Fantasy fiction; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
"Are all the countries down here as different and happy as this?" she
asked, fingering the necklace she had taken from the jewel box. "All
our countries are greyling and sad. No birds sing, no flowers grow, and
people are all the same."
"Oh, just wait till you've been to OZ," exclaimed Randy, shutting
the band box so he could talk better. "Oz countries are even more
surprising than this, and wait till you've seen Ev and Jinnicky's Red
Glass Castle!"
"You'll never reach it," predicted Chillywalla, shaking his hat box
gloomily. "You'll spoil in a few hours now, especially the big one,
loaded down with all that stuff and rubbish. Throw it away," he begged
again, looking so sorrowful Randy was afraid he was going to burst out
crying. "Toss out that rubbish and wear our boxes before it is too
late!"
"Rubbish!" Randy shook his finger reprovingly at the Boxer. "Why, all
these things are terribly nice and useful. If we go through enemy
countries, we can placate the natives with cakes and cigars, and if
we go through friendly countries, we'll use the suits and flowers
and candy for gifts. Really, you've been a great help to us, Mr.
Chillywalla, and if you ever come to Regalia, you may have anything in
my castle you wish!"
"Are there any boxes in your castle?" Chillywalla peered up at Randy
through the slits in his hat box.
"Not many," admitted Randy truthfully. "You see, in my country we keep
the contents and throw the boxes away."
"Throw the boxes away!" gasped Chillywalla, jumping three times into
the air. "Oh, you rogues! You rascals! You--YOU BOXIBALS! Lefters!
Righters! Boxers all! Here! Here at once! Have at these Box-destroying
savages!"
"Now see what you've done," mourned Kabumpo, as hundreds of the Boxers,
heeding Chillywalla's call, darted out of their dwellings and came
leaping from behind the box bushes and trees. "You've started a war!
That's what!"
"Box them! Box them good!" shrieked Chillywalla, raining harmless
blows on Kabumpo's trunk with his boxed fists. A hundred more boxed
both Thun and the Elegant Elephant from the rear, and so loud and angry
were their cries Planetty covered her ears.
"Too bad we have to leave when everything was so pleasant," wheezed
Kabumpo. "But never mind, here's the other side of the Box Wood.
Flatten out, youngsters, and I'll bump through."
And bump through he did, with such a splintering of boards it sounded
like an explosion of cannon crackers. Thun, at three taps from
Planetty, bumped after him, and before the Boxers realized what was
happening they were far away from there.
"I'll soon have that box off you!" panted Kabumpo. And putting his
trunk under Thun's iron box, he heaved it up in short order, screaming
shrilly as he did, for the Thunder Colt's breath had made the metal
uncomfortably hot.
"I thank you, great and mighty Master!" Thun sent the words up in a
perfect shower of sparks. "Let us begone from these noxious boxers."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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