L. Frank Baum - Oz 38 - The Shaggy Man Of Oz

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The Shaggy Man Of Oz – Oz 38

L. Frank Baum

BY JACK SNOW

CHAPTER 1

THE TWINS LOOK IN

"It just isn't fair," declared Tom, staring unhappily through the window at

the heavy rain pelting the lawn and garden about the house.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, so we might as well make the best

of it," replied Twink philosophically.

"But I wanted to go outdoors and play this afternoon. You know we have only

a few more weeks until school starts. Besides, I'm sick and tired of this

old house and of every single thing we have to play with."

Almost as if he understood Tom's words, Twoffle, the children's wooden

clown, tumbled over on his head in the corner where he had been standing

neglected. "Now look what you've done! You've hurt Twoffle's feelings,"

accused Twink reprovingly as she hastened to stand the funny little clown

erect again in his corner of the room.

Twink was especially fond of Twoffle. The little wooden clown with his

hinged joints and gaudily painted features and clothing had been a part of

their lives almost as long as Twink could remember. He had taken part in

many of their games, and being constructed of a fine grade of durable wood

he had outlasted many other more fragile toys that had come and gone.

Twink and Tom were twins. They lived in a large, comfortable house in the

city ofBuffalo,New York, with their Mother and Father and Rosie the cook.

This afternoon the house was very quiet. Twink's and Tom's father,

Professor Jones, was at work at the University, where he taught young

people all about electrons, atoms, molecules, and other mysterious matters.

Mrs. Jones was attending a meeting of her Club of Lady Voters. Rosie, the

cook, dozed in her warm kitchen, nodding over the latest issue of a fashion

magazine.

So it was no wonder the twins were a bit lonesome. The rain streamed down

the window monotonously, and it seemed the afternoon would drag on forever.

Twink glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was a little Dutch cottage

clock, and the hands indicated it was almostthree o'clock. Twink was

struck with a sudden idea. "Come on, Tom!" she called. "Look at the time.

If we don't hurry, we'll miss Chapter Four of Buffalo Bill Rides Again!"

Tom came to life immediately, and in an instant both children were dashing

down the broad stairway and into the library. Here was the solution to

their dull afternoon: a television set that Professor Jones had built

himself and installed in the library. It was a very special set with a

large "projection screen." The glass tube of the television set enlarged

the picture on the screen. Atthree o'clockeach afternoon Twink and Tom

could see another chapter in the exciting moving picture serial of the wild

west. The children were sure, of course, that Buffalo Bill had been named

after their own city, and this made the picture all the more interesting.

Tom was busily turning knobs and dials and making adjustments. In a few

seconds the big screen lighted up with a bluish-green glare, and a moment

later the pictures appeared. Buffalo Bill was ambushed by a wildly howling

mob of Redskins who were on the warpath. There was no doubt in Twink's and

Tom's minds that the famous scout would emerge unharmed, while the Indians

would take to noisy flight.

But just as Buffalo Bill brought his rifle to his shoulder and was sighting

the nearest Redskin, something happened. The flickering motion picture

vanished from the television screen, and in its place appeared a picture

that made the children gasp. It was one of the most beautiful scenes they

could imagine: a peaceful, rolling meadowland bright with all kinds of

wildflowers on which the sun shown down from a blue sky dotted with white,

baby clouds. In the distance rose the spires and minarets of a great

castle, glittering and glistening in the sun.

But it was not the castle or the sunny meadowland that held the children's

attention. Twink and Tom stared unbelievingly at a figure that stood in the

center of the television picture looking out at them with the most familiar

of smiles. It was Twoffle, their wooden clown.

CHAPTER 2

ON THE ISLE OF CONJO

"Good afternoon, children," said the clown quite clearly and calmly.

"G-g-g-good afternoon!" stammered Twink and Tom.

The little clown suddenly doubled up with merriment and then gasped, "If you

could only see yourselves! You're all eyes, positively bug-eyed if I ever

saw anyone who was!"

"But what are you doing in the television picture?" asked Twink, regaining a

little of her composure.

The clown disregarded her question and was suddenly serious. "Come on," he

ordered. "Conjo can hold this picture only a few minutes, and you just have

time to walk through."

"Walk through?" echoed Tom. "What do you mean?"

"Start walking toward the television screen and you'll find out," answered

the clown. "Or perhaps," he added, "you would rather stay there where it is

raining and you can't go outdoors."

"But you're only a picture," objected Twink.

"Will you please do as I tell you and start walking toward the television

screen?" asked the clown sternly.

Twink and Tom looked at each other questioningly. Tom smiled and shrugged.

"Might as well try it. Can't do any harm," he said.

"That's the spirit!" exclaimed the little clown, smiling again. "Just join

hands and walk straight toward me." Tom took Twink's hand, and the two

children slowly advanced toward the television screen. The screen was

nearly five feet high C4 several inches taller than the children C4 and

almost six feet wide. So vivid and real was the picture that Twink imagined

she could really walk right into it. Just as the children were about to

take the last step that would bring them directly in front of the

television screen, a sudden powerful gust of wind hit their backs and sent

them tumbling forward.

"This is where we'll catch it," thought Tom, sure that the wind must have

blown them into the screen. He sat up, fully expecting to see the expensive

screen torn to shreds. Instead he saw an expanse of rolling meadowland, and

he felt the warm sun beating down on his head. Twink was sitting beside him

on the green grass, staring about in utter bewilderment. Before them stood

the clown, smiling broadly.

"It's magic," breathed Twink, "pure magic."

"Well, it's magic, all right," answered the clown, "but I wouldn't say how

pure it is."

"But what has become of our library, and how did we get here, and how can

this be real, and why is it you're not upstairs in my room?" The questions

tumbled out almost faster than Twink could ask them.

"One question at a time, please," said the clown, "and I'll try to answer.

Your library is right where it always is. This can be real because it

$$is&& real. And I am not in your room because I belong here."

"But Twoffle," protested Tom, "we left you in Twink's room not fifteen

minutes ago."

"You didn't leave me there, and don't call me Twoffle," objected the clown.

By this time Twink and Tom were standing up and brushing off their clothes.

"But you $$are&& our Twoffle, you know," stated the girl. "We have had you

for years and years."

"I am not your Twoffle C4 of all the silly names," said the clown with some

irritation. "I am my own Twiffle."

"Then how is it you look so much like our Twoffle?" asked Tom, who noted the

clown was the same size as Twoffle and looked like his double.

"I was about to tell you," exclaimed the clown, "that my name is Twiffle,

and Twoffle is my third cousin."

"Oh, so then you know Twoffle?" asked Twink curiously.

"Know him?" replied Twiffle. "Of course I know him. And I also know you two

very well. Many nights Twoffle and I have sat in your rooms with the

moonlight streaming through the window and talked by the hour while you

children slept."

Twink and Tom said nothing. They were busy thinking. All this was so strange

and had happened so unexpectedly and suddenly that they were still

bewildered. Tom's eyes were puzzled as he asked, "Just before we came

through the screen, you said something about Conjo being able to `hold the

picture for only a few minutes.' Who is Conjo?"

Twiffle was suddenly alert. "That reminds me," he said, "that we must be on

our way at once. Conjo is expecting you, and we musn't keep him waiting."

Without another word, Twiffle started walking across the grass. The

children followed.

"But who is this Conjo, and where does he live?" asked Twink.

"And what does he want with us?" added Tom.

Without pausing to look at the children, Twiffle answered, "Conjo is a

Wizard, the sole ruler of this island, the Isle of Conjo. He lives in the

castle you can see in the distance. What he wants with you, he will

undoubtedly tell you himself." With this, the little clown flashed Twink

and Tom a bright smile and then walked steadily on toward the glittering

castle.

Twink found that she had no trouble at all in keeping up with Twiffle,

because his legs were so short and his stride so small. She had plenty of

time to pause occasionally and gather the colorful wildflowers that dotted

the green meadowland.

CHAPTER 3

OMBY AMBY BEARS BAD NEWS

"Ozma! Where is Ozma? I must see her at once C4 immediately!" The Soldier

with the Green Whiskers had run all the way from the gates of the Emerald

City of Oz to the Royal Palace with his whiskers streaming at least six

feet behind him. Now that he had arrived at the palace, he was panting and

wild-eyed with excitement.

"Whatever is the matter with you, Omby Amby?" asked Jellia Jamb, Ozma's

dainty little maid, eyeing the distraught Guardian of the Gates with

undisguised curiosity.

Omby Amby groaned. "Something terrible has happened. I must report it to

Ozma at once."

"Can't you give me just an inkling of what it is?" coaxed Jellia.

"No," replied Omby Amby firmly. The Soldier, who was Ozma's Royal Army, was

rapidly regaining his composure C4 and his breath C4 after his wild dash

through the emerald-studded streets of the city.

"Well, then come along,"20replied Jellia Jamb with a sigh. "I suppose I

shall have to wait for Ozma to tell me what has upset you so terribly." The

little maid led the way down the corridors of the Royal Palace until she

came to a large double door. Here she knocked, and a moment later Ozma's

voice answered, "Come in."

Jellia Jamb opened the door, and the Soldier with the Green Whiskers

followed her into the room. This was Ozma's library, where the shelves that

rose from the floor to the ceiling were filled with Magic Books of Records.

The little ruler of Oz was seated at a table, deep in the study of one of

the books. She looked up questioningly as Omby Amby stood before her.

Jellia Jamb silently departed, closing the door behind her.

"Your Highness," began Omby Amby, "it is my painful duty to report a most

regrettable misfortune."

"What is it, Omby Amby," asked Ozma with a kindly smile. "What has

happened?"

"It's the Love Magnet, your Highness," gulped the Soldier. "It's been

broken!"

"Broken!" exclaimed Ozma, rising from her chair. "How could that ever have

happened?"

"It was the nail," exclaimed Omby Amby miserably. "If your Highness will

recall, the Love Magnet has been hanging from a nail over the Gates of the

Emerald City for many years C4 in fact, ever since the Shaggy Man came to

live in the Land of Oz."

"Yes, I know," said Ozma.

"Well," went on the Soldier, "the nail must have rusted, and this morning it

snapped. The Love Magnet fell to the bricks of the Yellow Road and broke

into two pieces."

Ozma's face was grave. "You brought the pieces with you?" she asked.

"Yes, your Highness, I did," replied Omby Amby. Delving into one of his

pockets, he handed Ozma the two pieces of the Love Magnet, a small bit of

metal shaped like a horseshoe when it was whole.

Ozma held the broken Love Magnet in her hand, regarding it sadly. "It is too

bad," she said, "that so wonderful a charm should be broken."

"Do you mean it can't be repaired, your Highness?" asked Omby Amby.

"Of that I am not sure," replied Ozma. "Perhaps the first thing we should do

is ask the Shaggy Man to come here and explain to him how the Love Magnet

came to be broken, since it does, after all, really belong to him."

"I will go for him immediately," said the Soldier, turning to the door.

"You will find him in the garden with Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead, who is

trying on a new head," said Ozma as Omby Amby made a low bow and closed the

door behind him.

By luck, Ozma reflected, the Shaggy Man was in the Emerald City. She knew

that Shaggy was fond of making long trips about the Land of Oz, exploring

the little-known corners and regions of this most famous of all Fairylands.

Now he had just returned from a visit with his brother, who was in the

Gillikin Country. While she waited, Ozma recalled how the Shaggy Man had

befriended Dorothy in the Great Outside World and had found his way to the

Land of Oz in the company of little Dorothy. With him he had brought the

Love Magnet, a curious magical talisman which caused whoever carried it to

be loved by all he met. Shaggy had gratefully accepted Ozma's invitation to

make his home in the Land of Oz, and since he had no further need for the

Love Magnet, Ozma had caused it to be hung over the Gates of the Emerald

City so that all who entered might be loving and loved.

Before she had done this, however, Ozma had wisely altered the powers of the

Love Magnet so that the talisman did not automatically cause the person who

carried it to be loved by all he met, but must be $$displayed&& by its

carrier before the eyes of the person or persons whose love he wished to

win. Thus, control of the powers of the Magnet were given to its owner. All

this had happened so long ago that it was now duly written down in

Professor Wogglebug's Chronicles of the Land of Oz.

Ozma's reflections were ended by the appearance of Omby Amby and the Shaggy

Man, who had no idea that anything was the matter. "Dorothy said to tell

you, your Highness, that it's one of the best heads Jack ever had," the

Shaggy Man announced with satisfaction as he entered the room. "Dorothy's

fitting it on Jack's body now."

"Won't you sit down, please, Shaggy Man?" invited Ozma.

The little Ruler's expression was so serious that the Shaggy Man asked with

concern, "What is it, Ozma? What's wrong?"

Ozma answered silently by extending her palm in which lay the halves of the

broken Love Magnet. The Shaggy Man's eyes clouded. "Oh, that $$is&& too

bad. I was very fond of the Love Magnet. It always made me feel happy

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摘要：

TheShaggyManOfOz–Oz38 L.FrankBaum BYJACKSNOW REILLY&LEEEDITION,COPYRIGHT1949 CHAPTER1THETWINSLOOKIN"Itjustisn'tfair,"declaredTom,staringunhappilythroughthewindowat theheavyrainpeltingthelawnandgardenaboutthehouse."Well,there'snothingwecandoaboutit,sowemightaswellmakethebest ofit,"repl...

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L. Frank Baum - Oz 38 - The Shaggy Man Of Oz

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