next.
"Suppose we call the field mice," she suggested. "They could
probably tell us the way to the Emerald City."
"To be sure they could," cried the Scarecrow. "Why didn't we
think of that before?"
Dorothy blew the little whistle she had always carried about her
neck since the Queen of the Mice had given it to her. In a few
minutes they heard the pattering of tiny feet, and many of the
small gray mice came running up to her. Among them was the Queen
herself, who asked, in her squeaky little voice:
"What can I do for my friends?"
"We have lost our way," said Dorothy. "Can you tell us where the
Emerald City is?"
"Certainly," answered the Queen; "but it is a great way off, for
you have had it at your backs all this time." Then she noticed
Dorothy's Golden Cap, and said, "Why don't you use the charm of the
Cap, and call the Winged Monkeys to you? They will carry you to the
City of Oz in less than an hour."
"I didn't know there was a charm," answered Dorothy, in
surprise. "What is it?"
"It is written inside the Golden Cap," replied the Queen of the
Mice. "But if you are going to call the Winged Monkeys we must run
away, for they are full of mischief and think it great fun to
plague us."
"Won't they hurt me?" asked the girl anxiously.
"Oh, no. They must obey the wearer of the Cap. Good-bye!" And
she scampered out of sight, with all the mice hurrying after
her.
Dorothy looked inside the Golden Cap and saw some words written
upon the lining. These, she thought, must be the charm, so she read
the directions carefully and put the Cap upon her head.
"Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!" she said, standing on her left
foot.
"What did you say?" asked the Scarecrow, who did not know what
she was doing.
"Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!" Dorothy went on, standing this time on
her right foot.
"Hello!" replied the Tin Woodman calmly.
"Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" said Dorothy, who was now standing on
both feet. This ended the saying of the charm, and they heard a
great chattering and flapping of wings, as the band of Winged
Monkeys flew up to them.great chattering and flapping of wings, as the band of Winged
Monkeys flew up to them.
The King bowed low before Dorothy, and asked, "What is your
command?"
"We wish to go to the Emerald City," said the child, "and we
have lost our way."
"We will carry you," replied the King, and no sooner had he
spoken than two of the Monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and
flew away with her. Others took the Scarecrow and the Woodman and
the Lion, and one little Monkey seized Toto and flew after them,
although the dog tried hard to bite him.
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were rather frightened at
first, for they remembered how badly the Winged Monkeys had treated
them before; but they saw that no harm was intended, so they rode
through the air quite cheerfully, and had a fine time looking at
the pretty gardens and woods far below them.
Dorothy found herself riding easily between two of the biggest
Monkeys, one of them the King himself. They had made a chair of
their hands and were careful not to hurt her.
"Why do you have to obey the charm of the Golden Cap?" she
asked.
"That is a long story," answered the King, with a Winged laugh;
"but as we have a long journey before us, I will pass the time by
telling you about it, if you wish."
"I shall be glad to hear it," she replied.
"Once," began the leader, "we were a free people, living happily
in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and
fruit, and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master.
Perhaps some of us were rather too full of mischief at times,
flying down to pull the tails of the animals that had no wings,
chasing birds, and throwing nuts at the people who walked in the
forest. But we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed
every minute of the day. This was many years ago, long before Oz
came out of the clouds to rule over this land.
"There lived here then, away at the North, a beautiful princess,
who was also a powerful sorceress. All her magic was used to helpwho was also a powerful sorceress. All her magic was used to help
the people, and she was never known to hurt anyone who was good.
Her name was Gayelette, and she lived in a handsome palace built
from great blocks of ruby. Everyone loved her, but her greatest
sorrow was that she could find no one to love in return, since all
the men were much too stupid and ugly to mate with one so beautiful
and wise. At last, however, she found a boy who was handsome and
manly and wise beyond his years. Gayelette made up her mind that
when he grew to be a man she would make him her husband, so she
took him to her ruby palace and used all her magic powers to make
him as strong and good and lovely as any woman could wish. When he
grew to manhood, Quelala, as he was called, was said to be the best
and wisest man in all the land, while his manly beauty was so great
that Gayelette loved him dearly, and hastened to make everything
ready for the wedding.
"My grandfather was at that time the King of the Winged Monkeys
which lived in the forest near Gayelette's palace, and the old
fellow loved a joke better than a good dinner. One day, just before
the wedding, my grandfather was flying out with his band when he
saw Quelala walking beside the river. He was dressed in a rich
costume of pink silk and purple velvet, and my grandfather thought
he would see what he could do. At his word the band flew down and
seized Quelala, carried him in their arms until they were over the
middle of the river, and then dropped him into the water.
"`Swim out, my fine fellow,' cried my grandfather, `and see if
the water has spotted your clothes.' Quelala was much too wise not
to swim, and he was not in the least spoiled by all his good
fortune. He laughed, when he came to the top of the water, and swam
in to shore. But when Gayelette came running out to him she found
his silks and velvet all ruined by the river.
"The princess was angry, and she knew, of course, who did it.
She had all the Winged Monkeys brought before her, and she said at