<h2 id="c8"><span class="smaller">Chapter 8</span> <br/>Woe In The Emerald City</h2>
<p>The Soldier with the Green Whiskers finished his
breakfast slowly, combed his beard, pinned on all
of his medals and solemnly issued forth from his little
house at the garden gates.</p>
<p>“Forward march!” snapped the soldier. He had to
give himself orders, being the only man, general or
private in the army. And forward march he did. It
was his custom to report to Ozma every morning to
receive his orders for the day. When he had gone
through the little patch of trees that separated his
cottage from the palace, the Soldier with the Green
Whiskers gave a great leap.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_106">106</div>
<p>“Halt! Break ranks!” roared the Grand Army of
Oz, clutching his beard in terror. “Great Goloshes!”
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yes, the gorgeous
emerald-studded palace had disappeared,
leaving not so much as a gold brick to tell where it
had stood. Trembling in every knee, the Grand Army
of Oz approached. A great black hole, the exact shape
of the palace, yawned at his feet. He took one look
down that awful cavity, then shot through the palace
gardens like a green comet.</p>
<p>Like Paul Revere he had gone to give the alarm,
and Paul Revere himself never made better time. He
thumped on windows and banged on doors and dashed
through the sleeping city like a whirlwind. In five
minutes there was not a man, woman or child who did
not know of the terrible calamity. They rushed to the
palace gardens in a panic. Some stared up in the air;
others peered down the dark hole; still others ran
about wildly trying to discover some trace of the
missing castle.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_107">107</div>
<p>“What shall we do?” they wailed dismally. For to
have their lovely little Queen and the Wizard and all
the most important people in Oz disappear at once
was simply terrifying. They were a gentle and kindly
folk, used to obeying orders, and now there was no one
to tell them what to do.</p>
<p>At last Unk Nunkie, an old Munchkin who had
taken up residence in the Emerald City, pushed
through the crowd. Unk was a man of few words,
but a wise old chap for all that, so they made way for
him respectfully. First Unk Nunkie stroked his
beard; then pointing with his long lean finger toward
the south he snapped out one word—“GLINDA!”</p>
<p>Of course! They must tell Glinda. Why had they
not thought of it themselves? Glinda would know just
what to do and how to do it. Three cheers for Unk
Nunkie! Glinda, you know, is the good Sorceress of
Oz, who knows more magic than anyone in the Kingdom,
but who only practices it for the people’s good.
Indeed, Glinda and the Wizard of Oz are the only
ones permitted to practice magic, for so much harm
had come of it that Ozma made a law forbidding
sorcery in all of its branches. But even in a fairy
country people do not always obey the laws and everyone
felt that magic was at the bottom of this disaster.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_108">108</div>
<p>So away to fetch Glinda dashed the Grand Army,
his green whiskers streaming behind him. Fortunately
the royal stables had not disappeared with the
palace, so the gallant army sprang upon the back of
the Saw Horse, and without stopping to explain to the
other royal beasts, bade it carry him to Glinda as fast
as it could gallop. Being made of wood with gold shod
feet and magically brought to life, the Saw Horse can
run faster than any animal in Oz. It never tired or
needed food and when it understood that the palace
and its dear little Mistress had disappeared it fairly
flew; for the Saw Horse loved Ozma with all its saw
dust and was devoted as only a wooden beast can be.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_110.jpg" alt="The Grand Army sprang upon the back of the Saw Horse" width-obs="593" height-obs="799" /> <p class="caption"><span class="sc">The Grand Army sprang upon the back of the Saw Horse</span></p> </div>
<p>In an hour they had reached Glinda’s shining marble
palace in the southern part of the Quadling country,
and as soon as the lovely Sorceress had heard the soldier’s
story, she hurried to the magic Book of Records.
This is the most valuable book in Oz and it is kept
padlocked with many golden chains to a gold table,
for in this great volume appear all the events happening
in and out of the world.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_109">109</div>
<p>Now, Glinda had been so occupied trying to discover
the cause of frowns that she had not referred to the
book for several days and naturally there were many
pages to go over. There were hundreds of entries
concerning automobile accidents in the United States
and elsewhere. These Glinda passed over hurriedly,
till she came to three sentences printed in red, for Oz
news always appeared in the book in red letters. The
first sentence did not seem important. It merely stated
that the Prince of Pumperdink was journeying toward
the Emerald City. The other two entries seemed
serious.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_113.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="330" /></div>
<p>“Glegg’s box of Mixed Magic has been discovered,”
said the second, and “Ruggedo has something on his
<i>mind</i>,” stated the third. Glinda pored over the book
for a long time to see whether any more information
would be given but not another red sentence appeared.
With a sigh, Glinda turned to the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_110">110</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_114.jpg" alt="“Ruggedo Has Something on His Mind,” Read Glinda" width-obs="500" height-obs="678" /> <p class="caption"><span class="sc">“Ruggedo Has Something on His Mind,” Read Glinda</span></p> </div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_111">111</div>
<p>“The old Gnome King must be mixed up in this,”
she said anxiously, “and as he was last seen in the
Emerald City, I will return with you at once.” So
Glinda and the Soldier with the Green Whiskers flew
back to the Emerald City drawn in Glinda’s chariot
by swift flying swans and the little Saw Horse trotted
back by himself. When they reached the gardens a
great crowd had gathered by the Fountain of Oblivion
and a tall green grocer was speaking excitedly.</p>
<p>“What is it?” asked Glinda, shuddering as she
passed the dreadful hole where Ozma’s lovely palace
had once stood. Everyone started explaining at once
so that Glinda was obliged to clap her hands for
silence.</p>
<p>“Foot print!” Unk Nunkie stood upon his tip toes
and whispered it in Glinda’s ear and when she looked
where Unk pointed she saw a huge, shallow cave-in
that crushed the flower beds for as far as she could
see.</p>
<p>“Foot print!” gasped Glinda in amazement.</p>
<p>“Uh huh!” Unk Nunkie wagged his head determinedly
and then, pulling his hat down over his eyes,
spoke his last word on the subject: “<i>GIANT!</i>”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_112">112</div>
<p>“A giant foot print! Why so it is!” cried Glinda.</p>
<p>“What shall we do? What shall we do?” cried the
frightened inhabitants of the Emerald City, wringing
their hands.</p>
<p>“First, find Ruggedo,” ordered Glinda, suddenly
remembering the mysterious entry in the Book of
Records. So, away to the little cottage hurried the
crowd. They searched it from cellar to garret, but
of course found no trace of the wicked little gnome.
As no one knew about the secret passage in Ruggedo’s
cellar, they never thought of searching underground.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Glinda sank down on one of the golden
garden benches and tried to think. The Comfortable
Camel stumbled broken-heartedly across the lawn and
dropping on its knees begged the Sorceress in a tearful
voice to save Sir Hokus of Pokes. The Camel and the
Doubtful Dromedary had been discovered by the
Knight on his last adventure and were deeply attached
to him. Soon all the palace pets came and stood in a
dejected row before Glinda—Betsy’s mule, Hank,
hee-hawing dismally and the Hungry Tiger threatening
to eat everyone in sight if any harm came to the
three little girls.</p>
<p>“I doubt if we’ll ever see them again,” groaned the
Doubtful Dromedary, leaning up against a tree.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_113">113</div>
<p>“Oh Doubty—how <i>can</i> you?” wailed the Camel,
tears streaming down its nose.</p>
<p>“Please do be quiet,” begged Glinda, “or I’ll forget
all the magic I know. Let me see, now—how does
one catch a marauding giant who has run off with a
castle?”</p>
<p>On her fingers Glinda counted up all the giants in
the four countries of Oz. No! It could not be an Oz
giant; there was none large enough. It must be a
giant from some strange country.</p>
<p>When the crowd returned with the news that
Ruggedo had disappeared Glinda felt more uneasy
still. But hiding her anxiety she bade the people
return to their homes and continue their work and
play as usual. Then, promising to return that evening
with a plan to save the castle, and charging the Soldier
with the Green Whiskers to keep a strict watch in the
garden, Glinda stepped into her chariot and flew back
to the South. All that day, in her palace in the Quadling
country, Glinda bent over her encyclopedia on
giants, and far into the night the lights burned from
her high turret-chamber, as she consulted book after
book of magic.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_114">114</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_118.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="500" height-obs="473" /></div>
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