L Frank Baum Oz 21 Gnome King of Oz

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.Why, an extra hand will be wonderful.Sendfor it, Peter.Send for it right way.You're a slave too, remember.""I was thinking it might unlock the doors and help us escape,"mused the little boy, wrinkling up his brows."Could you read the markings onthe emerald?""No," admitted Scraps, handing back the stone, "but keep itsafely, Peter.You never know when or where magic will work in this countryand we need all the magic we can find to get to the Emerald City beforeRuggedo.""I wonder where he is now?" worried Peter."Zamagoochie wasthe country Kuma's father came from, but I wonder where it is and whether Rugis still there or whether he has reached the Emerald City and turned Ozma to acanary?""Stop! Stop!" begged Scraps."Let's stop worrying and try tothink.If we send for Kuma's hand now, when all the Quilties are working inthe fields, we will soon be captured, even if we escape from the castle.We'llhave to wait till night," sighed the Patchwork Girl, "though how I'm going tostand another day here I don't see!""Never mind," said Peter sympathetically, "I'll help.""I'll help, too!" volunteered Grumpy, rolling over on his sideand yawning tremendously."It won't be as bad as growling all the time andthat's how I helped Cross Patch!"Page 52ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Sh-hh!" warned Scraps, "Here they come! Look out for theScissor Bird, Peter, he's dreadfully careless with his bill." Thrusting Kuma'snote into his pocket and assuming as defiant an attitude as he well could,Peter waited for the door to open, which it presently did.In came Scrapper,the Scissor Bird on his shoulder and Piecer staggering under a great pile ofcoats and other garments that had been sent in to be mended."Good morning, Slave!" Scrapper bowed stiffly to Peter andthen to Scraps."Kindly prepare breakfast, at once!""Oh scrapple!" scolded the Patchwork Girl."Not scrapple, eggs," said Piecer, setting down his pile ofgarments."And when you have finished with breakfast, please sort these.""Why don't you sort them yourself," suggested Peter boldly,but as the Scissor Bird made a dash in his direction he hastily sprang behindScraps."It's an outrage to expect a Queen to do all the work," beganScraps, settling her spectacles severely."Ozma never does a stroke of work.Ozma-""Ozma?" shrilled the Scissor Bird."Well, every time you thinkyou're Ozma, look in the glass.Come along, you lazy creature!" Circling overthe Patchwork Girl's head and making playful snips at her yarn, the ScissorBird drove her ahead of him toward the castle kitchen.Peter and Grumpyfollowed cautiously, conversing in indignant whispers.Peter had often been camping and, seeing how terribly unhandyScraps was with the cooking utensils, he prepared the breakfast himself.Thenhe set the table and carried the eggs, nicely fried, to the two Quilties, whosat at ease in the shabby dining room.The Scissor Bird ate a saucer of calicoscraps and Grumpy a loaf of bread and an apple.After being assured that thePatchwork Girl herself would eat nothing, Peter fried himself an egg and satdown at the kitchen table to enjoy himself.The scissor bird was too busyeating to bother them for a moment and, availing himself of this opportunity,Peter began to talk in a low voice to Scraps."Why did you wish for a dozen eggs when you first sawRuggedo?" he asked curiously.Page 53ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Because eggs are poison to gnomes," whis-pered Scraps."Theyare more afraid of eggs than of bombshells and they cannot even stay in thesame room with one.""Hm-m!" mused Peter thoughtfully, "I'll remember that.How isit," he asked presently, "that Grumpy can talk?""All the animals in Oz talk," explained Scraps in a matter offact voice."Just wait till you hear the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger!""Do they live in the Emerald City?" Peter's eyes grew roundwith interest.Scraps nodded enthusiastically, then noticing that the ScissorBird had finished, she sprang up and began to clear away the dishes.ButGrumpy kindly offered to wash them, so hurrying back into the sitting room,Scraps and Peter fell to sorting old clothes.In one pile they put coats, inanother dresses, in a third, trousers, and in a fourth, all the shirts needingnew cuffs or collars.Conversation was impossible, for the Scissor Bird wasnever quiet for a moment and soon Peter's head began to ache from itscontinuous screeching.Once when he dropped an old cloak, it snipped a lock ofhis hair and when he struck out at it angrily, it nearly nipped a piece offhis ear.To Scrapper and Piecer, sitting in the doorway, this provedhighly amusing and, glaring at the old Quilties, Peter resolved to send forKuma's hand at the first opportunity.Grumpy had finished the dishes and, witha gingham apron tied round his waist, was energetically sweeping the floor."Don't you care," he whispered comfortingly as he passedPeter."Today won't last forever!" It seemed like forever to Peter and Scraps,but as they came to the bottom of the pile the Patchwork Girl made a startlingdiscovery.Between a faded vest and a quilted dressing gown lay an old graysack.As Scraps held it up, she saw a note sticking out of the pocket.TheScissor Bird happened at that moment to be swinging on the chandelier so,snatching out the note, Scraps read it quickly herself and"The Sandman's Nap Sack.Will put wearer to sleep at once,read Peter.Then, as Scraps put her finger warningly to her lips, he tuckedthe Nap Sack beneath his coat."We'll put 'em all to sleep," whispered Peter out of thecorner of his mouth."We'll send for Kuma's hand and get away from here!" Theysoon had a chance to try the Nap Sack, for Piecer and Scrapper, having somework to attend to in the garden, went out and locked the door in their usualmanner.Page 54ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlImmediately Scraps threw down a pile of coats and stood updefiantly."I refuse to work any longer," she shouted, stamping her footemphatically."Hah!" snapped the Scissor Bird, falling off the chandelierand stopping directly in front of Scraps' nose."Every time you open yourmouth you say something.""Yes!" answered Scraps saucily, "and every time you saysomething you open your mouth." As the furious creature rushed at thePatchwork Girl, Peter threw the Nap Sack over his head.No sooner had he doneso than its shrill voice grew lower and lower, until, with a tired flop, itfell to the floor and lay snoring like a zazagooch, which is the loudestsnoring animal in Oz."We won't wait till night.We'll send the note now, Scraps,"cried Peter triumphantly."What's up? What's up.Don't leave me, begged the little bear,crowding close to Peter."I'm tired of being cross.I want to go some placewhere I can be pleasant without losing my position.""All right! All right!" promised Peter."But you'll have tohelp us, Grumpy.Now keep quiet while I write to Kuma." Pulling out thecrumpled letter, Peter found a pencil and scribbled on the bottom of the page:"We are prisoners in the palace of Patch.Please send us your hand to unlockthe doors and help us to escape." Signing his name hurriedly, Peter tossed thenote into the air.It disappeared almost at once and in high excitement thethree sat down to await developments."I believe we could take that Nap Sackoff and use it again," observed Peter after a little silence."He might wake up," objected Scraps."But we can easily put him to sleep again." Tiptoeing over tothe Scissor Bird, he took off the Nap Sack [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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