The Tale of Tattypoo
"Twenty-five years ago," began the Queen, tossing back her golden hair, "I was a Princess of the North. To the mountain castle of my father, King Gil of Gilkenny, came Cheeriobed, Prince of the Ozure Isles, to ask for my hand in marriage. His father was King of the Munchkins, a monarch of great wealth and power. As my father made no objection to the match and as I myself was quite willing—" Here Orin paused and smiled prettily at Cheeriobed—"preparations were made at once for the wedding.
"At that time, as you all know, Mombi was ruler of the North. Passing Gilkenny one late afternoon and seeing the footmen hanging lanterns in the garden, she stopped to inquire the reason for the festivities. Cheeriobed, who was helping with the decorations, quickly explained that they were for our wedding, and Mombi, in spite of her extreme age and ugliness, fell instantly and deeply in love with the Prince. As I watched uneasily from a hidden arbor, I saw the old witch transform herself into a charming young maiden. Following Cheeriobed about, she explained that she was no longer an old and ugly witch, but a powerful Princess, that if he would marry her they would have not only the Gilliken Country, but the Munchkin Country as well for their Kingdom."
Cheeriobed pursed up his lips and shook his head sadly at this part of the story, for he well remembered Mombi's wicked proposals and her plan to destroy his father, the King of the Munchkins.
"Of course," proceeded Orin demurely, "Cheeriobed refused and Mombi resuming her own shape rushed off in a fury, promising to make us all suffer. That very night word came by messenger that Cheeriobed's father had disappeared. And," continued the Queen somberly, "he has never been heard of since. Distressed and unhappy though we were, Cheeriobed and I were married at once and returned to the Ozure Isles, where he assumed the title of King and where we hoped to escape Mombi and her mischievous magic. For three years we were safe and happy and thought she had forgotten all about us. But one day, when Philador was about two years old, Mombi suddenly appeared on the beach, where we were sitting together. She was riding on a huge black eagle and, bidding the eagle seize me in its talons, carried me off before I had time to cry out for help, and that," sighed Orin, "was the last I saw of the Ozure Isles until to-night."
"But what happened?" gasped Dorothy, leaning so far forward she nearly tumbled from her chair. "Where did she take you?"
"To her hut in the mountains," answered the Queen sadly. "There, shutting me up in a huge closet, she began an incantation to change me into a witch, old and ugly as she herself."
"I know what happened! I know what happened!" cried the little Wizard, springing entirely out of his chair and spinning 'round three times. "You were too sweet and beautiful to turn into a bad witch and the worst she could do only changed you into a good one." Orin blushed at the Wizard's little speech.
"I don't know about that," she went on modestly, "but I do know that I became a witch, forgetting entirely my former life in Gilkenny and on the Ozure Isles, and living for several months in the forest without home or shelter. Coming one morning on Mombi, at one of her wicked enchantments, I raised my staff and bade her stop. To my astonishment, I found I was a better witch than she. Magic phrases and spells came easily to my lips, and without difficulty or trouble I drove her out of the forest and took possession of her hut. Then, at the earnest request of the Gillikens, I stayed in the North and ruled over that great country as Tattypoo."
"Ruled wisely and well," added Ozma, giving Orin an affectionate pat on the shoulder.
"But did you know then that Mombi had changed you to a witch?" demanded Trot, looking up at the Queen with round eyes, "and how did you change back to yourself?" Orin, with a rueful little laugh, shook her head at Trot.
"I didn't realize, then, that Mombi had changed me to a witch," she admitted frankly and went on to relate how Agnes, the amiable dragon, had persuaded her to look in the witch's window. Her first glance through the blue window pane had showed her Cheeriobed and Philador, just as they were when she had left the Ozure Isles. Remembering at once who she really was, Tattypoo had recklessly and joyfully jumped out the window, thus breaking the witch's spell and becoming her own true self again.
"What became of the dragon?" asked Sir Hokus, rattling his sword hopefully.
"Why, Agnes turned out to be my maid-in-waiting, who had been bewitched by Mombi too, and when she jumped after me she also was restored to her own shape and immediately set off for my father's castle, to tell him the good news. I, myself, started at once for the Ozure Isles."
"I wish you had met us," whinnied High Boy, who had taken a great fancy to the Queen. "Did you have to walk or swim, Ma'm?"
"A basket bird carried me nearly all the way," explained Orin. "The rest of the distance I walked and when I reached the shores of Orizon an old fisherman agreed to row me across."
"He shall be well rewarded!" puffed Cheeriobed. "Did the fellow know nothing of Quiberon?"
"I guess not," sighed the Queen, "neither did I, for that matter, but here I am, and now tell me how you, dear Ozma, and all of these brave people happened to be here just in time to save me?"
"It was Akbad," the King informed her joyfully. "Our brave Soothsayer picked the golden pear, carried Philador to the Emerald City and begged Ozma to come to our assistance. Where is the fellow anyway? Akbad! Akbad! Fetch the Soothsayer, some of you!"
"Akbad," murmured Ozma half aloud and looking from one to the other in amazement. "Why, I never heard of Akbad!"
"Akbad didn't carry me to the capital!" cried Philador, jumping up indignantly. "The Grand Mogul took me to the good witch's hut and the rest of the way I went with Herby and Trot and Benny and High Boy."
Cheeriobed was so stunned by this strange news he sank back on his throne in perfect astonishment and, at Orin's earnest solicitation, Phil and Trot told their stories.
"Akbad shall be punished well for this," promised Cheeriobed. He was shocked at the dreadful dangers Philador and Trot had encountered, and the deceitfulness of his trusted Soothsayer. While a dozen guards ran to fetch Akbad, the Queen put her hand gently on Cheeriobed's arm.
"Remember that he snatched me from the very jaws of Quiberon," she reminded him softly. "Perhaps he can explain." But the King kept muttering under his breath and when the Guards returned, dragging Akbad by the wings, his feelings overcame him and rushing forward he began to shake the old Islander violently to and fro.
"Let Akbad speak, if he has anything to say," suggested Ozma, as Cheeriobed paused for breath. At once Akbad flung himself on his knees and begged the good King's forgiveness.
"These heavy wings are punishment enough," groaned the Soothsayer.
"Stolen wings are never of use to the thief," said Ozma, leaning forward gravely, "but since you have saved Queen Orin and suffered a little yourself, I hope Cheeriobed will pardon you."
As Trot and the Queen added their pleas to Ozma's, the King finally consented to pardon Akbad, dismissing him from the court and giving him a small cottage at the end of the island to live in.
"And must I wear these wings forever?" asked Akbad, turning sorrowfully toward the door.
"I believe I could remove them," whispered the Wizard, and after a short conference the two sovereigns agreed to let the Wizard remove the golden wings. It took about ten minutes and ten powders to accomplish this feat, but as they finally crumpled into gold dust, Akbad sprang joyfully from the court room, so glad to be rid of the heavy pinions that he did not even mind his banishment.
"There!" sighed Ozma, "that settles everything and now we can all be happy again."
"I can't be happy till I eat," moaned High Boy in a weak voice, the effects of Herby's pills having worn off long ago. "Is there no food in this castle?" Laughing heartily, Cheeriobed sent Toddledy to waken the cook and, though it was long past midnight, the whole company presently sat down to such a feast as had not been held in that Kingdom for many a long year. High Boy had his yummy jummy, and though the Patch Work Girl, Benny, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow were not constructed to partake of refreshments, they enjoyed the party quite as much as the others.
And when at last the feast was over, and Cheeriobed led his visitors to splendid apartments, these four celebrities sat talking in the throne room for the rest of the night, spending the hours most pleasantly while High Boy snored comfortably on a great bearskin rug before the door.
And not till the silver bells in the castle tower tolled ten did anyone above stairs stir from his silken couch.