Adventure and adventurers -- Juvenile fiction; Fantasy fiction; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
"Why, shouldn't there be?" snapped the Hungry Tiger. Being hungry made
him a bit irritable. "Doesn't the sun go down every day?" Betsy and
Carter exchanged startled glances, for neither of them had thought of
this; and the little girl, gazing dreamily across the soft fields,
began to wonder what exciting adventures and strange experiences lay
ahead of them. But the Hungry Tiger was more interested in food. "Maybe
there'll be something to eat in the city," he wheezed in a weak voice.
"Let's waken the others." Prince Evered and the sad singer were already
up and after a few shakes and thumps on the back, the Rash Barber
lifted his head.
"What's up?" he inquired sleepily.
"Nothing," giggled Betsy. "Don't you remember we all fell down?"
"Don't remember a thing since I hit the feathers," yawned the barber,
plucking a tuft of down from his beard.
"Well, this is Down," laughed Betsy, pointing to the sign.
"And time to get up," added the Hungry Tiger gruffly. "We're going off
to that city over there to see if we can find some breakfast. Jump on
my back Betsy, and you, too." The Hungry Tiger nodded at the ragged
little Prince. "What do they call you?" he asked kindly.
"The Scarlet Prince, the Son of Asha,
Prince Evered of Rash, the Pasha!"
Droned the sad singer with a deep salaam toward the youthful ruler.
"All that?" gasped the Hungry Tiger, putting back his ears.
"Oh, call me 'Reddy'," exclaimed the little boy, hopping up behind
Betsy. "I haven't been Prince for a year, you know, and that's what
Fizzenpop called me even when I was."
"Well, I wish Fizzenpop were here now," sighed the Hungry Tiger
regretfully, "too bad the trap door closed before he found it."
The tiger had a great admiration for the Grand Vizier of Rash and
determined to do all in his power to restore Reddy to his throne.
"Tell us more about the magic rubies," begged Betsy, as the tiger
started briskly across the fields of Down.
"Yes, do," urged the Vegetable Man, "we dropped out right in the middle
of the story and most of it was knocked out of my head." Carter was
trudging along beside the Hungry Tiger, but the barber and the singer,
thinking it presumptuous to walk so close to the Prince, had dropped
respectfully behind. So while the strange little procession moved
toward the unknown city, Prince Evered told again how Irashi had stolen
the precious rubies and made himself Pasha of Rash.
"Well, I don't see how you'll ever find them," murmured Betsy, when he
had finished the story and told a little of his life with the cobbler's
children.
"Nothing's impossible," Carter reminded her gaily. "Look at me!" Betsy
and the little Prince both had to grin, for the Vegetable Man did look
impossible, and yet, there he was.
"But how would you know the rubies if you did find them?" asked Betsy,
after a little pause.
"There is an 'R' cut in each one," explained Reddy gravely, "and they
are square."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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