from danger. But he would not let Kaliko see the fear he felt for Inga’s safety, so he said in a careless way:
“You’re a mighty poor magician, Kaliko, and I’ll give you my crown if Inga hasn’t escaped any danger you have threatened him with.”
“Your whole crown is not worth one of the valuable diamonds in my crown,” answered the Nome King, “but I’ll take it. Let us go at once, therefore, and see what has become of the boy Prince, for if he is not destroyed by this time I will admit he cannot be injured by any of the magic arts which I have at my command.”
He left the room, accompanied by Klik, who had now rejoined his master, and by Rinkitink riding upon Bilbil. After traversing several of the huge caverns they entered one that was somewhat more bright and cheerful than the others, where the Nome King paused before a wall of rock. Then Klik pressed a secret spring and a section of the wall opened and disclosed the corridor where Prince Inga stood facing them.
“Tarts and tadpoles!” cried Kaliko in surprise. “The boy is still alive!”
Chapter Twenty
Dorothy to the Rescue
One day when Princess Dorothy of Oz was visiting Glinda the Good, who is Ozma’s Royal Sorceress, she was looking through Glinda’s Great Book of Records — wherein is inscribed all important events that happen in every part of the world — when she came upon the record of the destruction of Pingaree, the capture of King Kitticut and Queen Garee and all their people, and the curious escape of Inga, the boy Prince, and of King Rinkitink and the talking goat. Turning over some of the following pages, Dorothy read how Inga had found the Magic Pearls and was rowing the silver-lined boat to Regos to try to rescue his parents.
The little girl was much interested to know how well Inga succeeded, but she returned to the palace of Ozma at the Emerald City of Oz the next day and other events made her forget the boy Prince of Pingaree for a time. However, she was one day idly looking at Ozma’s Magic Picture, which shows any scene you may wish to see, when the girl thought of Inga and commanded the Magic Picture to show what the boy was doing at that moment.
It was the time when Inga and Rinkitink had followed the King of Regos and Queen of Coregos to the Nome King’s country and she saw them hiding behind the rock as Cor and Gos passed them by after having placed the King and Queen of Pingaree in the keeping of the Nome King. From that time Dorothy followed, by means of the Magic Picture, the adventures of Inga and his friend in the Nome King’s caverns, and the danger and helplessness of the poor boy aroused the little girl’s pity and indignation.
So she went to Ozma and told the lovely girl Ruler of Oz all about Inga and Rinkitink.
“I think Kaliko is treating them dreadfully mean,” declared Dorothy, “and I wish you’d let me go to the Nome Country and help them out of their troubles.”
“Go, my dear, if you wish to,” replied Ozma, “but I think it would be best for you to take the Wizard with you.”
“Oh, I’m not afraid of the nomes,” said Dorothy, “but I’ll be glad to take the Wizard, for company. And may we use your Magic Carpet, Ozma?”
“Of course. Put the Magic Carpet in the Red Wagon and have the Sawhorse take you and the Wizard to the edge of the desert. While you are gone, Dorothy, I’ll watch you in the Magic Picture, and if any danger threatens you I’ll see you are not harmed.”
Dorothy thanked the Ruler of Oz and kissed her good- bye, for she was determined to start at once. She found the Wizard of Oz, who was planting shoetrees in the garden, and when she told him Inga’s story he willingly agreed to accompany the little girl to the Nome King’s caverns. They had both been there before and had conquered the nomes with ease, so they were not at all afraid.
The Wizard, who was a cheery little man with a bald head and a winning smile, harnessed the Wooden Sawhorse to the Red Wagon and loaded on Ozma’s Magic Carpet. Then he and Dorothy climbed to the seat and the Sawhorse started off and carried them swiftly through the beautiful Land of Oz to the edge of the Deadly Desert that separated their fairyland from the Nome Country.
Even Dorothy and the clever Wizard would not have dared to cross this desert without the aid of the Magic Carpet, for it would have quickly destroyed them; but when the roll of carpet had been placed upon the edge of the sands, leaving just enough lying flat for them to stand upon, the carpet straightway began to unroll before them and as they walked on it continued to unroll, until they had safely passed over the stretch of Deadly Desert and were on the border of the Nome King’s dominions.
This journey had been accomplished in a few minutes, although such a distance would have required several days travel had they not been walking on the Magic Carpet. On arriving they at once walked toward the entrance to the caverns of the nomes.
The Wizard carried a little black bag containing his tools of wizardry, while Dorothy carried over her arm a covered basket in which she had placed a dozen eggs, with which to conquer the nomes if she had any trouble with them.
Eggs may seem to you to be a queer weapon with which to fight, but the little girl well knew their value. The nomes are immortal; that is, they do not perish, as mortals do, unless they happen to come in contact with an egg. If an egg touches them — either the outer shell or the inside of the egg — the nomes lose their charm of perpetual life and thereafter are liable to die through accident or old age, just as all humans are.
For this reason the sight of an egg fills a nome with terror and he will do anything to prevent an egg from touching him, even for an instant. So, when Dorothy took her basket of eggs with her, she knew that she was more powerfully armed than if she had a regiment of soldiers at her back.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Wizard Finds an Enchantment
After Kaliko had failed in his attempts to destroy his guests, as has been related, the Nome King did nothing more to injure them but treated them in a friendly manner. He refused, however, to permit Inga to see or to speak with his father and mother, or even to know in what part of the underground caverns they were confined.
“You are able to protect your lives and persons, I freely admit,” said Kaliko; “but I firmly believe you have no power, either of magic or otherwise, to take from me the captives I have agreed to keep for King Gos.”
Inga would not agree to this. He determined not to leave the caverns until he had liberated his father and mother, although he did not then know how that could be accomplished. As for Rinkitink, the jolly King was well fed and had a good bed to sleep upon, so he was not worrying about anything and seemed in no hurry to go away.
Kaliko and Rinkitink were engaged in pitching a game with solid gold quoits, on the floor of the royal chamber, and Inga and Bilbil were watching them, when Klik came running in, his hair standing on end with excitement, and cried out that the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy were approaching.
Kaliko turned pale on hearing this unwelcome news and, abandoning his game, went to sit in his ivory throne and try to think what had brought these fearful visitors to his domain.
“Who is Dorothy?” asked Inga.
“She is a little girl who once lived in Kansas,” replied Klik, with a shudder, “but she now lives in Ozma’s palace at the Emerald City and is a Princess of Oz — which means that she is a terrible foe to deal with.”
“Doesn’t she like the nomes?” inquired the boy.
“It isn’t that,” said King Kaliko, with a groan, “but she insists on the nomes being goody-goody, which is contrary to their natures. Dorothy gets angry if I do the least thing that is wicked, and tries to make me stop it, and that naturally makes me downhearted. I can’t imagine why she has come here just now, for I’ve been behaving very well lately. As for that Wizard of Oz, he’s chock-full of magic that I can’t overcome, for he learned it from Glinda, who is the most powerful sorceress in the world. Woe is me! Why didn’t Dorothy and the Wizard stay in Oz, where they belong?”
Inga and Rinkitink listened to this with much joy, for at once the idea came to them both to plead with Dorothy to help them. Even Bilbil pricked up his ears when he heard the Wizard of Oz mentioned, and the goat seemed much less surly, and more thoughtful than usual.
A few minutes later a nome came to say that Dorothy and the Wizard had arrived and demanded admittance, so Klik was sent to usher them into the royal presence of the Nome King.
As soon as she came in the little girl ran up to the boy Prince and seized both his hands.
“Oh, Inga!” she exclaimed, “I’m so glad to find you alive and well.”
Inga was astonished at so warm a greeting. Making a low bow he said:
“I don’t think we have met before, Princess.”
“No, indeed,” replied Dorothy, “but I know all about you and I’ve come to help you and King Rinkitink out of your troubles.” Then she turned to the Nome King and continued: “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, King Kaliko, to treat an honest Prince and an honest King so badly.”
“I haven’t done anything to them,” whined Kaliko, trembling as her eyes flashed upon him.
“No; but you tried to, an’ that’s just as bad, if not worse,” said Dorothy, who was very indignant. “And now I want you to send for the King and Queen of Pingaree and have them brought here immejitly!”
“I won’t,” said Kaliko.
“Yes, you will!” cried Dorothy, stamping her foot at him. “I won’t have those poor people made unhappy any longer, or separated from their little boy. Why, it’s dreadful, Kaliko, an’ I’m su’prised at you. You must be more wicked than I thought you were.”
“I can’t do it, Dorothy,” said the Nome King, almost weeping with despair. “I promised King Gos I’d keep them captives. You wouldn’t ask me to break my promise, would you?”
“King Gos was a robber and an outlaw,” she said, “and p’r’aps you don’t know that a storm at sea wrecked his boat, while he was going back to Regos, and that he and Queen Cor were both drowned.”
“Dear me!” exclaimed Kaliko. “Is that so?”
“I saw it in Glinda’s Record Book,” said Dorothy. “So now you trot out the King and Queen of Pingaree as quick as you can.”
“No,” persisted the contrary Nome King, shaking his head. “I won’t do it. Ask me anything else and I’ll try to please you, but I can’t allow these friendly enemies to triumph over me.
“In that case,” said Dorothy, beginning to remove the cover from her basket, “I’ll show you some eggs.”
“Eggs!” screamed the Nome King in horror. “Have you eggs in that basket?”
“A dozen of ’em,” replied Dorothy.
“Then keep them there — I beg — I implore you! — and I’ll do anything you say,” pleaded Kaliko, his teeth chattering so that he could hardly speak.
“Send for the King and Queen of Pingaree,” said Dorothy.
“Go, Klik,” commanded the Nome King, and Klik ran away in great haste, for he was almost as much frightened as his master.
It was an affecting scene when the unfortunate King and Queen of Pingaree entered the chamber and with sobs and tears of joy embraced their brave and adventurous son. All the others stood silent until greetings and kisses had been exchanged and Inga had told his parents in a few words of his vain struggles to rescue them and how Princess Dorothy had finally come to his assistance.
Then King Kitticut shook the hands of his friend King Rinkitink and thanked him for so loyally supporting his son Inga, and Queen Garee kissed little Dorothy’s forehead and blessed her for restoring her husband and herself to freedom.
The Wizard had been standing near Bilbil the goat and now he was surprised to hear the animal say:
“Joyful reunion, isn’t it? But it makes me tired to see grown people cry like children.”
“Oho!” exclaimed the Wizard. “How does it happen, Mr. Goat, that you, who have never been to the Land of Oz, are able to talk?”
“That’s my business,” returned Bilbil in a surly tone.
The Wizard stooped down and gazed fixedly into the animal’s eyes. Then he said, with a pitying sigh: “I see; you are under an enchantment. Indeed, I believe you to be Prince Bobo of Boboland.”
Bilbil made no reply but dropped his head as if ashamed.
“This is a great discovery,” said the Wizard, addressing Dorothy and the others of the party. “A good many years ago a cruel magician transformed the gallant Prince of Boboland into a talking goat, and this goat, being ashamed of his condition, ran away and was never after seen in Boboland, which is a country far to the south of here but bordering on the Deadly Desert, opposite the Land of Oz. I heard of this story long ago and know that a diligent search has been made for the enchanted Prince, without result. But I am well assured that, in the animal you call Bilbil, I have discovered the unhappy Prince of Boboland.”
“Dear me, Bilbil,” said Rinkitink, “why have you never told me this?”
“What would be the use?” asked Bilbil in a low voice and still refusing to look up.
“The use?” repeated Rinkitink, puzzled.
“Yes, that’s the trouble,” said the Wizard. “It is one of the most powerful enchantments ever accomplished, and the magician is now dead and the secret of the anti-charm lost. Even I, with all my skill, cannot restore Prince Bobo to his proper form. But I think Glinda might be able to do so and if you will all return with Dorothy and me to the Land of Oz, where Ozma will make you welcome, I will ask Glinda to try to break this enchantment.”
This was willingly agreed to, for they all welcomed the chance to visit the famous Land of Oz. So they bade good-bye to King Kaliko, whom Dorothy warned not to be wicked any more if he could help it, and the entire party returned over the Magic Carpet to the Land of Oz. They filled the Red Wagon, which was still waiting for them, pretty full; but the Sawhorse didn’t mind that and with wonderful speed carried them safely to the Emerald City.
Chapter Twenty Two
Ozma’s Banquet
Ozma had seen in her Magic Picture the liberation of Inga’s parents and the departure of the entire party for the Emerald City, so with her usual hospitality she ordered a splendid banquet prepared and invited all her quaint friends who were then in the Emerald City to be present that evening to meet the strangers who were to become her guests.
Glinda, also, in her wonderful Record Book had learned of the events that had taken place in the caverns of the Nome King and she became especially interested in the enchantment of the Prince of Boboland. So she hastily prepared several of her most powerful charms and then summoned her flock of sixteen white storks, which swiftly bore her to Ozma’s palace. She arrived there before the Red Wagon did and was warmly greeted by the girl Ruler.
Realizing that the costume of Queen Garee of Pingaree must have become sadly worn and frayed, owing to her hardships and adventures, Ozma ordered a royal outfit prepared for the good Queen and had it laid in her chamber ready for her to put on as soon as she arrived, so she would not be shamed at the banquet. New costumes were also provided for King Kitticut and King Rinkitink and Prince Inga, all cut and made and embellished in the elaborate and becoming style then prevalent in the Land of Oz, and as soon as the party arrived at the palace Ozma’s guests were escorted by her servants to their rooms, that they might bathe and dress themselves.
Glinda the Sorceress and the Wizard of Oz took charge of Bilbil the goat and went to a private room where they were not likely to be interrupted. Glinda first questioned Bilbil long and earnestly about the manner of his enchantment and the ceremony that had been used by the magician who enchanted him. At first Bilbil protested that he did not want to be restored to his natural shape, saying that he had been forever disgraced in the eyes of his people and of the entire world by being obliged to exist as a scrawny, scraggly goat. But Glinda pointed out that any person who incurred the enmity of a wicked magician was liable to suffer a similar fate, and assured him that his misfortune would make him better beloved by his subjects when he returned to them freed from his dire enchantment.
Bilbil was finally convinced of the truth of this assertion and agreed to submit to the experiments of Glinda and the Wizard, who knew they had a hard task before them and were not at all sure they could succeed. We know that Glinda is the most complete mistress of magic who has ever existed, and she was wise enough to guess that the clever but evil magician who had enchanted Prince Bobo had used a spell that would puzzle any ordinary wizard or sorcerer to break; therefore she had given the matter much shrewd thought and hoped she had conceived a plan that would succeed. But because she was not positive of success she would have no one present at the incantation except her assistant, the Wizard of Oz.
First she transformed Bilbil the goat into a lamb, and this was done quite easily. Next she transformed the lamb into an ostrich, giving it two legs and feet instead of four. Then she tried to transform the ostrich into the original Prince Bobo, but this incantation was an utter failure. Glinda was not discouraged, however, but by a powerful spell transformed the ostrich into a tottenhot — which is a lower form of a man. Then the tottenhot was transformed into a mifket, which was a great step in advance and, finally, Glinda transformed the mifket into a handsome young man, tall and shapely, who fell on his knees before the great Sorceress and gratefully kissed her hand, admitting that he had now recovered his proper shape and was indeed Prince Bobo of Boboland.
This process of magic, successful though it was in the end, had required so much time that the banquet was now awaiting their presence. Bobo was already dressed in princely raiment and although he seemed very much humbled by his recent lowly condition, they finally persuaded him to join the festivities.
When Rinkitink saw that his goat had now become a Prince, he did not know whether to be sorry or glad, for he felt that he would miss the companionship of the quarrelsome animal he had so long been accustomed to ride upon, while at the same time he rejoiced that poor Bilbil had come to his own again.
Prince Bobo humbly begged Rinkitink’s forgiveness for having been so disagreeable to him, at times, saying that the nature of a goat had influenced him and the surly disposition he had shown was a part of his enchantment. But the jolly King assured the Prince that he had really enjoyed Bilbil’s grumpy speeches and forgave him readily. Indeed, they all discovered the young Prince Bobo to be an exceedingly courteous and pleasant person, although he was somewhat reserved and dignified.
Ah, but it was a great feast that Ozma served in her gorgeous banquet hall that night and everyone was as happy as could be. The Shaggy Man was there, and so was Jack Pumpkinhead and the Tin Woodman and Cap’n Bill. Beside Princess Dorothy sat Tiny Trot and Betsy Bobbin, and the three little girls were almost as sweet to look upon as was Ozma, who sat at the head of her table and outshone all her guests in loveliness.
King Rinkitink was delighted with the quaint people of Oz and laughed and joked with the tin man and the pumpkin-headed man and found Cap’n Bill a very agreeable companion. But what amused the jolly King most were the animal guests, which Ozma always invited to her banquets and seated at a table by themselves, where they talked and chatted together as people do but were served the sort of food their natures required. The Hungry Tiger and Cowardly Lion and the Glass Cat were much admired by Rinkitink, but when he met a mule named Hank, which Betsy Bobbin had brought to Oz, the King found the creature so comical that he laughed and chuckled until his friends thought he would choke. Then while the banquet was still in progress, Rinkitink composed and sang a song to the mule and they all joined in the chorus, which was something like this:
“It’s very queer how big an ear
Is worn by Mr. Donkey;
And yet I fear he could not hear
If it were on a monkey.
‘Tis thick and strong and broad and long And also very hairy;
It’s quite becoming to our Hank
But might disgrace a fairy!”
This song was received with so much enthusiasm that Rinkitink was prevailed upon to sing another. They gave him a little time to compose the rhyme, which he declared would be better if he could devote a month or two to its composition, hut the sentiment he expressed was so admirable that no one criticized the song or the manner in which the jolly little King sang it.
Dorothy wrote down the words on a piece of paper, and here they are:
“We’re merry comrades all, to-night,
Because we’ve won a gallant fight
And conquered all our foes.
We’re not afraid of anything,
So let us gayly laugh and sing
Until we seek repose.
“We’ve all our grateful hearts can wish; King Gos has gone to feed the fish,
Queen Cor has gone, as well;
King Kitticut has found his own,
Prince Bobo soon will have a throne Relieved of magic spell.
“So let’s forget the horrid strife
That fell upon our peaceful life
And caused distress and pain;
For very soon across the sea
We’ll all be sailing merrily
To Pingaree again.”
Chapter Twenty Three
The Pearl Kingdom
It was unfortunate that the famous Scarecrow – the most popular person in all Oz, next to Ozma — was absent at the time of the banquet, for he happened just then to be making one of his trips through the country; but the Scarecrow had a chance later to meet Rinkitink and Inga and the King and Queen of Pingaree and Prince Bobo, for the party remained several weeks at the Emerald City, where they were royally entertained, and where both the gentle Queen Garee and the noble King Kitticut recovered much of their good spirits and composure and tried to forget their dreadful experiences.
At last, however, the King and Queen desired to return to their own Pingaree, as they longed to be with their people again and see how well they had rebuilt their homes. Inga also was anxious to return, although he had been very happy in Oz, and King Rinkitink, who was happy anywhere except at Gilgad, decided to go with his former friends to Pingaree. As for prince Bobo, he had become so greatly attached to King Rinkitink that he was loth to leave him.
On a certain day they all bade good-bye to Ozma and Dorothy and Glinda and the Wizard and all their good friends in Oz, and were driven in the Red Wagon to the edge of the Deadly Desert, which they crossed safely on the Magic Carpet. They then made their way across the Nome Kingdom and the Wheeler Country, where no one molested them, to the shores of the Nonestic Ocean. There they found the boat with the silver lining still lying undisturbed on the beach.
There were no important adventures during the trip and on their arrival at the pearl kingdom they were amazed at the beautiful appearance of the island they had left in ruins. All the houses of the people had been rebuilt and were prettier than before, with green lawns before them and flower gardens in the back yards. The marble towers of King Kitticut’s new palace were very striking and impressive, while the palace itself proved far more magnificent than it had been before the warriors from Regos destroyed it.
Nikobob had been very active and skillful in directing all this work, and he had also built a pretty cottage for himself, not far from the King’s palace, and there Inga found Zella, who was living very happy and contented in her new home. Not only had Nikobob accomplished all this in a comparatively brief space of time, but he had started the pearl fisheries again and when King Kitticut returned to Pingaree he found a quantity of fine pearls already in the royal treasury.
So pleased was Kitticut with the good judgment, industry and honesty of the former charcoal-burner of Regos, that he made Nikobob his Lord High Chamberlain and put him in charge of the pearl fisheries and all the business matters of the island kingdom.
They all settled down very comfortably in the new palace and the Queen gathered her maids about her once more and set them to work embroidering new draperies for the royal throne. Inga placed the three Magic Pearls in their silken bag and again deposited them in the secret cavity under the tiled flooring of the banquet hall, where they could be quickly secured if danger ever threatened the now prosperous island.
King Rinkitink occupied a royal guest chamber built especially for his use and seemed in no hurry to leave his friends in Pingaree. The fat little King had to walk wherever he went and so missed Bilbil more and more; but he seldom walked far and he was so fond of Prince BoBo that he never regretted Bilbil’s disenchantment.
Indeed, the jolly monarch was welcome to remain forever in Pingaree, if he wished to, for his merry disposition set smiles on the faces of all his friends and made everyone near him as jolly as he was himself. When King Kitticut was not too busy with affairs of state he loved to join his guest and listen to his brother monarch’s songs and stories. For he found Rinkitink to be, with all his careless disposition, a shrewd philosopher, and in talking over their adventures one day the King of Gilgad said:
“The beauty of life is its sudden changes. No one knows what is going to happen next, and so we are constantly being surprised and entertained. The many ups and downs should not discourage us, for if we are down, we know that a change is coming and we will go up again; while those who are up are almost certain to go down. My grandfather had a song which well expresses this and if you will listen I will sing it.”
“Of course I will listen to your song,” returned Kitticut, “for it would be impolite not to.”
So Rinkitink sang his grandfather’s song:
“A mighty King once ruled the land — But now he’s baking pies.
A pauper, on the other hand,
Is ruling, strong and wise.
A tiger once in jungles raged —
But now he’s in a zoo;
A lion, captive-born and caged,
Now roams the forest through.
A man once slapped a poor boy’s pate
And made him weep and wail.
The boy became a magistrate
And put the man in jail.
A sunny day succeeds the night;
It’s summer — then it snows!
Right oft goes wrong and wrong comes right, As ev’ry wise man knows.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Captive King
One morning, just as the royal party was finishing breakfast, a servant came running to say that a great fleet of boats was approaching the island from the south. King Kitticut sprang up at once, in great alarm, for he had much cause to fear strange boats. The others quickly followed him to the shore to see what invasion might be coming upon them.
Inga was there with the first, and Nikobob and Zella soon joined the watchers. And presently, while all were gazing eagerly at the approaching fleet, King Rinkitink suddenly cried out:
“Get your pearls, Prince Inga — get them quick!”
“Are these our enemies, then?” asked the boy, looking with surprise upon the fat little King, who had begun to tremble violently.
“They are my people of Gilgad!” answered Rinkitink, wiping a tear from his eye. “I recognize my royal standards flying from the boats. So, please, dear Inga, get out your pearls to protect me!”
“What can you fear at the hands of your own subjects?” asked Kitticut, astonished.
But before his frightened guest could answer the question Prince Bobo, who was standing beside his friend, gave an amused laugh and said:
“You are caught at last, dear Rinkitink. Your people will take you home again and oblige you to reign as King.”
Rinkitink groaned aloud and clasped his hands together with a gesture of despair, an attitude so comical that the others could scarcely forbear laughing.
But now the boats were landing upon the beach. They were fifty in number, beautifully decorated and upholstered and rowed by men clad in the gay uniforms of the King of Gilgad. One splended boat had a throne of gold in the center, over which was draped the King’s royal robe of purple velvet, embroidered with gold buttercups.
Rinkitink shuddered when he saw this throne; but now a tall man, handsomely dressed, approached and knelt upon the grass before his King, while all the other occupants of the boats shouted joyfully and waved their plumed hats in the air.
“Thanks to our good fortune,” said the man who kneeled, “we have found Your Majesty at last!”
“Pinkerbloo,” answered Rinkitink sternly, “I must have you hanged, for thus finding me against my will.”
“You think so now, Your Majesty, but you will never do it,” returned Pinkerbloo, rising and kissing the King’s hand.
“Why won’t I?” asked Rinkitink.
“Because you are much too tender-hearted, Your Majesty.”
“It may be — it may be,” agreed Rinkitink, sadly. “It is one of my greatest failings. But what chance brought you here, my Lord Pinkerbloo?”
“We have searched for you everywhere, sire, and all the people of Gilgad have been in despair since you so mysteriously disappeared. We could not appoint a new King, because we did not know but that you still lived; so we set out to find you, dead or alive. After visiting many islands of the Nonestic Ocean we at last thought of Pingaree, from where come the precious pearls; and now our faithful quest has been rewarded.”
“And what now?” asked Rinkitink.
“Now, Your Majesty, you must come home with us, like a good and dutiful King, and rule over your people,” declared the man in a firm voice.
“I will not.”
“But you must — begging Your Majesty’s pardon for the contradiction.”
“Kitticut,” cried poor Rinkitink, “you must save me from being captured by these, my subjects. What! must I return to Gilgad and be forced to reign in splendid state when I much prefer to eat and sleep and sing in my own quiet way? They will make me sit in a throne three hours a day and listen to dry and tedious affairs of state; and I must stand up for hours at the court receptions, till I get corns on my heels; and forever must I listen to tiresome speeches and endless petitions and complaints!”
“But someone must do this, Your Majesty,” said Pinkerbloo respectfully, “and since you were born to be our King you cannot escape your duty.”
“‘Tis a horrid fate!” moaned Rinkitink. “I would die willingly, rather than be a King — if it did not hurt so terribly to die.”
“You will find it much more comfortable to reign than to die, although I fully appreciate Your Majesty’s difficult position and am truly sorry for you,” said Pinkerbloo.
King Kitticut had listened to this conversation thoughtfully, so now he said to his friend:
“The man is right, dear Rinkitink. It is your duty to reign, since fate has made you a King, and I see no honorable escape for you. I shall grieve to lose your companionship, but I feel the separation cannot be avoided.”
Rinkitink sighed.
“Then,” said he, turning to Lord Pinkerbloo, “in three days I will depart with you for Gilgad; but during those three days I propose to feast and make merry with my good friend King Kitticut.”
Then all the people of Gilgad shouted with delight and eagerly scrambled ashore to take their part in the festival.
Those three days were long remembered in Pingaree, for never — before nor since — has such feasting and jollity been known upon that island. Rinkitink made the most of his time and everyone laughed and sang with him by day and by night.
Then, at last, the hour of parting arrived and the King of Gilgad and Ruler of the Dominion of Rinkitink was escorted by a grand procession to his boat and seated upon his golden throne. The rowers of the fifty boats paused, with their glittering oars pointed into the air like gigantic uplifted sabres, while the people of Pingaree — men, women and children — stood upon the shore shouting a royal farewell to the jolly King.
Then came a sudden hush, while Rinkitink stood up and, with a bow to those assembled to witness his departure, sang the following song, which he had just composed for the occasion.
“Farewell, dear Isle of Pingaree —
The fairest land in all the sea!
No living mortals, kings or churls, Would scorn to wear thy precious pearls.
“King Kitticut, ’tis with regret
I’m forced to say farewell; and yet Abroad no longer can I roam
When fifty boats would drag me home.
“Good-bye, my Prince of Pingaree;
A noble King some time you’ll be
And long and wisely may you reign
And never face a foe again!”
They cheered him from the shore; they cheered him from the boats; and then all the oars of the fifty boats swept downward with a single motion and dipped their blades into the purple-hued waters of the Nonestic Ocean.
As the boats shot swiftly over the ripples of the sea Rinkitink turned to Prince Bobo, who had decided not to desert his former master and his present friend, and asked anxiously:
“How did you like that song, Bilbil — I mean Bobo? Is it a masterpiece, do you think?”
And Bobo replied with a smile:
“Like all your songs, dear Rinkitink, the sentiment far excels the poetry.”
The Wonderful Oz Books
by L. Frank Baum
1 The Wizard of Oz
2 The Land of Oz
3 Ozma of Oz
4 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
5 The Road to Oz
6 The Emerald City of Oz
7 The Patchwork Girl of Oz
8 Tik-Tok of Oz
9 The Scarecrow of Oz
10 Rinkitink in Oz
11 The Lost Princess of Oz
12 The Tin Woodman of Oz
13 The Magic of Oz
14 Glinda of Oz