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She pointed her sceptre at the head. "YOU ARE
BANISHED!" The head disappeared. Then Ozma
pointed at the body. "GO HEADWAY ALONG!"
Zipp! The place where the Mifkit had stood was
empty.
"I hope both parts arrive at the same time," spoke
Ozma. "He was an amusing little savage, but there's
no place for him in Oz."
"He'll have an interesting story to tell his fellow
critters in the Sandy Waste," said Aunt Em.
Aunt Em now folded up her knitting. "Your Maj-
esty," she spoke in a decided tone of voice. "You have
had a strenuous session. I move we adjourn to Jenny's
Style Shop. I haven't anything to wear to the Scala-
wagon Initiation this afternoon."
"I am a bit tired," Ozma admitted. She leaned her
head on her hand wearily. Then she straightened up
and said brightly, "But a new hat will do wonders for
me."
"Court adjourned!" cried the Soldier with the
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Green Whiskers. Raising his trumpet, he blew three
loud notes. Ozma descended from her throne and led
the way out of the Throne Room, through the long
corridor, and down the broad stairs. The people and
the animals followed her to the street. As they got
into their waiting scalawagons, Ozma said to the
Town Crier,
"Go and cry through the town that a party is to be
given in honor of the scalawagons at Custard Court
at three o'clock, when the babies have finished their
naps. Invite everybody!"
CHAPTER 25
The Great Party
THE Town Crier did his part well. Riding up and
I down streets in his new scalawagon, he covered
more territory than he could on foot. So well and plenti-
fully did he cry that his tears washed all the streets
fresh for the party.
In a short while all the people in the Emerald City,
including the guests, knew of Ozma's party at Cus-
tard Court. Never had there been such primping and
dressing. Everyone was determined to look his best.
Jellia Jamb, Ozma's housekeeper, had seen to the
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preparations at the Court. In spite of the short no-
tice, everything was in readiness. It required a bit
of magic to prepare some of the features. The Wiz-
ard came to assist Jellia, and with a bit of magic here
and there, wonders were accomplished.
As soon as the children awoke from their naps, the
people began streaming toward Custard Court. On
Strawberry Street and Celery Street the crowds were
thickest, for these were two short-cuts to the Court.
In Pudding Place and Banana Boulevard the scala-
wagons rode in a thick formation. In spite of the
crowding, everyone was in good humor. And since
all the traffic was going the same way, there were no
accidents.
The houses would dearly have loved to join the pro-
cession, but it was against the law for them to leave
their places. They all smiled at the passersby, blink-
ing their blinds and fluttering their shutters.
Ozma and her friends were still at Jenny's Style
Shop. The first to go through the turn-style had been
the Nota-bells. They were soon turned out in smart
red jackets and blue trousers, and their bells were
given a high polish.
"Aren't we high-toned!" declared one bell-man,
tossing his head until it rang.
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"You may go on to the party," said Ozma with a
smile. "I think you'll find what you want there."
The Nota-bells needed no second invitation. Skip-
ping out of the shop, they hopped aboard a scalawagon
and rode as fast as the crowds permitted. When they
arrived in the Courtyard, they saw something that
made them peal with delight.
The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow were rolling
a couple of molasses barrels into the center of the
courtyard. Nick barely had time to raise his ax and
remove the head, before the bell-men came flying
around him like a swarm of bees.
"Hurry! Hurry!" they cried. They kept circling
around Nick's head, their spread beards keeping them
In another minute the barrel was opened and the
molasses flowed free to all. The excited bell-men
swarmed down and began greedily to lick the sweet
stuff. They did not wait for spoons or dishes or nap-
kins, but used their tongues and fingers, licking away
for their lives.
The people stood speechless at this spectacle. Only
Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, spoke out:
"I was never very fussy,
Neither was I quite so mussy!"
which expressed what most of the people were think-
ing.
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The little men pushed each other and ducked into
the center of the molasses barrel. Soon their new
suits were covered with the sticky molasses. They
picked every drop off and licked their fingers clean.
A couple of them crawled inside the leaking barrel,
and when they crawled out, they were sticky from
whiskers to toes.
The sight seemed to fascinate Scraps. She chanted,
"Pardon me a moment, Misters,
There's molasses in your whiskers;
I don't mean to criticise,
But it's also in your eyes!"
The bell-men paid no attention to Scraps, but con-
tinued to push and shove each other, each trying to
get the most This rough scene made Scraps very
happy.
"You don't seem to get enough
Of this fascinating stuff;
And when all is said and done,
I'll admit it must be fun!"
Scraps did not eat, so she had no use for molasses.
But she could not resist getting into a fight. The bell-
men were fighting over the last few drops. With a
squeal and a jump, Scraps landed in the middle of
the bell-men. There was a flying mass of patches,
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whiskers, and molasses. The mess provided high en-
tertainment for the crowd.
Only Jack Pumpkinhead did not think the sight
funny. "Scraps, Scraps," he moaned, "when will you
learn to be a lady?"
"Did you call for a lady?" inquired a charming
voice at Jack's elbow. Turning, Jack saw a dainty,
two-headed dragonette. The dragonette's two faces
were smiling at Jack, and a soft thread of smoke
came from each mouth. The dragonette put up its
paws and elegantly covered its mouths.
"Hello, Evangeline," said Jack. "I wish Scraps were
half as polite as you."
At this minute the crowd parted to make way for
the scalawagons of Ozma and her party. Dorothy was
dressed in princess clothes. Jenny was attired like a
duchess. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were in their
Sunday best. Many with new Sunbonnets.
"Gracious, what's happening?" exclaimed Ozma,
surveying the flying mass of Whiskers and Scraps.
"Looks like a free-for-all," said Uncle Henry.
"Everything is free for all at this party," said Doro-
thy. "And if the refreshments won't go around, we can
eat right in our scalawagons."
"Scraps and the Nota-bells will have to be refreshed
in another way," said Jenny with a laugh. "Ozma,
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call off that fight and order them to my Style Shop.
They can get into clean clothes in a jiffy."
"A good idea," said Ozma. Raising her voice, she
called, "Scraps, stop your fighting, dear."
Scraps came out of the flying mess and landed on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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