fate and become a home
less wanderer, but his chief regret now was that he had neg
lected to fill his pockets with gold and jewels. He was aware
that a wanderer with wealth at his command would fare
much better than one who was a pauper, so he still loitered
around the caverns wherein he knew so much treasure was
stored, hoping for a chance to fill his pockets.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

That was how he came to recollect the Metal Forest.

"Aha!" said he to himself, "I alone know the way to that
Forest, and once there I can fill my pockets with the finest
jewels in all the world."

He glanced at his pockets and was grieved to find them so
small. Perhaps they might be enlarged, so that they would
hold more. He knew of a poor woman who lived in a cot
tage at the foot of the mountain, so he went to her and begged
her to sew pockets all over his robe, paying her with the gift
of a diamond ring which he had worn upon his finger. The
woman was delighted to possess so valuable a ring and she
sewed as many pockets on Ruggedo s robe as she possibly
could.

Then he returned up the mountain and, after gazing cau
tiously around to make sure he was not observed, he touched
a spring in a rock and it swung slowly backward, disclosing
a broad passageway. This he entered, swinging the rock in
place behind him.

However, Ruggedo had failed to look as carefully as he
might have done, for Polychrome was seated only a little dis
tance off and her clear eyes marked exactly the manner in
which Ruggedo had released the hidden spring. So she rose
and hurried into the cavern, where she told Kaliko and her
friends of her discovery.

"I ve no doubt that that is a way to the Metal Forest,"

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Chapter Twenty

exclaimed Shaggy. "Come, let us follow Ruggedo at once
and rescue my poor brother !"

They agreed to this and King Kaliko called together a
band of nomes to assist them by carrying torches to light their
way.

"The Metal Forest has a brilliant light of its own," said
he, "but the passage across the valley is likely to be dark."

Polychrome easily found the rock and touched the spring,
so in less than an hour after Ruggedo had entered they were
all in the passage and following swiftly after the former
King.

"He means to rob the Forest,, I m sure," said Kaliko; "but
he will find he is no longer of any account in this Kingdom
and I will have my nomes throw him out."

"Then please throw him as hard as you can," said Betsy,
"for he deserves it. I don t mind an honest, out-an -out
enemy, who fights square ; but changing girls into fiddles and
ordering em put into Slimy Caves is mean and tricky, and
Ruggedo doesn t deserve any sympathy. But you ll have to
let him take as much treasure as he can get in his pockets,
Kaliko."

"Yes, the Jinjin said so; but we won t miss it much.
There is more treasure in the Metal Forest than a million
nomes could carry in their pockets."

It was not difficult to walk through this passage, especially

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Tik-Tok of Oz

when the torches lighted the way, so they made good progress.
But it proved to be a long distance and Betsy had tired herself
with walking and was seated upon the back of the mule when
the passage made a sharp turn and a wonderful and glorious
light burst upon them. The next moment they were all stand
ing upon the edge of the marvelous Metal Forest.

It lay under another mountain and occupied a great
domed cavern, the roof of which was higher than a church
steeple. In this space the industrious nomes had built, dur
ing many years of labor, the most beautiful forest in the
world. The trees trunks, branches and leaves were all of
solid gold, while the bushes and underbrush were formed of
filigree silver, virgin pure. The trees towered as high as nat
ural live oaks do and were of exquisite workmanship.

On the ground were thickly strewn precious gems of every
hue and size, while here and there among the trees were
paths pebbled with cut diamonds of the clearest water.
Taken all together, more treasure was gathered in this Metal
Forest than is contained in all the rest of the world if we
except the land of Oz, where perhaps its value is equalled in
the famous Emerald City.

Our friends were so amazed at the sight that for a while
they stood gazing in silent wonder. Then Shaggy exclaimed :

"My brother! My dear lost brother! Is he indeed a
prisoner in this place?

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Yes," replied Kaliko. "The Ugly One has been here for
two or three years, to my positive knowledge."

"But what could he find to eat?" inquired Betsy. "It s an
awfully swell place to live in, but one can t breakfast on
rubies and diamonds, or even gold."

"One doesn t need to a my dear," Kaliko assured her.
"The Metal Forest does not fill all of this great cavern, by
any means. Beyond these gold and silver trees are other trees
of the real sort, which bear foods very nice to eat. Let us
walk in that direction, for I am quite sure we will find
Shaggy s brother in that part of the cavern, rather than in
this."

So they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbled paths,
and at every step they were more and more bewildered by the
wondrous beauty of the golden trees with their glittering
foliage.

Suddenly they heard a scream. Jewels scattered in every
direction as some one hidden among the bushes scampered
away before them. Then a loud voice cried: "Halt!" and
there was the sound of a struggle.

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CHAPTER 21

A Bashful Brother

WITH fast beating hearts they all rushed forward and,
beyond a group of stately metal trees, came full upon a most
astonishing scene.

There was Ruggedo in the hands of the officers of Ooga-
boo, a dozen of whom were clinging to the old nome and
holding him fast in spite of his efforts to escape. There also
was Queen Ann, looking grimly upon the scene of strife;
but when she observed her former companions approaching
she turned away in a shamefaced manner.

For Ann and her officers were indeed a sight to behold.
Her Majesty s clothing, once so rich and gorgeous, was now
worn and torn into shreds by her long crawl through the

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Tik-Tok of Oz

tunnel, which, by the way, had led her directly into the Metal
Forest. It was, indeed, one of the three secret passages, and
by far the most difficult of the three. Ann had not only
torn her pretty skirt and jacket, but her crown had become
bent and battered and even her shoes were so cut and slashed
that they were ready to fall from her feet.

The officers had fared somewhat worse than their leader,
for holes were worn in the knees of their trousers, while sharp
points of rock in the roof and sides of the tunnel had made
rags of every inch of their once brilliant uniforms. A more
tattered and woeful army never came out of a battle, than
these harmless victims of the rocky passage. But it had
seemed their only means of escape from the cruel Nome
King; so they had crawled on, regardless of their sufferings.

When they reached the Metal Forest their eyes beheld
more plunder than they had ever dreamed of; yet they were
prisoners in this huge dome and could not escape with the
riches heaped about them. Perhaps a more unhappy and
homesick lot of "conquerors" never existed than this band
from Oogaboo.

After several days of wandering in their marvelous
prison they were frightened by the discovery that Rug-
gedo had come among them. Rendered desperate by their
sad condition, the officers exhibited courage for the first time
since they left home and, ignorant of the fact that Ruggedo

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Chapter Twenty-One

was no longer King of the nomes, they threw themselves
upon him and had just succeeded in capturing him when their
fellow adventurers reached the spot.

"Goodness gracious!" cried Betsy. "What has happened
to you all T

Ann came forward to greet them, sorrowful and indignant.

"We were obliged to escape from the pit through a small
tunnel, which was lined with sharp and jagged rocks," said
she, "and not only was our clothing torn to rags but our flesh
is so bruised and sore that we are stiff and lame in every joint.
To add to our troubles we find we are still prisoners ; but now
that we have succeeded in capturing the wicked Metal Mon
arch we shall force him to grant us our liberty."

"Ruggedo is no longer Metal Monarch, or King of the
nomes," Files informed her. "He has been deposed and
cast out of his kingdom by Quox; but here is the new King,
whose name is Kaliko, and I am pleased to assure Your Maj
esty that he is our friend."

"Glad to meet Your Majesty, I m sure," said Kaliko, bow
ing as courteously as if the Queen still wore splendid raiment.

The officers, having heard this explanation, now set Rug
gedo free ; but, as he had no place to go, he stood by and faced
his former servant, who was now King in his place, in a
humble and pleading manner.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kaliko sternly.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

&lt;f Why, I was promised as much treasure as I could carry
in my pockets," replied Ruggedo; "so I came here to get it,
not wishing to disturb Your Majesty."

"You were commanded to leave the country of the nomes
forever!" declared Kaliko.

"I know; and I ll go as soon as I have filled my pockets,"
said Ruggedo, meekly.

"Then fill them, and be gone," returned the new King.

Ruggedo obeyed. Stooping down, he began gathering up
jewels by the handful and stuffing them into his many
pockets. They were heavy things, these diamonds and rubies
and emeralds and amethysts and the like, so before long Rug
gedo was staggering with the weight he bore, while the pock
ets were not yet filled. When he could no longer stoop over
without falling, Betsy and Polychrome and the Rose Princess
came to his assistance, picking up the finest gems and tucking
them into his pockets.

At last these were all filled and Ruggedo presented a
comical sight, for surely no man ever before had so many
pockets, or any at all filled with such a choice collection of
precious stones. He neglected to thank the young ladies for
their kindness, but gave them a surly nod of farewell and
staggered down the path by the way he had come. They
let him depart in silence, for with all he had taken, the
masses of jewels upon the ground seemed scarcely to have

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Tik-Tok of Oz

been disturbed, so numerous were they. Also they hoped
they had seen the last of the degraded King.

"I m awful glad he s gone," said Betsy, sighing deeply.
"If he doesn t get reckless and spend his wealth foolishly,
he s got enough to start a bank when he gets to Oklahoma."

"But my brother my dear brother! Where is he?" in
quired Shaggy anxiously. "Have you seen him, Queen
Ann?

"What does your brother look like?" asked the Queen.

Shaggy hesitated to reply, but Betsy said: "He s called
the Ugly One. Perhaps you ll know him by that."

"The only person we have seen in this cavern," said Ann,
"has run away from us whenever we approached him. He
hides over yonder, among the trees that are not gold, and we
have never been able to catch sight of his face. So I cannot
tell whether he is ugly or not."

"That must be my dear brother!" exclaimed Shaggy.

"Yes, it must be," assented Kaliko. "No one else inhabits
this splendid dome, so there can be no mistake."

"But why does he hide among those green trees, instead
of enjoying all these glittery golden ones?" asked Betsy.

"Because he finds food among the natural trees," replied
Kaliko, "and I remember that he has built a little house
there, to sleep in. As for these glittery golden trees, I will
admit they are very pretty at first sight. One cannot fail to

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Chapter Twenty-One

admire them, as well as the rich jewels scattered beneath
them; but if one has to look at them always, they become
pretty tame."

"I believe that is true," declared Shaggy. "My dear
brother is very wise to prefer real trees to the imitation ones.
But come ; let us go there and find him."

Shaggy started for the green grove at once, and the others
followed him, being curious to witness the final rescue of his
long-sought, long-lost brother.

Not far from the edge of the grove they came upon a
small hut, cleverly made of twigs and golden branches woven
together. As they approached the place they caught a
glimpse of a form that darted into the hut and slammed the
door tight shut after him.

Shaggy Man ran to the door and cried aloud :

"Brother! Brother!"

"Who calls," demanded a sad, hollow voice from within.

"It is Shaggy your own loving brother who has been
searching for you a long time and has now come to rescue
you."

"Too late!" replied the gloomy voice. "No one can res

cue me now."

"Oh, but you are mistaken about that," said Shaggy.
"There is a new King of the nomes, named Kaliko, in Rug-
gedo s place, and he has promised you shall go free."

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"Free ! I dare not go free !" said the Ugly One, in a voice
of despair.

"Why not, Brother?" asked Shaggy, anxiously.

"Do you know what they have done to me?" came the
answer through the closed door.

"No. Tell me, Brother, what have they done?"

"When Ruggedo first captured me I was very handsome.
Don t you remember, Shaggy?"

"Not very well, Brother; you were so young when I left
home. But I remember that mother thought you were
beautiful."

"She was right! I am sure she was right," wailed the
prisoner. "But Ruggedo wanted to injure me to make me
ugly in the eyes of all the world so he performed a wicked
enchantment. I went to bed beautiful or you might say
handsome to be very modest I will merely claim that I was
good-looking and I wakened the next morning the homeliest
man in all the world ! I am so repulsive that when I look in
a mirror I frighten myself."

"Poor Brother!" said Shaggy softly, and all the others
were silent from sympathy.

"I was so ashamed of my looks," continued the voice of
Shaggy s brother, "that I tried to hide; but the cruel King
Ruggedo forced me to appear before all the legion of nomes,
to whom he said: Behold the Ugly One! But when the

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Chapter Twenty-One

nomes saw my face they all fell to laughing and jeering,
which prevented them from working at their tasks. Seeing
this, Ruggedo became angry and pushed me into a tunnel,
closing the rock entrance so that I could not get out. I fol
lowed the length of the tunnel until I reached this huge dome,
where the marvelous Metal Forest stands, and here I have
remained ever since."

"Poor Brother!" repeated Shaggy. "But I beg you now
to come forth and face us, who are your friends. None here
will laugh or jeer, however unhandsome you may be."

"No, indeed," they all added pleadingly.

But the Ugly One refused the invitation.

"I cannot," said he; "indeed, I cannot face strangers, ugly
as I am."

Shaggy Man turned to the group surrounding him.

"What shall I do?" he asked in sorrowful tones. "I can
not leave my dear brother here, and he refuses to come out of
that house and face us."

"I ll tell you," replied Betsy. "Let him put on a mask."

"The very idea I was seeking!" exclaimed Shaggy joy
fully; and then he called out: "Brother, put a mask over
your face, and then none of us can see what your features
are like."

"I have no mask," answered the Ugly One.

"Look here," said Betsy; "he can use my handkerchief."

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Shaggy looked at the little square of cloth and shook his
head.

"It isn t big enough," he objected; "I m sure it isn t big
enough to hide a man s face. But he can use mine."

Saying this he took from his pocket his own handkerchief
and went to the door of the hut.

"Here, my Brother," he called, "take this handkerchief
and make a mask of it. I will also pass you my knife, so that
you may cut holes for the eyes, and then you must tie it over
your face."

The door slowly opened,, just far enough for the Ugly One
to thrust out his hand and take the handkerchief and the
knife. Then it closed again.

"Don t forget a hole for your nose," cried Betsy. "You
must breathe, you know."

For a time there was silence. Queen Ann and her army
sat down upon the ground to rest. Betsy sat on Hank s back.
Polychrome danced lightly up and down the jeweled paths
while Files and the Princess wandered through the groves
arm in arm. Tik-Tok, who never tired, stood motionless.

By and by a noise sounded from within the hut.

"Are you ready?" asked Shaggy.

"Yes, Brother," came the reply, and the door was thrown
open to allow the Ugly One to step forth.

Betsy might have laughed aloud had she not remembered

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how sensitive to ridicule Shaggy s brother was, for the hand
kerchief with which he had masked his features was a red one
covered with big white polka dots. In this two holes had
been cut in front of the eyes while two smaller ones be
fore the nostrils allowed the man to breathe freely. The cloth
was then tightly drawn over the Ugly One s face and knotted
at the back of his neck.

He was dressed in clothes that had once been good, but
now were sadly worn and frayed. His silk stockings had
holes in them, and his shoes were stub-toed and needed black
ening. "But what can you expect," whispered Betsy, "when
the poor man has been a prisoner for so many years?"

Shaggy had darted forward, and embraced his newly
found brother with both his arms. The brother also embraced
Shaggy, who then led him forward and introduced him to
all the assembled company.

"This is the new Nome King," he said when he came to
Kaliko. "He is our friend, and has granted you your
freedom."

"That is a kindly deed," replied Ugly in a sad voice, "but
I dread to go back to the world in this direful condition.
Unless I remain forever masked, my dreadful face would
curdle all the milk and stop all the clocks."

"Can t the enchantment be broken in some way?" in
quired Betsy.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Shaggy looked anxiously at Kaliko, who shook his head.

"I am sure / can t break the enchantment," he said. "Rug-
gedo was fond of magic, and learned a good many enchant
ments that we nomes know nothing of."

"Perhaps Ruggedo himself might break his own enchant
ment," suggested Ann; "but unfortunately we have allowed
the old King to escape."

"Never mind, my dear Brother," said Shaggy consol
ingly; "I am very happy to have found you again, although
I may never see your face. So let us make the most of this
joyful reunion."

The Ugly One was affected to tears by this tender speech,
and the tears began to wet the red handkerchief; so Shaggy
gently wiped them away with his coat sleeve.

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CHAPTER 22

Kindly Kisses

"WON T you be dreadful sorry to leave this lovely place?"
Betsy asked the Ugly One.

"No, indeed," said he. "Jewels and gold are cold and
heartless things, and I am sure I would presently have died of
loneliness had I not found this natural forest at the edge of
the artificial one. Anyhow, without these real trees I should
soon have starved to death."

Betsy looked around at the quaint trees.

"I don t just understand that," she admitted. "What
could you find to eat here,"

"The best food in the world," Ugly answered. "Do you
see that grove at your left?" he added, pointing it out; "well,

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such trees as those do not grow in your country, or in any
other place but this cavern. I have named them Hotel
Trees, because they bear a certain kind of table d hote fruit
called Three-Course Nuts/ "

"That s funny!" said Betsy. "What are the Three-
Course Nuts like?"

"Something like cocoanuts, to look at," explained the
Ugly One. "All you have to do is to pick one of them and
then sit down and eat your dinner. You first unscrew the
top part and find a cupf ull of good soup. After you ve eaten
that, you unscrew the middle part and find a hollow filled
with meat and potatoes, vegetables and a fine salad. Eat that,
and unscrew the next section, and you come to the dessert in
the bottom of the nut. That is pie and cake, cheese and
crackers, and nuts and raisins. The Three-Course Nuts are
not all exactly alike in flavor or in contents, but they are all
good and in each one may be found a complete three-course
dinner."

"But how about breakfasts?" inquired Betsy.

"Why, there are Breakfast Trees for that, which grow
over there at the right. They bear nuts, like the others, only
the nuts contain coffee or chocolate, instead of soup; oatmeal
instead of meat-and-potatoes, and fruits instead of dessert.
Sad as has been my life in this wonderful prison, I must admit
that no one could live more luxuriously in the best hotel in the

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Chapter Twenty-Two

world than I have lived here; but I will be glad to get into
the open air again and see the good old sun and the silvery
moon and the soft green grass and the flowers that are kissed
by the morning dew. Ah, how much more lovely are those
blessed things than the glitter of gems or the cold gleam of
gold!"

"Of course," said Betsy. "I once knew a little boy who
wanted to catch the measles, because all the little boys in his
neighborhood but him had had em, and he was really unhappy
cause he couldn t catch em, try as he would. So I m pretty
certain that the things we want, and can t have, are not good
for us. Isn t that true, Shaggy?"

"Not always, my dear," he gravely replied. "If we didn t
want anything, we would never get anything, good or bad.
I think our longings are natural, and if we act as nature
prompts us we can t go far wrong."

Tor my part," said Queen Ann, "I think the world would
be a dreary place without the gold and jewels."

"All things are good in their way," said Shaggy; "but we
may have too much of any good thing. And I have noticed
that the value of anything depends upon how scarce it is, and
how difficult it is to obtain."

"Pardon me for interrupting you," said King Kaliko,
coming to their side, "but now that we have rescued Shaggy s
brother I would like to return to my royal cavern. Being the

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Tik-Tok of Oz

King of the Nomes, it is my duty to look after my restless
subjects and see that they behave themselves."

So they all turned and began walking through the Metal
Forest to the other side of the great domed cave, where they
had first entered it. Shaggy and his brother walked side by
side and both seemed rejoiced that they were together after
their long separation. Betsy didn t dare look at the polka-
dot handkerchief, for fear she would laugh aloud; so she
walked behind the two brothers and led Hank by holding
fast to his left ear.

When at last they reached the place where the passage
led to the outer world, Queen Ann said, in a hesitating way
that was unusual with her :

"I have not conquered this Nome Country, nor do I expect
to do so; but I would like to gather a few of these pretty
jewels before I leave this place."

"Help yourself, ma am," said King Kaliko, and at once
the officers of the Army took advantage of his royal permis
sion and began filling their pockets, while Ann tied a lot
of diamonds in a big handkerchief.

This accomplished, they all entered the passage, the nomes
going first to light the way with their torches. They had not
proceeded far when Betsy exclaimed :

"Why, there are jewels here, too!"

All eyes were turned upon the ground and they found a

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Chapter Twenty-Two

regular trail of jewels strewn along the rock floor.

"This is queer!" said Kaliko, much surprised. "I must
send some of my nomes to gather up these gems and replace
them in the Metal Forest, where they belong. I wonder how
they came to be here?"

All the way along the passage they found this trail of
jewels, but when they neared the end the mystery was ex
plained. For there, squatted upon the floor with his back
to the rock wall, sat old Ruggedo, puffing and blowing as if
he was all tired out. Then they realized it was he who had
scattered the jewels, from his many pockets, which one by
one had burst with the weight of their contents as he had
stumbled along the passage.

"But I don t mind," said Ruggedo, with a deep sigh. "I
now realize that I could not have carried such a weighty load
very far, even had I managed to escape from this passage
with it. The woman who sewed the pockets on my robe used
poor thread, for which I shall thank her."

"Have you any jewels left?" inquired Betsy.

He glanced into some of the remaining pockets.

"A few," said he, "but they will be sufficient to supply my
wants, and I no longer have any desire to be rich. If some of
you will kindly help me to rise, I ll get out of here and leave
you, for I know you all despise me and prefer my room to
my company."

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Shaggy and Kaliko raised the old King to his feet,
when he was confronted by Shaggy s brother, whom he
now noticed for the first time. The queer and unexpected
appearance of the Ugly One so startled Ruggedo that he gave
a wild cry and began to tremble, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Wh wh who is this?" he faltered.

"I am that helpless prisoner whom your cruel magic trans
formed from a handsome man into an ugly one!" answered
Shaggy s brother, in a voice of stern reproach.

"Really, Ruggedo," said Betsy, "you ought to be ashamed
of that mean trick."

"I am, my dear," admitted Ruggedo, who was now as
meek and humble as formerly he had been cruel and vin
dictive.

"Then," returned the girl, "you d better do some more
magic and give the poor man his own face again."

"I wish I could," answered the old King; "but you must
remember that Tititi-Hoochoo has deprived me of all my
magic powers. However, I never took the trouble to learn
just how to break the charm I cast over Shaggy s brother, for
I intended he should always remain ugly."

"Every charm," remarked pretty Polychrome, "has its
antidote; and, if you knew this charm of ugliness, Ruggedo,
you must have known how to dispel it."

He shook his head.

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Tik-Tok of Oz

"If I did, I I ve forgotten," he stammered regretfully.

"Try to think!" pleaded Shaggy, anxiously. "Please try
to think!"

Ruggedo ruffled his hair with both hands, sighed, slapped
his chest, rubbed his ear, and stared stupidly around the
group.

"I ve a faint recollection that there was one thing that
would break the charm," said he; "but misfortune has so
addled my brain that I can t remember what it was."

"See here, Ruggedo," said Betsy, sharply, "we ve treated
you pretty well, so far, but we won t stand for any nonsense,
and if you know what s good for yourself you ll think of that
charm!"

"Why?" he demanded, turning to look wonderingly at the
little girl.

"Because it means so much to Shaggy s brother. He s
dreadfully ashamed of himself, the way he is now, and you re
to blame for it. Fact is, Ruggedo, you ve done so much
wickedness in your life that it won t hurt you to do a kind
act now."

Ruggedo blinked at her, and sighed again, and then tried
very hard to think.

"I seem to remember, dimly," said he, "that a certain
kind of a kiss will break the charm of ugliness."

"What kind of a kiss?"

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Chapter Twenty-Two

"What kind? Why, it was it was it was either the
kiss of a Mortal Maid; or or the kiss of a Mortal Maid
who had once been a Fairy; or or the kiss of one who is still
a Fairy. I can t remember which. But of course no maid,
mortal or fairy, would ever consent to kiss a person so ugly
so dreadfully, fearfully, terribly ugly as Shaggy s
brother."

"I m not so sure of that," said Betsy, with admirable
courage; "I m a Mortal Maid, and if it is my kiss that will
break this awful charm, I -I ll do it!"

"Oh, you really couldn t," protested Ugly. "I would be
obliged to remove my mask, and when you saw my face,
nothing could induce you to kiss me, generous as you are."

"Well, as for that," said the little girl, "I needn t see your
face at all. Here s my plan : You stay in this dark passage,
and we ll send away the nomes with their torches. Then
you ll take off the handkerchief, and I I ll kiss you."

"This is awfully kind of you, Betsy!" said Shaggy, grate
fully.

"Well, it surely won t kill me," she replied; "and, if it
makes you and your brother happy, I m willing to take some
chances."

So Kaliko ordered the torch-bearers to leave the passage,
which they did by going through the rock opening. Queen
Ann and her army also went out; but the others were so inter-

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Tik-Tok of Oz

ested in Betsy s experiment that they remained grouped at
the mouth of the passageway. When the big rock swung into
place, closing tight the opening, they were left in total
darkness.

"Now, then," called Betsy in a cheerful voice, "have you
got that handkerchief off your face, Ugly?"

"Yes," he replied..

"Well, where are you, then?" she asked, reaching out her
arms.

"Here," said he.

"You ll have to stoop down, you know."

He found her hands and clasping them in his own stooped
until his face was near to that of the little girl. The others
heard a clear, smacking kiss, and then Betsy exclaimed :

"There ! I ve done it, and it didn t hurt a bit !"

"Tell me, dear brother; is the charm broken?" asked
Shaggy.

"I do not know," was the reply. "It may be, or it may
not be. I cannot tell."

"Has anyone a match?" inquired Betsy.

"I have several," said Shaggy.

"Then let Ruggedo strike one of them and look at your
brother s face, while we all turn our backs. Ruggedo made
your brother ugly, so I guess he can stand the horror of look
ing at him, if the charm isn t broken."

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Agreeing to this, Ruggedo took the match and lighted it.
He gave one look and then blew out the match.

"Ugly as ever!" he said with a shudder. "So it wasn t
the kiss of a Mortal Maid, after all."

"Let me try," proposed the Rose Princess, in her sweet
voice. "I am a Mortal Maid who was once a Fairy. Perhaps
my kiss will break the charm."

Files did not wholly approve of this, but he was too gen
erous to interfere. So the Rose Princess felt her way through
the darkness to Shaggy s brother and kissed him.

Ruggedo struck another match, while they all turned
away.

"No," announced the former King; "that didn t break the
charm, either. It must be the kiss of a Fairy that is required
or else my memory has failed me altogether."

"Polly," said Betsy, pleadingly, "won t you try?"

"Of course I will!" answered Polychrome, with a merry
laugh. "I ve never kissed a mortal man in all the thousands
of years I have existed, but I ll do it to please our faithful
Shaggy Man, whose unselfish affection for his ugly brother
deserves to be rewarded."

Even as Polychrome was speaking she tripped lightly to
the side of the Ugly One and quickly touched his cheek with
her lips.

"Oh, thank you thank you!" he fervently cried. "I ve

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Tik-Tok of Oz

changed, this time, I know. I can feel it! I m different.
Shaggy dear Shaggy I am myself again!"

Files, who was near the opening, touched the spring that
released the big rock and it suddenly swung backward and
let in a flood of daylight.

Everyone stood motionless, staring hard at Shaggy s
brother, who, no longer masked by the polka-dot handker
chief, met their gaze with a glad smile.

Well," said Shaggy Man, breaking the silence at last
and drawing a long, deep breath of satisfaction, "you are no
longer the Ugly One, my dear brother; but, to be entirely
frank with you, the face that belongs to you is no more hand
some than it ought to be."

"I think he s rather good looking," remarked Betsy, gaz
ing at the man critically.

"In comparison with what he was," said King Kaliko, "he
is really beautiful. You, who never beheld his ugliness, may
not understand that; but it was my misfortune to look at the
Ugly One many times, and I say again that, in comparison
with what he was, the man is now beautiful."

"All right," returned Betsy, briskly, "we ll take your
word for it, Kaliko. And now let us get out of this tunnel
and into the world again."

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CHAPTER 23

Ruggedo Reforms

IT DID not take them long to regain the royal cavern of the
Nome King, where Kaliko ordered served to them the nicest
refreshments the place afforded.

Ruggedo had come trailing along after the rest of the
party and while no one paid any attention to the old King
they did not offer any objection to his presence or command
him to leave them. He looked fearfully to see if the eggs
were still guarding the entrance, but they had now disap
peared ; so he crept into the cavern after the others and hum
bly squatted down in a corner of the room.

There Betsy discovered him. All of the little girl s com
panions were now so happy at the success of Shaggy s quest

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Tik-Tok of Oz

for his brother, and the laughter and merriment seemed so
general, that Betsy s heart softened toward the friendless old
man who had once been their bitter enemy, and she carried to
him some of the food and drink.

Ruggedo s eyes filled with tears at this unexpected kind
ness. He took the child s hand in his own and pressed it
gratefully.

. "Look here, Kaliko," said Betsy, addressing the new
King, "what s the use of being hard on Ruggedo? All his
magic power is gone, so he can t do any more harm, and I m
sure he s sorry he acted so badly to everybody."

"Are you?" asked Kaliko, looking down at his former
master.

"I am," said Ruggedo. "The girl speaks truly. I m sorry
and I m harmless. I don t want to wander through the wide
world, on top of the ground, for I m a nome. No nome can
ever be happy any place but underground."

"That being the case," said Kaliko, "I will let you stay
here as long as you behave yourself; but, if you try to act
badly again, I shall drive you out, as Tititi-Hoochoo has com
manded, and you ll have to wander."

"Never fear. I ll behave," promised Ruggedo. "It is
hard work being a King, and harder still to be a good King.
But now that I am a common nome I am sure I can lead a
blameless life."

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Chapter Twenty-Three

They were all pleased to hear this and to know that Rug-
gedo had really reformed.

"I hope he ll keep his word," whispered Betsy to Shaggy;
"but if he gets bad again we will be far away from the Nome
Kingdom and Kaliko will have to tend to the old nome
himself."

Polychrome had been a little restless during the last hour
or two. The lovely Daughter of the Rainbow knew that she
had now done all in her power to assist her earth friends, and
so she began to long for her sky home.

"I think," she said, after listening intently, "that it is
beginning to rain. The Rain King is my uncle, you know,
and perhaps he has read my thoughts and is going to help me.
Anyway, I must take a look at the sky and make sure."

So she jumped up and ran through the passage to the
outer entrance, and they all followed after her and grouped
themselves on a ledge of the mountain-side. Sure enough,
dark clouds had filled the sky and a slow, drizzling rain had
set in.

"It can t last for long," said Shaggy, looking upward,
"and when it stops we shall lose the sweet little fairy we have
learned to love. Alas," he continued, after a moment, "the
clouds are already breaking in the west, and see ! isn t that
the Rainbow coming?"

Betsy didn t look at the sky; she looked at Polychrome,

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Tik-Tok of Oz

whose happy, smiling face surely foretold the coming of her
father to take her to the Cloud Palaces. A moment later a
gleam of sunshine flooded the mountain and a gorgeous Rain
bow appeared.

With a cry of gladness Polychrome sprang upon a point of
rock and held out her arms. Straightway the Rainbow
descended until its end was at her very feet, when with a
graceful leap she sprang upon it and was at once clasped in
the arms of her radiant sisters, the Daughters of the Rainbow.
But Polychrome released herself to lean over the edge of the
glowing arch and nod, and smile and throw a dozen kisses
to her late comrades.

"Good-bye!" she called, and they all shouted "Good
bye!" in return and waved their hands to their pretty friend.

Slowly the magnificent bow lifted and melted into the
sky, until the eyes of the earnest watchers saw only fleecy
clouds flitting across the blue.

"I m dreadful sorry to see Polychrome go," said Betsy,
who felt like crying; "but I s pose she ll be a good deal hap
pier with her sisters in the sky palaces."

"To be sure," returned Shaggy, nodding gravely. "It s
her home, you know, and those poor wanderers who, like our
selves, have no home, can realize what that means to her."

"Once," said Betsy, "I, too, had a home. Now, I ve only
-only dear old Hank!"

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Tik-Tok of Oz

She twined her arms around her shaggy friend who was
not human, and he said: "Hee-haw!" in a tone that showed
he understood her mood. And the shaggy friend who was
human stroked the child s head tenderly and said: "You re
wrong about that, Betsy dear. I will never desert you."

"Nor I!" exclaimed Shaggy s brother, in earnest tones.

The little girl looked up at them gratefully, and her eyes
smiled through their tears.

"All right," she said. "It s raining again, so let s go back
into the cavern."

Rather soberly, for all loved Polychrome and would miss
her, they reentered the dominions of the Nome King.

CHAPTER 24

Dorothy is Delighted

"WELL," said Queen Ann, when all were again seated in
Kaliko s royal cavern, "I wonder what we shall do next. If
I could find my way back to Oogaboo I d take my army home
at once, for I m sick and tired of these dreadful hardships."

"Don t you want to conquer the world?" asked Betsy.

"No; I ve changed my mind about that," admitted the
Queen. "The world is too big for one person to conquer and
I was happier with my own people in Oogaboo. I wish
Oh, how earnestly I wish that I was back there this minute !"

"So do I !" yelled every officer in a fervent tone.

Now, it is time for the reader to know that in the far-away
Land of Oz the lovely Ruler, Ozma, had been following the

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adventures of her Shaggy Man, and Tik-Tok, and all the
others they had met. Day by day Ozma, with the wonderful
Wizard of Oz seated beside her, had gazed upon a Magic
Picture in a radium frame, which occupied one side of the
Ruler s cosy boudoir in the palace of the Emerald City. The
singular thing about this Magic Picture was that it showed
whatever scene Ozma wished to see, with the figures all in
motion, just as it was taking place. So Ozma and the Wizard
had watched every action of the adventurers from the time
Shaggy had met shipwrecked Betsy and Hank in the Rose
Kingdom, at which time the Rose Princess, a distant cousin
of Ozma, had been exiled by her heartless subjects.

When Ann and her people so earnestly wished to return to
Oogaboo, Ozma was sorry for them and remembered that
Oogaboo was a corner of the Land of Oz. She turned to her
attendant and asked :

"Can not your magic take these unhappy people to their
old home, Wizard?

"It can, Your Highness," replied the little Wizard.

"I think the poor Queen has suffered enough in her mis
guided effort to conquer the world," said Ozma, smiling at
the absurdity of the undertaking, "so no doubt she will here
after be contented in her own little Kingdom. Please send
her there, Wizard, and with her the officers and Files."

"How about the Rose Princess? asked the Wizard.

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"Send her to Oogaboo with Files," answered Ozma.
"They have become such good friends that I am sure it would
make them unhappy to separate them."

"Very well," said the Wizard, and without any fuss or
mystery whatever he performed a magical rite that was simple
and effective. Therefore those seated in the Nome King s
cavern were both startled and amazed when all the people of
Oogaboo suddenly disappeared from the room, and with them
the Rose Princess. At first they could not understand it at
all ; but presently Shaggy suspected the truth, and believing
that Ozma was now taking an interest in the party he drew
from his pocket a tiny instrument which he placed against his
ear.

Ozma, observing this action in her Magic Picture, at once
caught up a similar instrument from a table beside her and
held it to her own ear. The two instruments recorded the
same delicate vibrations of sound and formed a wireless tele
phone, an invention of the Wizard. Those separated by
any distance were thus enabled to converse together with per
fect ease and without any wire connection.

"Do you hear me, Shaggy Man?" asked Ozma.

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied.

"I have sent the people of Oogaboo back to their own
little valley," announced the Ruler of Oz; "so do not worry
over their disappearance/*

Tik-Tok of Oz

"That was very kind of you," said Shaggy. "But Your
Highness must permit me to report that my own mission here
is now ended. I have found my lost brother, and he is now
beside me, freed from the enchantment of ugliness which
Ruggedo cast upon him. Tik-Tok has served me and my
comrades faithfully, as you requested him to do, and I hope
you will now transport the Clockwork Man back to your
fairyland of Oz."

"I will do that," replied Ozma. "But how about yourself,
Shaggy?"

"I have been very happy in Oz," he said, "but my duty
to others forces me to exile myself from that delightful land.
I must take care of my new-found brother, for one thing, and
I have a new comrade in a dear little girl named Betsy Bob
bin, who has no home to go to, and no other friends but me
and a small donkey named Hank. I have promised Betsy
never to desert her as long as she needs a friend, and so I
must give up the delights of the Land of Oz forever."

He said this with a sigh of regret, and Ozma made no
reply but laid the tiny instrument on her table, thus cutting
off all further communication with the Shaggy Man. But
the lovely Ruler of Oz still watched her magic picture, with
a thoughtful expression upon her face, and the little Wizard
of Oz watched Ozma and smiled softly to himself.

In the cavern of the Nome King Shaggy replaced the

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Chapter Twenty-Four

wireless telephone in his pocket and turning to Betsy said in
as cheerful a voice as he could muster :

"Well, little comrade, what shall we do next?

"I don t know, I m sure," she answered with a puzzled
face. "I m kind of sorry our adventures are over, for I en
joyed them, and now that Queen Ann and her people are
gone, and Polychrome is gone, and dear me! where s Tik-
Tok, Shaggy?

"He also has disappeared," said Shaggy, looking around
the cavern and nodding wisely. "By this time he is in Ozma s
palace in the Land of Oz, which is his home."

"Isn t it your home, too?" asked Betsy.

"It used to be, my dear; but now my home is wherever you
and my brother are. We are wanderers, you know, but if we
stick together I am sure we shall have a good time."

"Then," said the girl, "let us get out of this stuffy, under
ground cavern and go in search of new adventures. I m sure
it has stopped raining."

"I m ready," said Shaggy, and then they bade good-bye
to King Kaliko, and thanked him for his assistance, and went
out to the mouth of the passage.

The sky was now clear and a brilliant blue in color; the
sun shone brightly and even this rugged, rocky country
seemed delightful after their confinement underground.
There were but four of them now- Betsy and Hank, and

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Tik-Tok of Oz

Shaggy and his brother and the little party made their way
down the mountain and followed a faint path that led toward
the southwest.

During this time Ozma had been holding a conference
with the Wizard, and later with Tik-Tok, whom the magic
of the Wizard had quickly transported to Ozma s palace.
Tik-Tok had only words of praise for Betsy Bobbin, "who,"
he said, "is al-most as nice as Dor-o-thy her-self ."

"Let us send for Dorothy," said Ozma, and summoning
her favorite maid, who was named Jellia Jamb, she asked her
to request Princess Dorothy to attend her at once. So a few
moments later Dorothy entered Ozma s room and greeted her
and the Wizard and Tik-Tok with the same gentle smile and
simple manner that had won for the little girl the love of
everyone she met.

"Did you want to see me, Ozma?" she asked.

"Yes, dear. I am puzzled how to act, and I want your
advice."

"I don t b lieve it s worth much," replied Dorothy, "but
I ll do the best I can. What is it all about, Ozma?"

"You all know," said the girl Ruler, addressing her three
friends, "what a serious thing it is to admit any mortals into
this fairyland of Oz. It is true I have invited several mortals
to make their home here, and all of them have proved true
and loyal subjects. Indeed, no one of you three was a native

256

Chapter Twenty-Four

of Oz. Dorothy and the Wizard came here from the United
States, and Tik-Tok came from the Land of Ev. But of
course he is not a mortal. Shaggy is another American, and
he is the cause of all my worry, for our dear Shaggy will not
return here and desert the new friends he has found in his
recent adventures, because he believes they need his services."

"Shaggy Man was always kind-hearted," remarked Doro
thy. "But who are these new friends he has found?"

"One is his brother, who for many years has been a pris
oner of the Nome King, our old enemy Ruggedo. This
brother seems a kindly, honest fellow, but he has done noth
ing to entitle him to a home in the Land of Oz."

"Who else?" asked Dorothy.

"I have told you about Betsy Bobbin, the little girl who
was shipwrecked in much the same way you once were- and
has since been following the Shaggy Man in his search for
his lost brother. You remember her, do you not?"

"Oh, yes !" exclaimed Dorothy. "I ve often watched her
and Hank in the Magic Picture, you know. She s a dear
little girl, and old Hank is a darling ! Where are they now?"

"Look and see/ replied Ozma with a smile at her friend s
enthusiasm.

Dorothy turned to the picture, which showed Betsy and
Hank, with Shaggy and his brother, trudging along the rocky
paths of a barren country.

257

Tik-Tok of Oz

"Seems to me/ 5 she said, musingly, "that they re a good
way from any place to sleep, or any nice things to eat."

"You are right," said Tik-Tok. "I have been in that
coun-try, and it is a wil-der-ness."

"It is the country of the nomes," explained the Wizard,
"who are so mischievous that no one cares to live near them.
I m afraid Shaggy and his friends will endure many hard
ships before they get out of that rocky place, unless "

He turned to Ozma and smiled.

"Unless I ask you to transport them all here?" she asked.

"Yes, your Highness."

"Could your magic do that?" inquired Dorothy.

"I think so," said the Wizard.

"Well," said Dorothy, "as far as Betsy and Hank are
concerned, I d like to have them here in Oz. It would be
such fun to have a girl playmate of my own age, you see.
And Hank is such a dear little mule!"

Ozma laughed at the wistful expression in the girl s eyes,
and then she drew Dorothy to her and kissed her.

"Am I not your friend and playmate?" she asked.

Dorothy flushed.

"You know how dearly I love you, Ozma!" she cried.
"But you re so busy ruling all this Land of Oz that we can t
always be together."

"I know, dear. My first duty is to my subjects, and I

258

Chapter Twenty-Four

think it would be a delight to us all to have Betsy with us.
There s a pretty suite of rooms just opposite your own where
she can live, and I ll build a golden stall for Hank in the
stable where the Sawhorse lives. Then we ll introduce the
mule to the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, and Fm
sure they will soon become firm friends. But I cannot very
well admit Betsy and Hank into Oz unless I also admit
Shaggy s brother."

"And, unless you admit Shaggy s brother, you will keep
out poor Shaggy, whom we are all very fond of," said the
Wizard.

"Well, why not ad-mit him?" demanded Tik-Tok.

"The Land of Oz is not a refuge for all mortals in dis
tress," explained Ozma. "I do not wish to be unkind to
Shaggy Man, but his brother has no claim on me."

"The Land of Oz isn t crowded," suggested Dorothy.

"Then you advise me to admit Shaggy s brother?" in
quired Ozma.

"Well, we can t afford to lose our Shaggy Man, can we?"

"No, indeed!" returned Ozma. "What do you say,
Wizard?

"I m getting my magic ready to transport them all."

"And you, Tik-Tok?"

"Shag-gy s broth-er is a good fel-low, and we can t spare
Shag-gy."

259

Tik-Tok of Oz

"So, then a the question is settled," decided Ozma. "Per
form your magic, Wizard!"

He did so, placing a silver plate upon a small standard
and pouring upon the plate a small quantity of pink powder
which was contained in a crystal vial. Then he muttered a
rather difficult incantation which the sorceress Glinda the
Good had taught him, and it all ended in a puff of per
fumed smoke from the silver plate. This smoke was so pun
gent that it made both Ozma and Dorothy rub their eyes for
a moment.

"You must pardon these disagreeable fumes," said the
Wizard. "I assure you the smoke is a very necessary part
of my wizar3ry."

"Look!" cried Dorothy, pointing to the Magic Picture;
"they re gone ! All of them are gone."

Indeed, the picture now showed the same rocky land
scape as before, but the three people and the mule had dis
appeared from it.

"They are gone," said the Wizard, polishing the silver
plate and wrapping it in a fine cloth, "because they are here."

At that moment Jellia Jamb entered the room.

"Your Highness," she said to Ozma, "the Shaggy Man
and another man are in the waiting room and ask to pay their
respects to you. Shaggy is crying like a baby, but he says
they are tears of joy."

260

Tik-Tok of Oz

"Send them here at once, Jellia!" commanded Ozma.

"Also," continued the maid, "a girl and a small-sized mule
have mysteriously arrived, but they don t seem to know
where they are or how they came here. Shall I send them
here, too?

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Dorothy, eagerly jumping up from
her chair; "I ll go to meet Betsy myself, for she ll feel awful
strange in this big palace."

And she ran down the stairs two at a time to greet her new
friend, Betsy Bobbin.

262

CHAPTER 25

The Land of Love

"WELL, is hee-haw all you are able to say?" inquired the
Sawhorse, as he examined Hank with his knot eyes and slowly
wagged the branch that served him for a tail.

They were in a beautiful stable in the rear of Ozma s
palace, where the wooden Sawhorse very much alive lived
in a gold-paneled stall, and where there were rooms for the
Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, which were filled with
soft cushions for them to lie upon and golden troughs for
them to eat from.

Beside the staH of the Sawhorse had been placed another
for Hank, the mule. This was not quite so beautiful as the
other, for the Sawhorse was Ozma s favorite steed; but Hank

263

Tik-Tok of Oz

had a supply of cushions for a bed (which the Sawhorse did
not need because he never slept) and all this luxury was
so strange to the little mule that he could only stand still and
regard his surroundings and his queer companions with
wonder and amazement.

The Cowardly Lion, looking very dignified, was stretched
out upon the marble floor of the stable, eyeing Hank with a
calm and critical gaze, while near by crouched the huge
Hungry Tiger, who seemed equally interested in the new
animal that had just arrived. The Sawhorse, standing stiffly
before Hank, repeated his question :

"Is hee-haw all you are able to say?"

Hank moved his ears in an embarrassed manner.

"I have never said anything else, until now," he replied;
and then he began to tremble with fright to hear himself talk.

"I can well understand that," remarked the Lion, wagging
his great head with a swaying motion. "Strange things
happen in this Land of Oz, as they do everywhere else. I
believe you came here from the cold, civilized, outside world,
did you not?"

"I did," replied Hank. "One minute I was outside of Oz
and the next minute I was inside! That was enough to
give me a nervous shock, as you may guess; but to find my
self able to talk, as Betsy does, is a marvel that staggers me."

"That is because you are in the Land of Oz," said the

264

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sawhorse. "All animals talk, in this favored country, and
you must admit it is more sociable than to bray your dread
ful hee-haw/ which nobody can understand."

"Mules understand it very well," declared Hank.

"Oh, indeed! Then there must be other mules in your
outside world a " said the Tiger, yawning sleepily.

"There are a great many in America," said Hank. "Arc
you the only Tiger in Oz?"

"No," acknowledged the Tiger, "I have many relatives
living in the Jungle Country; but I am the only Tiger living
in the Emerald City."

"There are other Lions, too," said the Sawhorse; "but I
am the only horse, of any description, in this favored Land."

"That is why this Land is favored," said the Tiger. "You
must understand, friend Hank, that the Sawhorse puts on airs
because he is shod with plates of gold, and because our be
loved Ruler, Ozma of Oz, likes to ride upon his back."

"Betsy rides upon my back," declared Hank proudly.

"Who is Betsy?

"The dearest, sweetest girl in all the world!"

The Sawhorse gave an angry snort and stamped his
golden feet. The Tiger crouched and growled. Slowly the
great Lion rose to his feet, his mane bristling.

"Friend Hank," said he, "either you are mistaken in judg
ment or you are willfully trying to deceive us. The dearest,

265

Tik-Tok of Oz

sweetest girl in the world is our Dorothy, and I will fight
anyone animal or human who dares to deny it!"

"So will I!" snarled the Tiger, showing two rows of enor
mous white teeth.

"You are all wrong!" asserted the Sawhorse in a voice of
scorn. "No girl living can compare with my mistress, Ozma
ofOz!"

Hank slowly turned around until his heels were toward
the others. Then he said stubbornly:

"I am not mistaken in my statement, nor will I admit
there can be a sweeter girl alive than Betsy Bobbin. If you
want to fight, come on I m ready for you!"

While they hesitated, eyeing Hank s heels doubtfully, a
merry peal of laughter startled the animals and turning their
heads they beheld three lovely girls standing just within the
richly carved entrance to the stable. In the center was Ozma,
her arms encircling the waists of Dorothy and Betsy, who
stood on either side of her. Ozma was nearly half a head
taller than the two other girls, who were almost of one size.
Unobserved, they had listened to the talk of the animals,
which was a very strange experience indeed to little Betsy
Bobbin.

"You foolish beasts!" exclaimed the Ruler of Oz, in a
gentle but chiding tone of voice. "Why should you fight to
defend us, who are all three loving friends and in no sense

266

Chapter Twenty-Five

rivals? Answer me!" she continued, as they bowed their
heads sheepishly.

"I have the right to express my opinion, your Highness,"
pleaded the Lion.

"And so have the others," replied Ozma. "I am glad
you and the Hungry Tiger love Dorothy best, for she was your
first friend and companion. Also I am pleased that my Saw-
horse loves me best, for together we have endured both joy
and sorrow. Hank has proved his faith and loyalty by de
fending his own little mistress; and so you are all right in
one way, but wrong in another. Our Land of Oz is a Land
of Love, and here friendship outranks every other quality.
Unless you can all be friends, you cannot retain our love."

They accepted this rebuke very meekly.

"All right," said the Sawhorse, quite cheerfully; "shake
hoofs, friend Mule."

Hank touched his hoof to that of the wooden horse.

"Let us be friends and rub noses," said the Tiger. So
Hank modestly rubbed noses with the big beast.

The Lion merely nodded and said, as he crouched before
the mule :

"Any friend of a friend of our beloved Ruler is a friend
of the Cowardly Lion. That seems to cover your case. If
ever you need help or advice, friend Hank, call on me."

"Why, this is as it should be," said Ozma, highly pleased

267

Tik-Tok of Oz

to see them so fully reconciled. Then she turned to her
companions : "Come, my dears, let us resume our walk."

As they turned away Betsy said wonderingly:

"Do all the animals in Oz talk as we do?"

"Almost all," answered Dorothy. "There s a Yellow Hen
here, and she can talk, and so can her chickens; and there s
a Pink Kitten upstairs in my room who talks very nicely;
but I ve a little fuzzy black dog, named Toto, who has been
with me in Oz a long time, and he s never said a single word
but Bow-wow! "

"Do you know why?" asked Ozma.

"Why, he s a Kansas dog; so I s pose he s different from
these fairy animals," replied Dorothy.

"Hank isn t a fairy animal, any more than Toto," said
Ozma, "yet as soon as he came under the spell of our fairy
land he found he could talk. It was the same way with Bill-
ina, the Yellow Hen whom you brought here at one time.
The same spell has affected Toto, I assure you; but he s a wise
little dog and while he knows everything that is said to him
he prefers not to talk."

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I never s pected
Toto was fooling me all this time." Then she drew a small
silver whistle from her pocket and blew a shrill note upon it.
A moment later there was a sound of scurrying footsteps, and
a shaggy black dog came running up the path.

268

Tik-Tok of Oz

Dorothy knelt down before him and shaking her finger
just above his nose she said :

"Toto, haven t I always been good to you?"

Toto looked up at her with his bright black eyes and
wagged his tail.

"Bow-wow!" he said, and Betsy knew at once that meant
yes, as well as Dorothy and Ozma knew it, for there was no
mistaking the tone of Toto s voice.

"That s a dog answer," said Dorothy. "How would you
like it, Toto, if I said nothing to you but bow-wow ?"

Toto s tail was wagging furiously now, but otherwise he
was silent.

"Really, Dorothy," said Betsy, "he can talk with his bark
and his tail just as well as we can. Don t you understand
such dog language?"

"Of course I do," replied Dorothy. "But Toto s got to
be more sociable. See here, sir!" she continued, addressing
the dog, "I ve just learned, for the first time, that you can
say words if you want to. Don t you want to, Toto?"

"Woof!" said Toto, and that meant "no."

"Not just one word, Toto, to prove you re as good as any
other animal in Oz?"

"Woof!"

"Just one word, Toto and then you may run away."

He looked at her steadily a moment.

270

Chapter Twenty-Five

"All right. Here I go!" he said, and darted away as
swift as an arrow.

Dorothy clapped her hands in delight, while Betsy and
Ozma both laughed heartily at her pleasure and the success
of her experiment. Arm in arm they sauntered away through
the beautiful gardens of the palace, where magnificent flowers
bloomed in abundance and fountains shot their silvery sprays
far into the air. And by and by, as they turned a corner,
they came upon Shaggy Man and his brother, who were seated
together upon a golden bench.

The two arose to bow respectfully as the Ruler of Oz
approached them.

"How are you enjoying our Land of Oz?" Ozma asked the
stranger.

"I am very happy here, Your Highness," replied Shaggy s
brother. "Also I am very grateful to you for permitting me
to live in this delightful place."

"You must thank Shaggy for that," said Ozma. "Being
his brother, I have made you welcome here."

"When you know Brother better," said Shaggy earnestly,
"you will be glad he has become one of your loyal subjects.
I am just getting acquainted with him myself, and I find much
in his character to admire."

Leaving the brothers, Ozma and the girls continued their
walk. Presently Betsy exclaimed:

271

Tik-Tok of Oz

"Shaggy s brother can t ever be as happy in Oz as / am.
Do you know, Dorothy, I didn t believe any girl could ever
have such a good time anywhere as I m having now?"

"I know," answered Dorothy. "I ve felt that way myself,
lots of times."

"I wish," continued Betsy, dreamily, "that every little
girl in the world could live in the Land of Oz; and every
little boy, too!"

Ozma laughed at this.

"It is quite fortunate for us, Betsy, that your wish cannot
be granted," said she, "for all that army of girls and boys
would crowd us so that we would have to move away."

"Yes," agreed Betsy, after a little thought, "I guess that s
true."

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