The Oz Series
Chapter 92
Part of the The Road to Oz: The Shaggy Man's Journey to Ozma's Birthday arc.
What happens
Button-Bright willingly takes the shaggy man's hand because of the Love Magnet, which caused the boy to love him at once, and the party sets off with Dorothy on one side and Toto on the other, trudging along cheerfully; Button-Bright shows no fear of being lost, and the shaggy man is happy in any place. Before long they see a fine big arch spanning the road, beautifully carved and decorated with rich colors, topped by a row of painted peacocks with spread tails and centered with a large fox's head wearing a shrewd expression, large spectacles, and a small golden crown.
A company of soldiers marches out of the arch, all foxes in uniforms of green jackets, yellow pantaloons, red caps and high boots, with red bows on their bushy tails and wooden swords edged with sharp teeth that make Dorothy shudder. A gold-braided fox-captain surrounds the travelers and demands their surrender as prisoners. Button-Bright's naive questions amuse the shaggy man, who bows politely to the foxes and, through the working of the Love Magnet, causes the captain's features to grow pleasant and friendly. Toto barks and tries to bite the captain's leg until Dorothy seizes him, declaring the foxes are friends; the captain, astonished to find them friends rather than enemies, invites them to see King Dox.
The soldiers escort the party back through the arch into a fine big city of carved marble houses in beautiful colors, decorated mostly with birds and fowl such as peacocks, pheasants, turkeys, prairie-chickens, ducks, and geese, with each doorway carved with the head of the fox living there. Handsomely dressed foxes emerge on porches and balconies to view the strangers, the female foxes wearing gowns of woven, brightly colored feathers Dorothy finds artistic. Button-Bright stares in wonder, and Toto, excited and wanting to fight every fox, is held fast by Dorothy until he quiets, deciding there are too many foxes in Foxville to fight at once.
They reach a big square containing the royal palace, identifiable by the carved crowned fox-head over its great door matching the one on the arch. Fox-soldiers admit the captain, who leads them through rooms of richly dressed foxes sipping tea served by aproned fox-servants to a doorway of gold curtains. Beside it stands a huge drum, which the captain sounds by knocking his knees against it; he orders all to imitate him, so the shaggy man, Dorothy, and Button-Bright pound the drum with their knees, and Dorothy pounds it for Toto, whose resulting bark makes the captain scowl. The golden curtains part and the party enters.
In a broad gold-decorated room with stained-glass windows sits the fox-king on a golden throne, surrounded by spectacled foxes. Dorothy recognizes King Dox from his carved head and bows; the shaggy man bows and Button-Bright merely says 'Hello.' The captain reports finding the strangers on the road. When questioned, the shaggy man gives flippant answers ('Our legs' brought them; their business is 'to get away as soon as possible'), and the Love Magnet makes the King love him. The King offers to show them the sights and entertain them, revealing he knows Dorothy's name because she is famous since Princess Ozma made her a friend.
The King reveals that Princess Ozma is to celebrate her birthday on the twenty-first of the month—described as the most brilliant royal ceremony ever held in Fairyland—and hopes Dorothy will secure him an invitation. Dorothy is confused because she believes she is still in Kansas, having left Uncle Henry's farm about two hours earlier; the Fox-King laughs and explains that Foxville is nearer to Oz than to Kansas and that, having traveled from Oz to Kansas in less than half a jiffy by the Silver Shoes and Magic Belt, she should not wonder that an hour or two brought her to Foxville. Dorothy realizes it is another fairy adventure and questions the shaggy man, who denies being a magician or fairy and denies deliberately taking her from home, admitting only that something strange has followed him since he owned the Love Magnet and offering to help her return. Dorothy decides Kansas has less to see and that Aunt Em will not worry too much, and the King approves her contentment and admires her clever new companion, whom the shaggy man names as Button-Bright.
Who is in play
- Dorothy
- Ozma
- the Shaggy Man
- Button-Bright
- the Love Magnet
- Aunt Em
- City of Emeralds
- Foxville
- Kansas
- King Dox
- Land of Oz
- road_to_oz_traveling_party
- Silver Shoes
- Toto
- Uncle Henry
- jewel-studded belt