The Oz Series
Chapter 85
Part of the Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: The Underground World arc.
What happens
Jim the Cab-horse finds himself in a large stately room with a green marble floor and carved marble wainscoting, which he accepts as a mere detail; at his command the attendants rub his coat, comb his mane and tail, and wash his hoofs and fetlocks, then announce dinner. When served a steaming bowl of soup he angrily commands it taken away, asking if they take him for a salamander; a fine large turbot with drawn gravy on a silver platter he rejects, asking if they take him for a tom-cat; a tray of two dozen roasted quail on toast he refuses, asking if they take him for a weasel and complaining of the dreadful food in the Land of Oz. The trembling servants summon the Royal Steward, who asks what his Highness would like; Jim, unused to the title, is told he is at least six feet high, higher than any other animal in the country. Jim demands oats; the Steward, deferential, says they have no whole oats but plenty of oatmeal, a breakfast dish, which Jim insists on having as a dinner dish and uncooked. The respect shown the worn-out old cab-horse makes him arrogant, forgetting he is a guest, having been treated only as a servant since birth until reaching Oz. The attendants mix a tub of oatmeal with a little water, which Jim eats with relish, then heap rugs on the floor where the old horse sleeps on the softest bed of his life.
At daylight Jim resolves to walk and find grass for breakfast, ambling through the doorway arch and around the corner of the palace where all seems asleep, coming face to face with the Sawhorse. Both stop abruptly, startled; Jim is amazed, and the Sawhorse stares with its queer protruding eyes, which are mere knots in the log forming its body. The Sawhorse's legs are four sticks driven into bored holes, its tail a small accidental branch, its mouth a place chopped in one projecting end serving as a head; the ends of its wooden legs are shod with plates of solid gold, and Princess Ozma's saddle of red leather set with sparkling diamonds is strapped to its clumsy body. Jim, ears erect and long head drawn back against his arched neck, and the Sawhorse circle slowly around each other, each unable to comprehend the other.
Jim asks what sort of being it is; the Sawhorse identifies itself, and Jim recalls having heard of it but finds it unlike anything expected. When Jim declares a rickety wooden thing has no right to be alive, the Sawhorse says it could not help it, having been sprinkled with a magic powder by Ozma, and that it is the only horse in all the Land of Oz and so treated with great respect. Jim insists he is a real horse; the Sawhorse admits there are no real horses in Oz and that it is only a splendid imitation. Jim proudly displays his real-horse points: the long tail-hairs to whisk flies (which never trouble the Sawhorse), the great strong teeth to nibble grass (the Sawhorse need not eat), and the broad chest for deep breaths (the Sawhorse need not breathe). Jim pities the Sawhorse for missing such pleasures and calls it a poor imitation; the Sawhorse humbly agrees it cannot hope to be like Jim and praises Jim as the most beautiful creature it ever beheld, which wins Jim completely, being called beautiful a novelty in his experience.
Jim tells the Sawhorse its chief fault is being made of wood, whereas real horses are made of flesh, blood, and bones; the Sawhorse can see the admirable distinct bones and the flesh but supposes the blood is tucked away inside, and asks what good it is. Jim, not actually knowing, claims blood runs out to show where he is cut, pitying the Sawhorse that cannot bleed; the Sawhorse counters that it is never hurt, only occasionally broken and easily repaired without feeling a break or splinter. Jim is almost tempted to envy the wooden horse's freedom from pain but decides its unnaturalness means he would not change places under any circumstances. Jim asks how it came to be shod with gold; the Sawhorse says Princess Ozma did it to save its legs from wearing out, and that it and Ozma have had many adventures together and she likes it.
Jim starts and neighs in terror, trembling, as two enormous savage beasts come lightly around the corner, upon him before he is aware. As Jim is about to plunge away to escape, the Sawhorse cries out for him to stop, assuring him these are friends. Jim hesitates, eyeing an enormous Lion with clear intelligent eyes, a bushy well-kept tawny mane, and a body like yellow plush, and a great Tiger with purple stripes, powerful limbs, and eyes glowing like coals through half-closed lids. The huge forms strike terror, but the Sawhorse calmly introduces the Cowardly Lion, valiant King of the Forest and faithful vassal of Princess Ozma, and the Hungry Tiger, terror of the jungle who longs to devour fat babies but is prevented by his conscience; both are warm friends of little Dorothy come to the Emerald City that morning to welcome her. Jim conquers his alarm and bows his head with dignity toward the beasts, who nod in a friendly way.
The Sawhorse admiringly asks if the Real Horse is not a beautiful animal; the Lion replies it is a matter of taste, judging Jim ungainly in the forest with his stretched-out face, uselessly long neck, swollen overgrown joints, lack of flesh, and old age. The Hungry Tiger adds Jim is dreadfully tough and his conscience would never permit eating so tough a morsel. Jim is glad, retorting that he too has a conscience telling him not to crush in the Tiger's skull with his powerful hoof. The Tiger, unfrightened, smiles and winks, praising Jim's good conscience and offering to someday let Jim try to crush its skull so Jim would learn more about tigers. The Cowardly Lion declares any friend of Dorothy must be their friend and proposes they cease talk of skull-crushing for pleasanter subjects, asking if Jim has breakfasted; Jim says not yet but will eat the plentiful excellent clover. The Tiger notes Jim is a vegetarian, remarking that if he could eat grass he would not need a conscience, since nothing could then tempt him to devour babies and lambs. Just then Dorothy, who had risen early and heard the voices, approaches.
Who is in play
- Dorothy
- Cowardly Lion
- Ozma
- Powder of Life
- Saw-Horse
- the Gump
- City of Emeralds
- Jim
- Land of Oz
- Palace of Oz
- immense Tiger
- Royal Steward