Fantasy fiction; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
"That's right," added Flub Blub approvingly. Removing his bubble pipe
he continued earnestly, "Fish will make your feet grow too. Eat fish,
my dear, and grow a beautiful pair like mine!"
Dorothy looked down at the Scooter's long feet and shuddered. "That
settles it," she whispered, with a little shiver. "I'll never eat fish!"
They had now reached the opposite side of the river. Thanking the
Scooters for their kindness and bidding them an affectionate farewell,
the little girl scampered quickly up the bank. Humpy had already been
tossed ashore.
"Good-bye!" shouted the Scooters, cheerfully waving their sails. They
were in mid-stream by this time.
"Good-bye!" called Dorothy and Humpy, picking himself up clumsily,
waved his crown.
"Ah, still the same size I see," smiled Humpy, looking amiably at
Dorothy. "Any more adventures coming?"
"Well, I liked that one," chuckled Dorothy, pulling up her stockings
and straightening her hat. "Didn't you?"
Humpy nodded, his eyes wandering over the fields and hills, spreading
out invitingly before them. "Is this the way to your palace?" he
demanded, throwing his cloak back over one shoulder and waving his
stick ahead.
"It's not my palace," explained Dorothy, taking his arm, "it's Ozma's.
She is the Queen of Oz, you know, but I have the dearest little
apartment there, with a hundred fairy tale books, a hundred games, a
hundred dresses, a dog named Toto and a little white kitten."
"Well, I hope your dog won't chew me," said Humpy uneasily. "I was in a
picture with a dog once. He was supposed to knock me down. Well, he did
and, before they could pull him away he had chewed off my ear and eaten
up my wig. I hate dogs."
"But Toto's only a little dog, you'll just _love_ Toto," Dorothy
assured him quickly.
Humpy still looked doubtful and, seeing that dogs made him unhappy,
Dorothy began telling him all about the Scarecrow and Scraps. Chatting
pleasantly, they walked along for more than an hour, when Humpy, ever
on the lookout for adventures, gave Dorothy's arm a quick jerk. Moving
slowly behind a thin fringe of trees to the right was a great gray
shadow. As they stopped, the shadow stopped too and out through the
trees something that looked like a long grey snake came curiously
curling.
"Run!" puffed the valiant dummy. "Run, Dorothy! This is my part of the
show for it can't bite me!"
Raising his stick, Humpy brought it down sharply on the thick gray
body. There was an enraged snort and snuffle in the bushes. Then,
before Dorothy could run or Humpy could use his stick again, a
perfectly enormous elephant came charging out between the trees. His
sides were heaving with rage and his tusks were trembling with temper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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