15. The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible
The four travelers walked up to the great gate of Emerald City and rangthe bell. After ringing several times, it was opened by the sameGuardian of the Gates they had met before.
What! are you back again? he asked, in surprise.
Do you not see us? answered the Scarecrow.
But I thought you had gone to visit the Wicked Witch of the West.
We did visit her, said the Scarecrow.
And she let you go again? asked the man, in wonder.
She could not help it, for she is melted, explained the Scarecrow.
Melted! Well, that is good news, indeed, said the man. Who meltedher?
It was Dorothy, said the Lion gravely.
Good gracious! exclaimed the man, and he bowed very low indeed beforeher.
Then he led them into his little room and locked the spectacles fromthe great box on all their eyes, just as he had done before. Afterwardthey passed on through the gate into the Emerald City. When the peopleheard from the Guardian of the Gates that Dorothy had melted the WickedWitch of the West, they all gathered around the travelers and followedthem in a great crowd to the Palace of Oz.
The soldier with the green whiskers was still on guard before the door,but he let them in at once, and they were again met by the beautifulgreen girl, who showed each of them to their old rooms at once, so theymight rest until the Great Oz was ready to receive them.
The soldier had the news carried straight to Oz that Dorothy and theother travelers had come back again, after destroying the Wicked Witch;but Oz made no reply. They thought the Great Wizard would send forthem at once, but he did not. They had no word from him the next day,nor the next, nor the next. The waiting was tiresome and wearing, andat last they grew vexed that Oz should treat them in so poor a fashion,after sending them to undergo hardships and slavery. So the Scarecrowat last asked the green girl to take another message to Oz, saying ifhe did not let them in to see him at once they would call the WingedMonkeys to help them, and find out whether he kept his promises or not.When the Wizard was given this message he was so frightened that hesent word for them to come to the Throne Room at four minutes afternine o'clock the next morning. He had once met the Winged Monkeys inthe Land of the West, and he did not wish to meet them again.
The four travelers passed a sleepless night, each thinking of the giftOz had promised to bestow on him. Dorothy fell asleep only once, andthen she dreamed she was in Kansas, where Aunt Em was telling her howglad she was to have her little girl at home again.
Promptly at nine o'clock the next morning the green-whiskered soldiercame to them, and four minutes later they all went into the Throne Roomof the Great Oz.
Of course each one of them expected to see the Wizard in the shape hehad taken before, and all were greatly surprised when they looked aboutand saw no one at all in the room. They kept close to the door andcloser to one another, for the stillness of the empty room was moredreadful than any of the forms they had seen Oz take.
Presently they heard a solemn Voice, that seemed to come from somewherenear the top of the great dome, and it said:
I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Why do you seek me?
They looked again in every part of the room, and then, seeing no one,Dorothy asked, Where are you?
I am everywhere, answered the Voice, but to the eyes of commonmortals I am invisible. I will now seat myself upon my throne, thatyou may converse with me. Indeed, the Voice seemed just then to comestraight from the throne itself; so they walked toward it and stood ina row while Dorothy said:
We have come to claim our promise, O Oz.
What promise? asked Oz.
You promised to send me back to Kansas when the Wicked Witch wasdestroyed, said the girl.
And you promised to give me brains, said the Scarecrow.
And you promised to give me a heart, said the Tin Woodman.
And you promised to give me courage, said the Cowardly Lion.
Is the Wicked Witch really destroyed? asked the Voice, and Dorothythought it trembled a little.
Yes, she answered, I melted her with a bucket of water.
Dear me, said the Voice, how sudden! Well, come to me tomorrow, forI must have time to think it over.
You've had plenty of time already, said the Tin Woodman angrily.
We shan't wait a day longer, said the Scarecrow.
You must keep your promises to us! exclaimed Dorothy.
The Lion thought it might be as well to frighten the Wizard, so he gavea large, loud roar, which was so fierce and dreadful that Toto jumpedaway from him in alarm and tipped over the screen that stood in acorner. As it fell with a crash they looked that way, and the nextmoment all of them were filled with wonder. For they saw, standing injust the spot the screen had hidden, a little old man, with a bald headand a wrinkled face, who seemed to be as much surprised as they were.The Tin Woodman, raising his axe, rushed toward the little man andcried out, Who are you?
I am Oz, the Great and Terrible, said the little man, in a tremblingvoice. But don't strike me--please don't--and I'll do anything youwant me to.
Our friends looked at him in surprise and dismay.
I thought Oz was a great Head, said Dorothy.
And I thought Oz was a lovely Lady, said the Scarecrow.
And I thought Oz was a terrible Beast, said the Tin Woodman.
And I thought Oz was a Ball of Fire, exclaimed the Lion.
No, you are all wrong, said the little man meekly. I have beenmaking believe.
Making believe! cried Dorothy. Are you not a Great Wizard?
Hush, my dear, he said. Don't speak so loud, or you will beoverheard--and I should be ruined. I'm supposed to be a Great Wizard.
And aren't you? she asked.
Not a bit of it, my dear; I'm just a common man.
You're more than that, said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; you'rea humbug.
Exactly so! declared the little man, rubbing his hands together as ifit pleased him. I am a humbug.
But this is terrible, said the Tin Woodman. How shall I ever get myheart?
Or I my courage? asked the Lion.
Or I my brains? wailed the Scarecrow, wiping the tears from his eyeswith his coat sleeve.
My dear friends, said Oz, I pray you not to speak of these littlethings. Think of me, and the terrible trouble I'm in at being foundout.
Doesn't anyone else know you're a humbug? asked Dorothy.
No one knows it but you four--and myself, replied Oz. I have fooledeveryone so long that I thought I should never be found out. It was agreat mistake my ever letting you into the Throne Room. Usually I willnot see even my subjects, and so they believe I am something terrible.
But, I don't understand, said Dorothy, in bewilderment. How was itthat you appeared to me as a great Head?
That was one of my tricks, answered Oz. Step this way, please, andI will tell you all about it.
He led the way to a small chamber in the rear of the Throne Room, andthey all followed him. He pointed to one corner, in which lay thegreat Head, made out of many thicknesses of paper, and with a carefullypainted face.
This I hung from the ceiling by a wire, said Oz. I stood behind thescreen and pulled a thread, to make the eyes move and the mouth open.
But how about the voice? she inquired.
Oh, I am a ventriloquist, said the little man. I can throw thesound of my voice wherever I wish, so that you thought it was comingout of the Head. Here are the other things I used to deceive you. Heshowed the Scarecrow the dress and the mask he had worn when he seemedto be the lovely Lady. And the Tin Woodman saw that his terrible Beastwas nothing but a lot of skins, sewn together, with slats to keep theirsides out. As for the Ball of Fire, the false Wizard had hung thatalso from the ceiling. It was really a ball of cotton, but when oilwas poured upon it the ball burned fiercely.
Really, said the Scarecrow, you ought to be ashamed of yourself forbeing such a humbug.
I am--I certainly am, answered the little man sorrowfully; but itwas the only thing I could do. Sit down, please, there are plenty ofchairs; and I will tell you my story.
So they sat down and listened while he told the following tale.
I was born in Omaha--
Why, that isn't very far from Kansas! cried Dorothy.
No, but it's farther from here, he said, shaking his head at hersadly. When I grew up I became a ventriloquist, and at that I wasvery well trained by a great master. I can imitate any kind of a birdor beast. Here he mewed so like a kitten that Toto pricked up hisears and looked everywhere to see where she was. After a time,continued Oz, I tired of that, and became a balloonist.
What is that? asked Dorothy.
A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd ofpeople together and get them to pay to see the circus, he explained.
Oh, she said, I know.
Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, sothat I couldn't come down again. It went way up above the clouds, sofar that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many milesaway. For a day and a night I traveled through the air, and on themorning of the second day I awoke and found the balloon floating over astrange and beautiful country.
It came down gradually, and I was not hurt a bit. But I found myselfin the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me come from the clouds,thought I was a great Wizard. Of course I let them think so, becausethey were afraid of me, and promised to do anything I wished them to.
Just to amuse myself, and keep the good people busy, I ordered them tobuild this City, and my Palace; and they did it all willingly and well.Then I thought, as the country was so green and beautiful, I would callit the Emerald City; and to make the name fit better I put greenspectacles on all the people, so that everything they saw was green.
But isn't everything here green? asked Dorothy.
No more than in any other city, replied Oz; but when you wear greenspectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you. TheEmerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young manwhen the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now. But mypeople have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of themthink it really is an Emerald City, and it certainly is a beautifulplace, abounding in jewels and precious metals, and every good thingthat is needed to make one happy. I have been good to the people, andthey like me; but ever since this Palace was built, I have shut myselfup and would not see any of them.
One of my greatest fears was the Witches, for while I had no magicalpowers at all I soon found out that the Witches were really able to dowonderful things. There were four of them in this country, and theyruled the people who live in the North and South and East and West.Fortunately, the Witches of the North and South were good, and I knewthey would do me no harm; but the Witches of the East and West wereterribly wicked, and had they not thought I was more powerful than theythemselves, they would surely have destroyed me. As it was, I lived indeadly fear of them for many years; so you can imagine how pleased Iwas when I heard your house had fallen on the Wicked Witch of the East.When you came to me, I was willing to promise anything if you wouldonly do away with the other Witch; but, now that you have melted her, Iam ashamed to say that I cannot keep my promises.
I think you are a very bad man, said Dorothy.
Oh, no, my dear; I'm really a very good man, but I'm a very badWizard, I must admit.
Can't you give me brains? asked the Scarecrow.
You don't need them. You are learning something every day. A babyhas brains, but it doesn't know much. Experience is the only thingthat brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the moreexperience you are sure to get.
That may all be true, said the Scarecrow, but I shall be veryunhappy unless you give me brains.
The false Wizard looked at him carefully.
Well, he said with a sigh, I'm not much of a magician, as I said;but if you will come to me tomorrow morning, I will stuff your headwith brains. I cannot tell you how to use them, however; you must findthat out for yourself.
Oh, thank you--thank you! cried the Scarecrow. I'll find a way touse them, never fear!
But how about my courage? asked the Lion anxiously.
You have plenty of courage, I am sure, answered Oz. All you need isconfidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraidwhen it faces danger. The True courage is in facing danger when youare afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.
Perhaps I have, but I'm scared just the same, said the Lion. Ishall really be very unhappy unless you give me the sort of couragethat makes one forget he is afraid.
Very well, I will give you that sort of courage tomorrow, replied Oz.
How about my heart? asked the Tin Woodman.
Why, as for that, answered Oz, I think you are wrong to want aheart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are inluck not to have a heart.
That must be a matter of opinion, said the Tin Woodman. For mypart, I will bear all the unhappiness without a murmur, if you willgive me the heart.
Very well, answered Oz meekly. Come to me tomorrow and you shallhave a heart. I have played Wizard for so many years that I may aswell continue the part a little longer.
And now, said Dorothy, how am I to get back to Kansas?
We shall have to think about that, replied the little man. Give metwo or three days to consider the matter and I'll try to find a way tocarry you over the desert. In the meantime you shall all be treated asmy guests, and while you live in the Palace my people will wait uponyou and obey your slightest wish. There is only one thing I ask inreturn for my help--such as it is. You must keep my secret and tell noone I am a humbug.
They agreed to say nothing of what they had learned, and went back totheir rooms in high spirits. Even Dorothy had hope that The Great andTerrible Humbug, as she called him, would find a way to send her backto Kansas, and if he did she was willing to forgive him everything.