The Oz Series
Chapter 38
Part of the The Marvelous Land of Oz: Tip's Rebellion and the Return of Ozma arc.
What happens
The party soon finds the Saw-Horse limps because its new leg is slightly too long, so they halt while the Tin Woodman chops it down with his axe, after which the steed paces more comfortably though still dissatisfied. The Woggle-Bug, walking alongside, jokes that the accident was fortunate since a horse is never of much use until it has been broken, which Tip criticizes as a poor and old joke. The Woggle-Bug defends puns as proper among educated people, explaining that a joke playing on a word's double meaning proves the joker cultured; Tip insists anyone can make a pun, but the Woggle-Bug claims it requires high education, and offers that if he rode the Saw-Horse it would become a horse-and-buggy, an equipage. The others react with derision and reproach.
The Scarecrow warns the Woggle-Bug that a person can become over-educated and that his tangled brains should restrain his superior education while in their society; the Tin Woodman adds a threat, twirling his gleaming axe so carelessly that the frightened Woggle-Bug shrinks away and humbly promises to restrain himself, restoring good nature to the party. When they stop to let the boy Tip rest, the Tin Woodman notices many small round holes in the grassy meadow and recognizes a village of the Field Mice, wondering if his old friend the Queen of the Mice lives nearby; the Scarecrow, struck by a thought, urges him to call her.
The Tin Woodman blows a shrill note on a silver whistle around his neck, and a tiny grey mouse advances fearlessly, since the Tin Woodman once saved her life and the Queen of the Field Mice trusts him. The Scarecrow requests to take a dozen of her subjects to the Emerald City, promising they will not be injured; he will carry them hidden in his straw and release them by unbuttoning his jacket, so they can scamper home while helping him regain his throne from the Army of Revolt. The Queen agrees and calls twelve of her most intelligent subjects. The Scarecrow lies flat, unbuttons his jacket to reveal his straw, and the mice, obeying the Queen's piping command in mouse-language, hide in his breast; he then buttons up and thanks her.
The Tin Woodman further asks the Queen to run ahead and show them the way to the Emerald City, since some enemy is preventing their arrival. With Tip rested, they resume the journey led by the swift grey Queen. Without this unerring guide they might never have reached the City, for old Mombi threw many obstacles in their way, all cleverly contrived deceptions that did not really exist. When they came to a rushing river the Queen passed through the seeming flood in safety and the travelers followed without touching a drop of water; a high granite wall melted into mist as they walked through it; forty roads branching in forty directions and whirling like a wheel bewildered them until the Queen darted off in a straight line and the pathways vanished.
Mombi's last and most fearful trick was a sheet of crackling flame rushing over the meadow, which for the first time frightened the Scarecrow, who feared his straw would burn, and alarmed the Saw-Horse, fearing its dry wood, Jack fearing for his pumpkin, and the Woggle-Bug fearing being baked. But the Tin Woodman, unafraid of fire, halted the stampede by pointing out that the flames did not burn the Field Mouse, proving it was a deception; watching the Queen march calmly through restored the party's courage and they followed unscorched. The Woggle-Bug marvels that this upsets the Natural Laws taught by Professor Nowitall, and the Scarecrow explains all magic is unnatural and to be feared and avoided. Seeing the City gates plainly visible, they conclude they have overcome the magical obstacles, and the faithful Queen of the Field Mice bids them good-bye and darts away home.
Who is in play
- Tin Woodman
- Tip
- Jack Pumpkinhead
- Mombi
- Saw-Horse
- Scarecrow
- Woggle-Bug
- Army of Revolt
- City of Emeralds
- Queen of the Field Mice
- Field Mice
- Professor Nowitall
- silver whistle
- Tin Woodman's silver whistle