When a hat had been put on the head, the thing was a good imitation of a
man. The farmer placed the Scarecrow on a pole in his cornfield and it
came to life in a curious manner. Dorothy, who was passing by the
field, was hailed by the live Scarecrow and lifted him off his pole. He
then went with her to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz gave him
some excellent brains, and the Scarecrow soon became an important
personage.
Ozma considered the Scarecrow one of her best friends and most loyal
subjects, so the morning after her visit to Glinda she asked him to
take her place as Ruler of the Land of Oz while she was absent on a
journey, and the Scarecrow at once consented without asking any
questions.
Ozma had warned Dorothy to keep their journey a secret and say nothing
to anyone about the Skeezers and Flatheads until their return, and
Dorothy promised to obey. She longed to tell her girl friends, tiny
Trot and Betsy Bobbin, of the adventure they were undertaking, but
refrained from saying a word on the subject although both these girls
lived with her in Ozma's palace.
Indeed, only Glinda the Sorceress knew they were going, until after
they had gone, and even the Sorceress didn't know what their errand
might be.
Princess Ozma took the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon, although she was not
sure there was a wagon road all the way to the Lake of the Skeezers.
The Land of Oz is a pretty big place, surrounded on all sides by a
Deadly Desert which it is impossible to cross, and the Skeezer Country,
according to the map, was in the farthest northwestern part of Oz,
bordering on the north desert. As the Emerald City was exactly in the
center of Oz, it was no small journey from there to the Skeezers.
Around the Emerald City the country is thickly settled in every
direction, but the farther away you get from the city the fewer people
there are, until those parts that border on the desert have small
populations. Also those faraway sections are little known to the Oz
people, except in the south, where Glinda lives and where Dorothy has
often wandered on trips of exploration.
The least known of all is the Gillikin Country, which harbors many
strange bands of people among its mountains and valleys and forests and
streams, and Ozma was now bound for the most distant part of the
Gillikin Country.
"I am really sorry," said Ozma to Dorothy, as they rode away in the Red
Wagon, "not to know more about the wonderful Land I rule. It is my duty
to be acquainted with every tribe of people and every strange and
hidden country in all Oz, but I am kept so busy at my palace making
laws and planning for the comforts of those who live near the Emerald
City, that I do not often find time to make long journeys."
"Well," replied Dorothy, "we'll prob'bly find out a lot on this trip,
and we'll learn all about the Skeezers and Flatheads, anyhow. Time
doesn't make much diff'rence in the Land of Oz, 'cause we don't grow
up, or get old, or become sick and die, as they do other places; so, if
we explore one place at a time, we'll by-an'-by know all about every
nook and corner in Oz."
Dorothy wore around her waist the Nome King's Magic Belt, which
protected her from harm, and the Magic Ring which Glinda had given her
was on her finger. Ozma had merely slipped a small silver wand into the
bosom of her gown, for fairies do not use chemicals and herbs and the
tools of wizards and sorcerers to perform their magic. The Silver Wand
was Ozma's one weapon of offense and defense and by its use she could
accomplish many things.
They had left the Emerald City just at sunrise and the Sawhorse
traveled very swiftly over the roads towards the north, but in a few
hours the wooden animal had to slacken his pace because the farm houses
had become few and far between and often there were no paths at all in
the direction they wished to follow. At such times they crossed the
fields, avoiding groups of trees and fording the streams and rivulets
whenever they came to them. But finally they reached a broad hillside
closely covered with scrubby brush, through which the wagon could not
pass.
"It will be difficult even for you and me to get through without
tearing our dresses," said Ozma, "so we must leave the Sawhorse and the
Wagon here until our return."
"That's all right," Dorothy replied, "I'm tired riding, anyhow. Do you
s'pose, Ozma, we're anywhere near the Skeezer Country?"
"I cannot tell, Dorothy dear, but I know we've been going in the right
direction, so we are sure to find it in time."
The scrubby brush was almost like a grove of small trees, for it
reached as high as the heads of the two girls, neither of whom was very
tall. They were obliged to thread their way in and out, until Dorothy
was afraid they would get lost, and finally they were halted by a
curious thing that barred their further progress. It was a huge web-as
if woven by gigantic spiders-and the delicate, lacy film was fastened
stoutly to the branches of the bushes and continued to the right and
left in the form of a half circle. The threads of this web were of a
brilliant purple color and woven into numerous artistic patterns, but
it reached from the ground to branches above the heads of the girls and
formed a sort of fence that hedged them in.
"It doesn't look very strong, though," said Dorothy. "I wonder if we
couldn't break through." She tried but found the web stronger than it
seemed. All her efforts could not break a single thread.
"We must go back, I think, and try to get around this peculiar web,"
Ozma decided.
So they turned to the right and, following the web found that it seemed
to spread in a regular circle. On and on they went until finally Ozma
said they had returned to the exact spot from which they had started.
"Here is a handkerchief you dropped when we were here before," she said
to Dorothy.
"In that case, they must have built the web behind us, after we walked
into the trap," exclaimed the little girl.
"True," agreed Ozma, "an enemy has tried to imprison us."
"And they did it, too," said Dorothy. "I wonder who it was."
"It's a spider-web, I'm quite sure," returned Ozma, "but it must be the
work of enormous spiders."
"Quite right!" cried a voice behind them. Turning quickly around they
beheld a huge purple spider sitting not two yards away and regarding
them with its small bright eyes.
Then there crawled from the bushes a dozen more great purple spiders,
which saluted the first one and said:
"The web is finished, O King, and the strangers are our prisoners."
Dorothy did not like the looks of these spiders at all. They had big
heads, sharp claws, small eyes and fuzzy hair all over their purple
bodies.
"They look wicked," she whispered to Ozma. "What shall we do?"
Ozma gazed upon the spiders with a serious face.
"What is your object in making us prisoners?" she inquired.
"We need someone to keep house for us," answered the Spider King.
"There is sweeping and dusting to be done, and polishing and washing of
dishes, and that is work my people dislike to do. So we decided that if
any strangers came our way we would capture them and make them our
servants."
man. The farmer placed the Scarecrow on a pole in his cornfield and it
came to life in a curious manner. Dorothy, who was passing by the
field, was hailed by the live Scarecrow and lifted him off his pole. He
then went with her to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz gave him
some excellent brains, and the Scarecrow soon became an important
personage.
Ozma considered the Scarecrow one of her best friends and most loyal
subjects, so the morning after her visit to Glinda she asked him to
take her place as Ruler of the Land of Oz while she was absent on a
journey, and the Scarecrow at once consented without asking any
questions.
Ozma had warned Dorothy to keep their journey a secret and say nothing
to anyone about the Skeezers and Flatheads until their return, and
Dorothy promised to obey. She longed to tell her girl friends, tiny
Trot and Betsy Bobbin, of the adventure they were undertaking, but
refrained from saying a word on the subject although both these girls
lived with her in Ozma's palace.
Indeed, only Glinda the Sorceress knew they were going, until after
they had gone, and even the Sorceress didn't know what their errand
might be.
Princess Ozma took the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon, although she was not
sure there was a wagon road all the way to the Lake of the Skeezers.
The Land of Oz is a pretty big place, surrounded on all sides by a
Deadly Desert which it is impossible to cross, and the Skeezer Country,
according to the map, was in the farthest northwestern part of Oz,
bordering on the north desert. As the Emerald City was exactly in the
center of Oz, it was no small journey from there to the Skeezers.
Around the Emerald City the country is thickly settled in every
direction, but the farther away you get from the city the fewer people
there are, until those parts that border on the desert have small
populations. Also those faraway sections are little known to the Oz
people, except in the south, where Glinda lives and where Dorothy has
often wandered on trips of exploration.
The least known of all is the Gillikin Country, which harbors many
strange bands of people among its mountains and valleys and forests and
streams, and Ozma was now bound for the most distant part of the
Gillikin Country.
"I am really sorry," said Ozma to Dorothy, as they rode away in the Red
Wagon, "not to know more about the wonderful Land I rule. It is my duty
to be acquainted with every tribe of people and every strange and
hidden country in all Oz, but I am kept so busy at my palace making
laws and planning for the comforts of those who live near the Emerald
City, that I do not often find time to make long journeys."
"Well," replied Dorothy, "we'll prob'bly find out a lot on this trip,
and we'll learn all about the Skeezers and Flatheads, anyhow. Time
doesn't make much diff'rence in the Land of Oz, 'cause we don't grow
up, or get old, or become sick and die, as they do other places; so, if
we explore one place at a time, we'll by-an'-by know all about every
nook and corner in Oz."
Dorothy wore around her waist the Nome King's Magic Belt, which
protected her from harm, and the Magic Ring which Glinda had given her
was on her finger. Ozma had merely slipped a small silver wand into the
bosom of her gown, for fairies do not use chemicals and herbs and the
tools of wizards and sorcerers to perform their magic. The Silver Wand
was Ozma's one weapon of offense and defense and by its use she could
accomplish many things.
They had left the Emerald City just at sunrise and the Sawhorse
traveled very swiftly over the roads towards the north, but in a few
hours the wooden animal had to slacken his pace because the farm houses
had become few and far between and often there were no paths at all in
the direction they wished to follow. At such times they crossed the
fields, avoiding groups of trees and fording the streams and rivulets
whenever they came to them. But finally they reached a broad hillside
closely covered with scrubby brush, through which the wagon could not
pass.
"It will be difficult even for you and me to get through without
tearing our dresses," said Ozma, "so we must leave the Sawhorse and the
Wagon here until our return."
"That's all right," Dorothy replied, "I'm tired riding, anyhow. Do you
s'pose, Ozma, we're anywhere near the Skeezer Country?"
"I cannot tell, Dorothy dear, but I know we've been going in the right
direction, so we are sure to find it in time."
The scrubby brush was almost like a grove of small trees, for it
reached as high as the heads of the two girls, neither of whom was very
tall. They were obliged to thread their way in and out, until Dorothy
was afraid they would get lost, and finally they were halted by a
curious thing that barred their further progress. It was a huge web-as
if woven by gigantic spiders-and the delicate, lacy film was fastened
stoutly to the branches of the bushes and continued to the right and
left in the form of a half circle. The threads of this web were of a
brilliant purple color and woven into numerous artistic patterns, but
it reached from the ground to branches above the heads of the girls and
formed a sort of fence that hedged them in.
"It doesn't look very strong, though," said Dorothy. "I wonder if we
couldn't break through." She tried but found the web stronger than it
seemed. All her efforts could not break a single thread.
"We must go back, I think, and try to get around this peculiar web,"
Ozma decided.
So they turned to the right and, following the web found that it seemed
to spread in a regular circle. On and on they went until finally Ozma
said they had returned to the exact spot from which they had started.
"Here is a handkerchief you dropped when we were here before," she said
to Dorothy.
"In that case, they must have built the web behind us, after we walked
into the trap," exclaimed the little girl.
"True," agreed Ozma, "an enemy has tried to imprison us."
"And they did it, too," said Dorothy. "I wonder who it was."
"It's a spider-web, I'm quite sure," returned Ozma, "but it must be the
work of enormous spiders."
"Quite right!" cried a voice behind them. Turning quickly around they
beheld a huge purple spider sitting not two yards away and regarding
them with its small bright eyes.
Then there crawled from the bushes a dozen more great purple spiders,
which saluted the first one and said:
"The web is finished, O King, and the strangers are our prisoners."
Dorothy did not like the looks of these spiders at all. They had big
heads, sharp claws, small eyes and fuzzy hair all over their purple
bodies.
"They look wicked," she whispered to Ozma. "What shall we do?"
Ozma gazed upon the spiders with a serious face.
"What is your object in making us prisoners?" she inquired.
"We need someone to keep house for us," answered the Spider King.
"There is sweeping and dusting to be done, and polishing and washing of
dishes, and that is work my people dislike to do. So we decided that if
any strangers came our way we would capture them and make them our
servants."