Fantasy fiction; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
The Shaggy Man and the children had scarcely glanced at all this array
of tools and materials for working magic, when their attention was
drawn to a huge divan that rested in the very middle of the marble
floor of the great chamber. This luxurious divan was covered with the
softest and most expensive of rich velvet robes and comforts. Curled
up in a ball in the midst of the blankets and downy, satin-covered
cushions was a little man. He was snoring.
Twink almost laughed aloud. So this was Conjo, the working Wizard! She
realized now it was Conjo's snoring they had mistaken for the sound of
a buzz-saw.
Twiffle seemed neither surprised nor disturbed to find his master
sound asleep. The little clown trotted over to the handsome divan and,
seizing Conjo by the shoulders, shook him vigorously.
The Shaggy Man was grinning broadly, and Tom was holding a hand over
his mouth to suppress his laughter.
Sputtering and yawning, Conjo sat up on the divan. Since he was rubbing
the sleep out of his eyes with his knuckles, he did not see his guests
for several seconds. Then he blinked, yawned widely, and smiling a
little foolishly said: "Well, wiz my wand if it isn't Twink and Tom."
"You already know us?" asked Twink.
"Oh, goodness yes," replied Conjo, stretching lazily. "Twiffle has been
telling me about you for years--ever since you were mere babies. I let
Twiffle visit your friend Twoffle in your home, you know. Send him
there by my magic," explained Conjo proudly.
Conjo was coming more awake every minute. "Jumping June Bugs!" he
exclaimed as his eyes fell on the Shaggy Man. "I didn't tell Twiffle to
bring your Father along--or is this person your Grandfather?"
"Neither one," said the Shaggy Man with an amused smile. "Your magic
had nothing to do with my coming here, Conjo. I came of my own accord."
"Came from where?" demanded Conjo, and then went on before the Shaggy
Man had a chance to answer: "You were shipwrecked--that must be it, of
course--you are a poor, forlorn castaway--a helpless victim of the deep
and mighty ocean."
"No," contradicted the Shaggy Man, "I was not shipwrecked. I came here
from the Land of Oz."
Conjo started. "The Land of Oz!" he exclaimed incredulously. "You
mean the Emerald City--Ozma--Dorothy--the Scarecrow--the Tin
Woodman--Scraps--Toto----" and then because he was out of breath the
Wizard concluded weakly "and all of that?"
"I see you have heard of the Land of Oz," said the Shaggy Man, "so
perhaps you will know why I am here."
Conjo, who was a fat, bald little man, not much taller than Twink or
Tom, with a fringe of white hair about his pink head, closed his
little eyes, placed a forefinger on his cherry-like nose, and thought
hard.
"You will just have to tell me," he said, opening his eyes and staring
appealingly at the Shaggy Man. "I don't have a single idea. It usually
takes several hours after I wake up before I get any ideas--and it is
so seldom that we have shipwrecks."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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