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"The Whimsies," replied the General.
Again the bear-headed Phanfasm laughed.
"Any others?" he inquired.
"Only the Growleywogs," said Guph.
This answer set the First and Foremost laughing anew.
"What share of the spoils am I to have?" was the next question.
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"Anything you like, except King Roquat's Magic Belt," replied Guph.
At this the Phanfasm set up a roar of laughter, which had its echo in
the unseen chorus, and the bear-man seemed so amused that he actually
rolled upon the ground and shouted with merriment.
"Oh, these blind and foolish Nomes!" he said. "How big they seem to
themselves and how small they really are!"
Suddenly he arose and seized Guph's neck with one hairy paw, dragging
him out of the hut into the open.
Here he gave a curious wailing cry, and, as if in answer, from all the
rocky huts on the mountain-top came flocking a horde of Phanfasms, all
with hairy bodies, but wearing heads of various animals, birds and
reptiles. All were ferocious and repulsive-looking to the deceived
eyes of the Nome, and Guph could not repress a shudder of disgust as
he looked upon them.
The First and Foremost slowly raised his arms, and in a twinkling his
hairy skin fell from him and he appeared before the astonished Nome
as a beautiful woman, clothed in a flowing gown of pink gauze. In her
dark hair flowers were entwined, and her face was noble and calm.
At the same instant the entire band of Phanfasms was transformed into
a pack of howling wolves, running here and there as they snarled and
showed their ugly yellow fangs.
The woman now raised her arms, even as the man-bear had done, and in
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a twinkling the wolves became crawling lizards, while she herself
changed into a huge butterfly.
Guph had only time to cry out in fear and take a step backward to
avoid the lizards when another transformation occurred, and all
returned instantly to the forms they had originally worn.
Then the First and Foremost, who had resumed his hairy body and
bear head, turned to the Nome and asked
"Do you still demand our assistance?"
"More than ever," answered the General, firmly.
"Then tell me: what can you offer the Phanfasms that they have not
already?" inquired the First and Foremost.
Guph hesitated. He really did not know what to say. The Nome King's
vaunted Magic Belt seemed a poor thing compared to the astonishing
magical powers of these people. Gold, jewels and slaves they might
secure in any quantity without especial effort. He felt that he was
dealing with powers greatly beyond him. There was but one argument
that might influence the Phanfasms, who were creatures of evil.
"Permit me to call your attention to the exquisite joy of making the
happy unhappy," said he at last. "Consider the pleasure of destroying
innocent and harmless people."
"Ah! you have answered me," cried the First and Foremost. "For that
reason alone we will aid you. Go home, and tell your bandy-legged king
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that as soon as his tunnel is finished the Phanfasms will be with him
and lead his legions to the conquest of Oz. The deadly desert alone
has kept us from destroying Oz long ago, and your underground tunnel
is a clever thought. Go home, and prepare for our coming!"
Guph was very glad to be permitted to go with this promise. The owl-man
led him back down the mountain path and ordered the scarlet alligator to
crawl away and allow the Nome to cross the bridge in safety.
After the visitor had gone a brilliant and gorgeous city appeared upon
the mountain top, clearly visible to the eyes of the gaily dressed
multitude of Phanfasms that lived there. And the First and Foremost,
beautifully arrayed, addressed the others in these words:
"It is time we went into the world and brought sorrow and dismay to
its people. Too long have we remained for ourselves upon this
mountain top, for while we are thus secluded many nations have grown
happy and prosperous, and the chief joy of the race of Phanfasms is to
destroy happiness. So I think it is lucky that this messenger from
the Nomes arrived among us just now, to remind us that the opportunity
has come for us to make trouble. We will use King Roquat's tunnel to
conquer the Land of Oz. Then we will destroy the Whimsies, the
Growleywogs and the Nomes, and afterward go out to ravage and annoy
and grieve the whole world."
The multitude of evil Phanfasms eagerly applauded this plan,
which they fully approved.
I am told that the Erbs are the most powerful and merciless of all
the evil spirits, and the Phanfasms of Phantastico belong to the
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race of Erbs.
12. How they Matched the Fuddles
Dorothy and her fellow travelers rode away from the Cuttenclip village
and followed the indistinct path as far as the sign-post. Here they
took the main road again and proceeded pleasantly through the pretty
farming country. When evening came they stopped at a dwelling and were
joyfully welcomed and given plenty to eat and good beds for the night.
Early next morning, however, they were up and eager to start, and
after a good breakfast they bade their host good-bye and climbed into
the red wagon, to which the Sawhorse had been hitched all night.
Being made of wood, this horse never got tired nor cared to lie down.
Dorothy was not quite sure whether he ever slept or not, but it was
certain that he never did when anybody was around.
The weather is always beautiful in Oz, and this morning the air was
cool and refreshing and the sunshine brilliant and delightful.
In about an hour they came to a place where another road branched off.
There was a sign-post here which read:
THIS WAY TO FUDDLECUMJIG
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"Oh, here is where we turn," said Dorothy, observing the sign.
"What! Are we going to Fuddlecumjig?" asked the Captain General.
"Yes; Ozma thought we might enjoy the Fuddles. They are said to be
very interesting," she replied.
"No one would suspect it from their name," said Aunt Em. "Who are
they, anyhow? More paper things?"
"I think not," answered Dorothy, laughing; "but I can't say 'zactly,
Aunt Em, what they are. We'll find out when we get there."
"Perhaps the Wizard knows," suggested Uncle Henry.
"No; I've never been there before," said the Wizard. "But I've often [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]