[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
hung on the wall of the shed, and leaning forward stared long and earnestly at his reflection.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Well?" asked Philador as the little man continued to gaze in the mirror, "are you the same?"
"No, I've shrunk! It must have been the boiling," mused the medicine man in a depressed
voice. "My eyes look queer and there's a queer rattle in my chest. Hear it?" He shook himself from side
to side, and Philador was forced to confess that he did. "Never mind, though," piped the little fellow at
last. "I'm out of that bottle and that's something!" Throwing out his chest he put both hands in his pockets
and beamed upon the little boy.
Philador gave a frightened scream and pointing at his shirt front bade him look in the mirror.
No wonder Philador had screamed! When the medicine man threw out his chest, both sides of his shirt
front flew open like the doors in a small closet, disclosing three shelves. On these shelves stood a row of
boxes and bottles and as the little Prince continued to stare, the old gentleman took out first one and then
another. Clicking his heels together he. sprang gleefully into the air.
"It's all my remedies!" he explained excitedly. "My laugh lozenges, soothing syrup, cross drops
and everything! How handy to have a medicine chest and always right with me!"
"Doesn't it hurt?" asked Philador doubtfully. "Can you breathe all right and don't it feel
hollow?" The medicine man took three long breaths, put back all the bottles and boxes and slamming the
doors of his chest shook his head delightedly.
"It feels fine!" he said gaily. "But look here, isn't this Mombi's hut and hadn't we better run
before she comes back?" Philador had been so interested he had forgotten his own troubles for a few
moments, but now he rapidly told the medicine man the mischief Mombi had done to his own royal family
and of the threat of Quiberon to destroy the Ozure Isles. Then he explained how Mombi herself had been
conquered by Tattypoo and later put out by order of Ozma of Oz.
The medicine man listened with interest and concern and when the little Prince told of his flight
on the blue gull to the good witch's hut and of the strange disappearance of Tattypoo and the message on
the magic slate he ruffled up his wonderful hair and declared himself ready to go at once to the Emerald
City.
"Two heads are better than one," he asserted stoutly. "You released me from that odious
bottle and I shall never rest until I have repaid you.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Thank you, Sir!" Straightening his crown, Philador smiled gratefully at his strange new friend.
"Oh, call me Herby," chuckled the medicine man, winking his cough drops eyes merrily, "and
I'll call you Phil for short. How will that be?"
"All right, Herby," laughed the little Prince, deciding it would be quite jolly to have this gay little
Gilliken accompany him to the capital. Herby heartily approved of his plan for taking some of Tattypoo's
magic along and after a short search they took the good witch's thinking cap from a peg on the door and
a rope they found curled up on the kitchen table. The rope was marked "jumping rope," and would come
in mighty handily on a journey of adventures. Pouring several saucers of milk for the cat with two tails,
Philador put the jumping rope in the basket, the basket on his arm and declared himself ready to start.
Herby had the witch's thinking cap slung round his neck and almost instantly it proved its magic powers.
Neither Herby nor the little Prince knew in which direction the Emerald City lay, and as they stood
looking uncertainly into the forest the medicine man bethought himself of the cap. Putting it on his head he
asked it to tell them the way to the capital. The medicine man's little brown face looked so comical under
the cap ruffles, Philador could not help laughing but Herby, closing his eyes began to walk straight ahead.
CHAPTER 9
King of the Uplanders
DEEPER and deeper the two travelers penetrated into the grim forest. Except for the twitter
of birds, and the occasional creaking of a branch, as some animal made its way through the underbrush,
there was no sound. Almost holding his breath, Philador trotted after the old Medicine Man, peering
nervously to the right and left and half expecting a bear or walapus to spring out of some hollow tree. But
as time passed and no wild beasts of any nature did appear, he began to breathe easier and to look
around with real interest and delight. The huge gnarled trees were tinged with purple. Wild grape and
wistaria vines climbed in riotous profusion up the trunks and out over the limbs, lacing them together and
forming fairy-like arbors and leafy lanes. The floor of the forest was thickly strewn with violets and the
fragrance of lavender was everywhere. Herby, being a native Gilliken, was accustomed to the grandeur
of the forest and pattered along in a business-like manner, giving no attention to the purple pansies,
clustered around the great trees, nor the lordly flags, edging each forest stream.
"I've heard that the Emerald City is but a day's journey from Mombi's hut," he called over his
shoulder, "and with this thinking cap to guide us we'll be there for dinner. Then Ozma can magically
transport us to the Ozure Isles and save your father's Kingdom. I trust the Wizard of Oz will give me an
audience," he added hopefully. "I'd like to show him my medicine chest and tell him my story."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"But I wonder what did become of Tattypoo?" mused Philador, stopping to admire some
especially lovely pansies. "Do you suppose we shall ever find out?"
"Of course! Of course! With Ozma's famous picture and the Wizard's magic we shall discover
everything." Waving his arms happily, Herby quickened his steps. As for Philador, the more he thought
about the capital of Oz, the more impatient he became to reach his journey's end. Herby had taken off
the thinking cap, and was marching along briskly, the boxes and bottles in his medicine chest rattling and
tinkling and his wispy white hair snapping in the morning breeze. The trees were farther apart now, and
presently they stepped out of the forest altogether. But only to find themselves on the brink of a rushing
torrent.
"Now what?" muttered the medicine man gloomily, and while Philador gazed anxiously up and
down the bank, he hurriedly opened the chest.
"What are you doing?" asked the boy curiously, as Herby poured several pills from a small
bottle into his palm.
"Keeping myself from getting cross," puffed the medicine man, quickly swallowing the pills.
"Have some?"
"But we want to get cross this river!" chuckled the little Prince laughing in spite of himself.
"Well, I don't see how we are to do it, Phil." Mournfully the little man returned the pill bottle to
his chest and slammed the doors."That's what was making me cross, and I never allow myself to feel
cross," he finished placidly.
"Surely there is some way over." Sitting down on a log, Philador stared thoughtfully at the
ground. Both had forgotten the thinking cap which would doubtless have solved the problem in a second.
As it was, they wasted nearly ten minutes wondering what to do and would probably have been sitting
there yet, had not a sudden rattle from the witch's basket attracted their attention. Peeping in to see
whether a squirrel had gotten into the sandwiches, Phil was surprised to see the jumping rope knocking
its handles sharply together.
"Hurrah!" shouted the medicine man. "Tattypoo is helping us. Take the rope Phil, and see what
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
happens." Rather uncertainly Philador picked up the rope. Nothing happened at first, then Phil began to
revolve it as he had seen the little girls on the Ozure Isles do. At the second skip he flew lightly over the
raging river. Herby shouted and waved from the other side so he gaily skipped back.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]