CHAPTER 4
AN UNLIKELY TRIO OF FRIENDS
Elephant, Tweaty and Nibbles were ready to leave, and it seemed thatdozens of other forest animals were of the same mind. The ferocity ofthe Forest Monster had led many of the denizens of the Lunechien Forestto panic. Many of them wanted to tell the Lord of the Forest about thetrouble, while others elected to go to Glinda the Good, who ruled overthe neighboring Land of the Quadlings. Animals were running to and fro,and there was a mass of confusion.
"Look out!" Nibbles cried suddenly. "That Unicorn is coming right atus!"
Elephant was helpless in trying to avert the disaster. An abnormallyfrightened Unicorn, undoubtedly made nervous by the excitement, had lostcontrol of her footing. She plowed into the rear of the elephant with ajolt which nearly flung the two passengers on his head into GlowingLimbo.
Retrieving his companions and determining that they were unhurt, helistened for a few moments to the oft-repeated apologies of the Unicornand then set out again.
"I sure hope that Queen Ozma can do something about that ugly brute,"said Nibbles.
"If she can't, we'll be no worse off than when we started," repliedTweaty.
The subject was dropped there. Elephant had run most rapidly and thetrio was now approaching the Emerald City.
"Excuse me," said the man at the gate. "Who are you and what is yourbusiness in the Emerald City?"
"We want to see the child who has become our Queen," replied Elephant.
"On what grounds?"
"On the ground I'm walking upon now, I suppose. Is there a problem?"
"What is your business with the Queen? If you are here to make fun ofher age, you are welcome to go away. Queen Ozma was sent to us by theFairy Queen Lurline herself, and she has our respect. Even though she isa tiny child, she is not to be made sport of."
"No one is making sport of anyone," said Elephant gruffly. "Though ifyou don't get out of my way I may decide to use you for a football."
"That will not be necessary," said the guard. "But you will need to weargreen glasses. It is a rule that was set up by the Wonderful Wizard ofOz himself. It is because of the gleaming magnitude of all the biggemstones everywhere. If you don't wear these special glasses, you mightwell be blinded by their brilliance. I hope you won't object to this."
"Well," said Elephant. "I fear that your glasses will not fit someone mysize. Nor, for that matter, the smaller sizes of my companions."
"Jeepers," said the guard. "I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps you'reright." He practically threw himself into his chestful of green glasses,but found none that would fit the animals. "I guess I'll have to makeyou some. This may take a while, so you'll have to find something to doin the mean."
"How about we go and talk to the Queen while you make us our glasses?"suggested Nibbles.
"A grand idea!" replied the guard. He opened the gate and the companyentered.
The Emerald City of Oz is a truly remarkable place. It has had so manyvolumes written about it that it hardly needs a description here, but itshould be noted that our trio was most impressed.
Ozma, too, was very impressive. They came upon her while she wasengrossed in playing paper-dolls with another little girl on the palacesteps.
Ozma]
"Excuse me, your Majesty," said Elephant.
The child looked up from her game and smiled at the pachyderm. "Hello,"she said quietly.
"My Dear Queen," said Elephant, "I and my cohorts are from the LunechienForest of Oz. It is situated in the Munchkin Country, and we are proudto call ourselves your subjects."
"Thank you very much," Ozma said politely. "Do you want to playpaper-dolls with us?"
"I--er, well, I suppose at some point I could be persuaded," stammeredElephant. "But I have come on very important business just now."
As the animals watched, Ozma seemed to make a complete transformation.She remained a child, but her eyes suddenly grew solemn and she raisedherself from her seat on the steps. Even though very young andinexperienced, the Child Queen took on an appearance of regal splendor.It made Elephant want to bow down before her, and this he promptly did.It was fortunate that Tweaty could fly, but unfortunate that Nibblescould not. Tweaty zoomed into the air without mishap as soon asElephant's head went down in his bow. Nibbles, however, was thrustthrough the air by the impact of Elephant's exuberant show ofsubjection. He flew toward the child and did not stop until he becamecaught in her pocket. Ozma, being that she was only a little girl afterall, began to scream until Elephant reached into the pocket with histrunk and retrieved the rodent.
"Thank you," Ozma said, composing herself. "When I was a little boynamed Tip, I'd have probably thought that very funny. But I am beginningto feel like Ozma again. This is who I am truly destined to be. Now tellme, what is the nature of your call?"
Elephant and the others quickly explained about the Forest Monster andhow they feared for their lives. As they spoke, the child grew more andmore solemn.
"It is hard to be a ruler over such a big land as Oz," spoke the childafter she had heard the news concerning the spider creature. "But I amnot willing to allow such a fiendish creature to harm any of mysubjects. I do not know of your Lunechien Forest, but I will do all inmy power to assist you."
Lurline, leader of the fairies]