Chapter 13

The Rescue

The Cowardly Lion was much pleased to hear that the Wicked Witch had been melted by a bucket of water, and Dorothy at once unlocked the gate of his prison and set him free. They went in together to the castle. Dorothy calles all the Winkies together and told them that they were no longer slaves.

The yellow Winkies were happy. They kept this day as a holiday, then and ever after, and spent the time in feasting and dancing.

“If our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were only with us,” said the Lion.

“Maybe we could rescue them?” asked the girl.

“We can try,” answered the Lion.

They asked the yellow Winkies if they would help to rescue their friends, and the Winkies said that they would be delighted to do everything they could. So she chose a number of the Winkies who looked as if they knew the most, and they all started away. They traveled that day and part of the next until they came to the rocky plain where the Tin Woodman lay.

The Winkies lifted him up, and carried him back to the Yellow Castle again. When they reached the castle againDorothy said to the Winkies:

“Are any of your people tinsmiths?”

“Oh, yes. Some of us are very good tinsmiths,” they told her.

“Then bring them to me,” she said. And when the tinsmiths came, bringing with them all their tools in baskets, she inquired, “Can you straighten out those dents in the Tin Woodman, and bend him back into shape again, and solder him together where he is broken?”

The tinsmiths looked the Woodman over carefully and then answered that they thought they could mend him. So they worked for three days and four nights, hammering and twisting and bending and soldering and polishing and pounding at the legs and body and head of the Tin Woodman.

When, at last, he walked into Dorothy’s room and thanked her for rescuing him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so his joints would not be rusted.

“If we only had the Scarecrow with us again,” said the Tin Woodman, when Dorothy had finished telling him everything that had happened.

“We must try to find him,” said the girl.

So she called the Winkies to help her, and they walked all that day and part of the next until they came to the tall tree. That was where the Winged Monkeys keft the Scarecrow’s clothes.

It was a very tall tree, and the trunk was so smooth that no one could climb it. But the Woodman said at once, “I’ll chop it down, and then we can get the Scarecrow’s clothes.”

As soon as he had spoken, the Tin Woodman began to chop, and in a short time the tree fell over with a crash. The Scarecrow’s clothes fell out of the branches and rolled off on the ground.

Dorothy picked them up and had the Winkies carry them back to the castle, where they were stuffed with nice, clean straw; and behold! here was the Scarecrow, as good as ever, thanking them over and over again for saving him.

Now that they were reunited, Dorothy and her friends spent a few happy days at the Yellow Castle.

But one day the girl thought of Aunt Em, and said, “We must go back to Oz, and claim his promise.”

“Yes,” said the Woodman, “at last I shall get my heart.”

“And I shall get my brains,” added the Scarecrow joyfully.

“And I shall get my courage,” said the Lion thoughtfully.

“And I shall get back to Kansas,” cried Dorothy, clapping her hands.

“Oh, let us start for the Emerald City tomorrow!”

This they decided to do. The next day they called the Winkies together and bade them good-bye. The Winkies were sorry to have them go, and they had grown so fond of the Tin Woodman that they begged him to stay and rule over them and the Yellow Land of the West. The Winkies gave Toto and the Lion golden collars; and to Dorothy they presented a beautiful bracelet studded with diamonds; and to the Scarecrow they gave a gold-headed walking stick; and to the Tin Woodman they offered a silver oil-can, inlaid with gold and set with precious jewels.

Dorothy went to the Witch’s cupboard to fill her basket with food for the journey, and there she saw the Golden Cap. She tried it on her own head and found that it fitted her exactly. She did not know anything about the magic of the Golden Cap, but she saw that it was pretty, so she decided to wear it.

Then they all started for the Emerald City.

Chapter 14

The Winged Monkeys

As you will remember, there was no road between the castle of the Wicked Witch and the Emerald City. It was hard for the group of friends to find their way back. They knew, of course, that they had to go straight east, toward the rising sun. But at noon, when the sun was over their heads, they did not know which was east and which was west. They kept on walking, however, and at night the moon came out and shone brightly. So they lay down among the sweet smelling yellow flowers to sleep.

The next morning the sun was behind a cloud, but they started on, as if they were quite sure which way they were going.

“If we walk far enough,” said Dorothy, “I am sure we will come to some place.”

But days passed away, and they still saw nothing before them but the scarlet fields.

Eventually, Dorothy sat down on the grass and looked at her companions, and they sat down and looked at her.

“Can we call the field mice?” she suggested. “They could probably tell us the way to the Emerald City.”

“Why didn’t we think of that before?” cried the Scarecrow.

Dorothy blew the little whistle 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:

“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 very far away.” Then she noticed Dorothy’s Golden Cap, and said, “Why don’t you use the 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 I could do that,” answered Dorothy, in surprise.

“The spell is written inside the Golden Cap,” replied the Queen of the Mice.

“Won’t they hurt me?” asked the girl.

“Oh, no. They must obey the wearer of the Cap. Good-bye!” And the mice all ran away.

Dorothy looked inside the Golden Cap and saw some words written upon the lining. 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. They heard flapping of wings, and a 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. Then 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 took Toto and flew after 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 can tell it to you, 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. 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 people. But we were careless and happy and full of fun. This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land.

“Away at the North lived a beautiful princess, who 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 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. At last, however, she found a boy who was handsome and manly and wise beyond his years. She decided 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 strong and good and lovely. When he grew up, Quelala, as he was called, was said to be the best and wisest man in all the land.

“My grandfather was at that time the King of the Winged Monkeys which lived in the forest near Gayelette’s palace. He 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. My grandfather and his band flew down and took Quelala, carried him until they were over the middle of the river, and then dropped him into the water.

“ ‘Swim out,’ cried my grandfather, ‘and see if the water has spotted your clothes.’ Quelala was not in the least spoiled by all his good fortune. He laughed 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 first that their wings should be tied and they should be treated as they had treated Quelala, and dropped in the river. My grandfather pleaded with her, for he knew the Monkeys would drown in the river with their wings tied. Quelala said a kind word for them also. Gayelette spared them, on condition that the Winged Monkeys should ever after do three times the bidding of the owner of the Golden Cap. This Cap had been made for a wedding present to Quelala, and it is said to have cost the princess half her kingdom. Of course my grandfather and all the other Monkeys agreed. Now we are three times the slaves of the owner of the Golden Cap, whosoever he may be.”

“And what became of them?” asked Dorothy.

“Quelala being the first owner of the Golden Cap,” replied the Monkey, “he was the first use his wishes. As his bride could not bear the sight of us, he ordered us to always to keep where she could never see us, which we were glad to do, for we were all afraid of her.

“This was all we ever had to do until the Golden Cap fell into the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West, who made us enslave the Winkies, and afterward drive Oz himself out of the Land of the West. Now the Golden Cap is yours, and you have your three wishes.”

As the Monkey King finished his story Dorothy looked down and saw the green, shining walls of the Emerald City before them. The Monkeys set the travelers down carefully before the gate of the City, the King bowed low to Dorothy, and then flew away, followed by all his band.

“That was a good ride,” said the little girl.

“Yes, and quick,” replied the Lion. “How lucky it was you took that wonderful Cap!”