L. Frank Baum_Oz 14 (3 page)

"True," agreed Ozma, "an enemy has tried to imprison us."

"And they did it, too," said Dorothy. "I wonder who it was."

"It's a spider-web, I'm quite sure," returned Ozma, "but it must be the
work of enormous spiders."

"Quite right!" cried a voice behind them. Turning quickly around they
beheld a huge purple spider sitting not two yards away and regarding
them with its small bright eyes.

Then there crawled from the bushes a dozen more great purple spiders,
which saluted the first one and said:

"The web is finished, O King, and the strangers are our prisoners."

Dorothy did not like the looks of these spiders at all. They had big
heads, sharp claws, small eyes and fuzzy hair all over their purple
bodies.

"They look wicked," she whispered to Ozma. "What shall we do?"

Ozma gazed upon the spiders with a serious face.

"What is your object in making us prisoners?" she inquired.

"We need someone to keep house for us," answered the Spider King.
"There is sweeping and dusting to be done, and polishing and washing of
dishes, and that is work my people dislike to do. So we decided that if
any strangers came our way we would capture them and make them our
servants."

"I am Princess Ozma, Ruler of all Oz," said the girl with dignity.

"Well, I am King of all Spiders," was the reply, "and that makes me
your master. Come with me to my palace and I will instruct you in your
work."

"I won't," said Dorothy indignantly. "We won't have anything to do with
you."

"We'll see about that," returned the Spider in a severe tone, and the
next instant he made a dive straight at Dorothy, opening the claws in
his legs as if to grab and pinch her with the sharp points. But the
girl was wearing her Magic Belt and was not harmed. The Spider King
could not even touch her. He turned swiftly and made a dash at Ozma,
but she held her Magic Wand over his head and the monster recoiled as
if it had been struck.

"You'd better let us go," Dorothy advised him, "for you see you can't
hurt us."

"So I see," returned the Spider King angrily. "Your magic is greater
than mine. But I'll not help you to escape. If you can break the magic
web my people have woven you may go; if not you must stay here and
starve." With that the Spider King uttered a peculiar whistle and all
the spiders disappeared.

"There is more magic in my fairyland than I dreamed of," remarked the
beautiful Ozma, with a sigh of regret. "It seems that my laws have not
been obeyed, for even these monstrous spiders defy me by means of
Magic."

"Never mind that now," said Dorothy; "let's see what we can do to get
out of this trap."

They now examined the web with great care and were amazed at its
strength. Although finer than the finest silken hairs, it resisted all
their efforts to work through, even though both girls threw all their
weight against it.

"We must find some instrument which will cut the threads of the web,"
said Ozma, finally. "Let us look about for such a tool."

So they wandered among the bushes and finally came to a shallow pool of
water, formed by a small bubbling spring. Dorothy stooped to get a
drink and discovered in the water a green crab, about as big as her
hand. The crab had two big, sharp claws, and as soon as Dorothy saw
them she had an idea that those claws could save them.

"Come out of the water," she called to the crab; "I want to talk to
you."

Rather lazily the crab rose to the surface and caught hold of a bit of
rock. With his head above the water he said in a cross voice:

"What do you want?"

"We want you to cut the web of the purple spiders with your claws, so
we can get through it," answered Dorothy. "You can do that, can't you?"

"I suppose so," replied the crab. "But if I do what will you give me?"

"What do you wish?" Ozma inquired.

"I wish to be white, instead of green," said the crab. "Green crabs are
very common, and white ones are rare; besides the purple spiders, which
infest this hillside, are afraid of white crabs. Could you make me
white if I should agree to cut the web for you?"

"Yes," said Ozma, "I can do that easily. And, so you may know I am
speaking the truth, I will change your color now."

She waved her silver wand over the pool and the crab instantly became
snow-white—all except his eyes, which remained black. The creature saw
his reflection in the water and was so delighted that he at once
climbed out of the pool and began moving slowly toward the web, by
backing away from the pool. He moved so very slowly that Dorothy cried
out impatiently: "Dear me, this will never do!" Caching the crab in her
hands she ran with him to the web.

She had to hold him up even then, so he could reach with his claws
strand after strand of the filmy purple web, which he was able to sever
with one nip.

When enough of the web had been cut to allow them to pass, Dorothy ran
back to the pool and placed the white crab in the water, after which
she rejoined Ozma. They were just in time to escape through the web,
for several of the purple spiders now appeared, having discovered that
their web had been cut, and had the girls not rushed through the
opening the spiders would have quickly repaired the cuts and again
imprisoned them.

Ozma and Dorothy ran as fast as they could and although the angry
spiders threw a number of strands of web after them, hoping to lasso
them or entangle them in the coils, they managed to escape and clamber
to the top of the hill.

From the top of the hill Ozma and Dorothy looked down into the valley
beyond and were surprised to find it filled with a floating mist that
was as dense as smoke. Nothing in the valley was visible except these
rolling waves of mist, but beyond, on the other side, rose a grassy
hill that appeared quite beautiful.

"Well," said Dorothy, "what are we to do, Ozma? Walk down into that
thick fog, an' prob'bly get lost in it, or wait till it clears away?"

"I'm not sure it will clear away, however long we wait," replied Ozma,
doubtfully. "If we wish to get on, I think we must venture into the
mist."

"But we can't see where we're going, or what we're stepping on,"
protested Dorothy. "There may be dreadful things mixed up in that fog,
an' I'm scared just to think of wading into it."

Even Ozma seemed to hesitate. She was silent and thoughtful for a
little while, looking at the rolling drifts that were so gray and
forbidding. Finally she said:

"I believe this is a Mist Valley, where these moist clouds always
remain, for even the sunshine above does not drive them away. Therefore
the Mist Maids must live here, and they are fairies and should answer
my call."

She placed her two hands before her mouth, forming a hollow with them,
and uttered a clear, thrilling, bird-like cry. It floated far out over
the mist waves and presently was answered by a similar sound, as of a
far-off echo.

Dorothy was much impressed. She had seen many strange things since
coming to this fairy country, but here was a new experience. At
ordinary times Ozma was just like any little girl one might chance to
meet—simple, merry, lovable as could be—yet with a certain reserve
that lent her dignity in her most joyous moods. There were times,
however, when seated on her throne and commanding her subjects, or when
her fairy powers were called into use, when Dorothy and all others
about her stood in awe of their lovely girl Ruler and realized her
superiority.

Ozma waited. Presently out from the billows rose beautiful forms,
clothed in fleecy, trailing garments of gray that could scarcely be
distinguished from the mist. Their hair was mist-color, too; only their
gleaming arms and sweet, pallid faces proved they were living,
intelligent creatures answering the call of a sister fairy.

Like sea nymphs they rested on the bosom of the clouds, their eyes
turned questioningly upon the two girls who stood upon the bank. One
came quite near and to her Ozma said:

"Will you please take us to the opposite hillside? We are afraid to
venture into the mist. I am Princess Ozma of Oz, and this is my friend
Dorothy, a Princess of Oz."

The Mist Maids came nearer, holding out their arms. Without hesitation
Ozma advanced and allowed them to embrace her and Dorothy plucked up
courage to follow. Very gently the Mist Maids held them. Dorothy
thought the arms were cold and misty—they didn't seem real at all—yet
they supported the two girls above the surface of the billows and
floated with them so swiftly to the green hillside opposite that the
girls were astonished to find themselves set upon the grass before they
realized they had fairly started.

"Thank you!" said Ozma gratefully, and Dorothy also added her thanks
for the service.

The Mist Maids made no answer, but they smiled and waved their hands in
good-bye as again they floated out into the mist and disappeared from
view.

"Well," said Dorothy with a laugh, "that was easier than I expected.
It's worth while, sometimes, to be a real fairy. But I wouldn't like to
be that kind, and live in a dreadful fog all the time."

They now climbed the bank and found before them a delightful plain that
spread for miles in all directions. Fragrant wild flowers were
scattered throughout the grass; there were bushes bearing lovely
blossoms and luscious fruits; now and then a group of stately trees
added to the beauty of the landscape. But there were no dwellings or
signs of life.

The farther side of the plain was bordered by a row of palms, and just
in front of the palms rose a queerly shaped hill that towered above the
plain like a mountain. The sides of this hill were straight up and
down; it was oblong in shape and the top seemed flat and level.

"Oh, ho!" cried Dorothy; "I'll bet that's the mountain Glinda told us
of, where the Flatheads live."

"If it is," replied Ozma, "the Lake of the Skeezers must be just beyond
the line of palm trees. Can you walk that far, Dorothy?"

"Of course, in time," was the prompt answer. "I'm sorry we had to leave
the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon behind us, for they'd come in handy just
now; but with the end of our journey in sight a tramp across these
pretty green fields won't tire us a bit."

It was a longer tramp than they suspected, however, and night overtook
them before they could reach the flat mountain. So Ozma proposed they
camp for the night and Dorothy was quite ready to approve. She didn't
like to admit to her friend she was tired, but she told herself that
her legs "had prickers in 'em," meaning they had begun to ache.

Usually when Dorothy started on a journey of exploration or adventure,
she carried with her a basket of food, and other things that a traveler
in a strange country might require, but to go away with Ozma was quite
a different thing, as experience had taught her. The fairy Ruler of Oz
only needed her silver wand—tipped at one end with a great sparkling
emerald—to provide through its magic all that they might need.
Therefore Ozma, having halted with her companion and selected a smooth,
grassy spot on the plain, waved her wand in graceful curves and chanted
some mystic words in her sweet voice, and in an instant a handsome tent
appeared before them. The canvas was striped purple and white, and from
the center pole fluttered the royal banner of Oz.

"Come, dear," said Ozma, taking Dorothy's hand, "I am hungry and I'm
sure you must be also; so let us go in and have our feast."

On entering the tent they found a table set for two, with snowy linen,
bright silver and sparkling glassware, a vase of roses in the center
and many dishes of delicious food, some smoking hot, waiting to satisfy
their hunger. Also, on either side of the tent were beds, with satin
sheets, warm blankets and pillows filled with swansdown. There were
chairs, too, and tall lamps that lighted the interior of the tent with
a soft, rosy glow.

Dorothy, resting herself at her fairy friend's command, and eating her
dinner with unusual enjoyment, thought of the wonders of magic. If one
were a fairy and knew the secret laws of nature and the mystic words
and ceremonies that commanded those laws, then a simple wave of a
silver wand would produce instantly all that men work hard and
anxiously for through weary years. And Dorothy wished in her kindly,
innocent heart, that all men and women could be fairies with silver
wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for
then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy
in. But Ozma, looking into her friend's face and reading those
thoughts, gave a laugh and said:

"No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead of happiness your
plan would bring weariness to the world. If every one could wave a wand
and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. There
would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would
then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for,
and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be
utterly lost. There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in
life and in our fellow creatures. That is all that makes life worth our
while—to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than
ourselves."

"Well, you're a fairy, Ozma. Aren't you happy?" asked Dorothy.

"Yes, dear, because I can use my fairy powers to make others happy. Had
I no kingdom to rule, and no subjects to look after, I would be
miserable. Also, you must realize that while I am a more powerful fairy
than any other inhabitant of Oz, I am not as powerful as Glinda the
Sorceress, who has studied many arts of magic that I know nothing of.
Even the little Wizard of Oz can do some things I am unable to
accomplish, while I can accomplish things unknown to the Wizard. This
is to explain that I'm not all-powerful, by any means. My magic is
simply fairy magic, and not sorcery or wizardry."