20. The Dainty China Country
While the Woodman was making a ladder from wood which he found in theforest Dorothy lay down and slept, for she was tired by the long walk.The Lion also curled himself up to sleep and Toto lay beside him.
The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked, and said to him:
I cannot think why this wall is here, nor what it is made of.
Rest your brains and do not worry about the wall, replied theWoodman. When we have climbed over it, we shall know what is on theother side.
After a time the ladder was finished. It looked clumsy, but the TinWoodman was sure it was strong and would answer their purpose. TheScarecrow waked Dorothy and the Lion and Toto, and told them that theladder was ready. The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first, but hewas so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep himfrom falling off. When he got his head over the top of the wall theScarecrow said, Oh, my!
Go on, exclaimed Dorothy.
So the Scarecrow climbed farther up and sat down on the top of thewall, and Dorothy put her head over and cried, Oh, my! just as theScarecrow had done.
Then Toto came up, and immediately began to bark, but Dorothy made himbe still.
The Lion climbed the ladder next, and the Tin Woodman came last; butboth of them cried, Oh, my! as soon as they looked over the wall.When they were all sitting in a row on the top of the wall, they lookeddown and saw a strange sight.
Before them was a great stretch of country having a floor as smooth andshining and white as the bottom of a big platter. Scattered aroundwere many houses made entirely of china and painted in the brightestcolors. These houses were quite small, the biggest of them reachingonly as high as Dorothy's waist. There were also pretty little barns,with china fences around them; and many cows and sheep and horses andpigs and chickens, all made of china, were standing about in groups.
But the strangest of all were the people who lived in this queercountry. There were milkmaids and shepherdesses, with brightly coloredbodices and golden spots all over their gowns; and princesses with mostgorgeous frocks of silver and gold and purple; and shepherds dressed inknee breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them, andgolden buckles on their shoes; and princes with jeweled crowns upontheir heads, wearing ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny clownsin ruffled gowns, with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall,pointed caps. And, strangest of all, these people were all made ofchina, even to their clothes, and were so small that the tallest ofthem was no higher than Dorothy's knee.
No one did so much as look at the travelers at first, except one littlepurple china dog with an extra-large head, which came to the wall andbarked at them in a tiny voice, afterwards running away again.
How shall we get down? asked Dorothy.
They found the ladder so heavy they could not pull it up, so theScarecrow fell off the wall and the others jumped down upon him so thatthe hard floor would not hurt their feet. Of course they took painsnot to light on his head and get the pins in their feet. When all weresafely down they picked up the Scarecrow, whose body was quiteflattened out, and patted his straw into shape again.
We must cross this strange place in order to get to the other side,said Dorothy, for it would be unwise for us to go any other way exceptdue South.
They began walking through the country of the china people, and thefirst thing they came to was a china milkmaid milking a china cow. Asthey drew near, the cow suddenly gave a kick and kicked over the stool,the pail, and even the milkmaid herself, and all fell on the chinaground with a great clatter.
Dorothy was shocked to see that the cow had broken her leg off, andthat the pail was lying in several small pieces, while the poormilkmaid had a nick in her left elbow.
There! cried the milkmaid angrily. See what you have done! My cowhas broken her leg, and I must take her to the mender's shop and haveit glued on again. What do you mean by coming here and frightening mycow?
I'm very sorry, returned Dorothy. Please forgive us.
But the pretty milkmaid was much too vexed to make any answer. Shepicked up the leg sulkily and led her cow away, the poor animal limpingon three legs. As she left them the milkmaid cast many reproachfulglances over her shoulder at the clumsy strangers, holding her nickedelbow close to her side.
Dorothy was quite grieved at this mishap.
We must be very careful here, said the kind-hearted Woodman, or wemay hurt these pretty little people so they will never get over it.
A little farther on Dorothy met a most beautifully dressed youngPrincess, who stopped short as she saw the strangers and started to runaway.
Dorothy wanted to see more of the Princess, so she ran after her. Butthe china girl cried out:
Don't chase me! Don't chase me!
She had such a frightened little voice that Dorothy stopped and said,Why not?
Because, answered the Princess, also stopping, a safe distance away,if I run I may fall down and break myself.
But could you not be mended? asked the girl.
Oh, yes; but one is never so pretty after being mended, you know,replied the Princess.
I suppose not, said Dorothy.
Now there is Mr. Joker, one of our clowns, continued the china lady,who is always trying to stand upon his head. He has broken himself sooften that he is mended in a hundred places, and doesn't look at allpretty. Here he comes now, so you can see for yourself.
Indeed, a jolly little clown came walking toward them, and Dorothycould see that in spite of his pretty clothes of red and yellow andgreen he was completely covered with cracks, running every which wayand showing plainly that he had been mended in many places.
The Clown put his hands in his pockets, and after puffing out hischeeks and nodding his head at them saucily, he said:
My lady fair, Why do you stare At poor old Mr. Joker? You're quite as stiff And prim as if You'd eaten up a poker!
Be quiet, sir! said the Princess. Can't you see these arestrangers, and should be treated with respect?
Well, that's respect, I expect, declared the Clown, and immediatelystood upon his head.
Don't mind Mr. Joker, said the Princess to Dorothy. He isconsiderably cracked in his head, and that makes him foolish.
Oh, I don't mind him a bit, said Dorothy. But you are sobeautiful, she continued, that I am sure I could love you dearly.Won't you let me carry you back to Kansas, and stand you on Aunt Em'smantel? I could carry you in my basket.
That would make me very unhappy, answered the china Princess. Yousee, here in our country we live contentedly, and can talk and movearound as we please. But whenever any of us are taken away our jointsat once stiffen, and we can only stand straight and look pretty. Ofcourse that is all that is expected of us when we are on mantels andcabinets and drawing-room tables, but our lives are much pleasanterhere in our own country.
I would not make you unhappy for all the world! exclaimed Dorothy.So I'll just say good-bye.
Good-bye, replied the Princess.
They walked carefully through the china country. The little animalsand all the people scampered out of their way, fearing the strangerswould break them, and after an hour or so the travelers reached theother side of the country and came to another china wall.
It was not so high as the first, however, and by standing upon theLion's back they all managed to scramble to the top. Then the Liongathered his legs under him and jumped on the wall; but just as hejumped, he upset a china church with his tail and smashed it all topieces.
That was too bad, said Dorothy, but really I think we were lucky innot doing these little people more harm than breaking a cow's leg and achurch. They are all so brittle!
They are, indeed, said the Scarecrow, and I am thankful I am made ofstraw and cannot be easily damaged. There are worse things in theworld than being a Scarecrow.