Part 8 (1/2)

”They are from the Island of Teenty-Weent,” said the Wizard, ”where everything is small because it's a small island. A sailor brought them to Los Angeles and I gave him nine tickets to the circus for them.”

”But what am I going to eat?” wailed the kitten, sitting in front of Dorothy and looking pleadingly into her face. ”There are no cows here to give milk; or any mice, or even gra.s.shoppers. And if I can't eat the piglets you may as well plant me at once and raise catsup.”

”I have an idea,” said the Wizard, ”that there are fishes in these brooks. Do you like fish?”

”Fis.h.!.+” cried the kitten. ”Do I like fish? Why, they're better than piglets--or even milk!”

”Then I'll try to catch you some,” said he.

”But won't they be veg'table, like everything else here?” asked the kitten.

”I think not. Fishes are not animals, and they are as cold and moist as the vegetables themselves. There is no reason, that I can see, why they may not exist in the waters of this strange country.”

Then the Wizard bent a pin for a hook and took a long piece of string from his pocket for a fish-line. The only bait he could find was a bright red blossom from a flower; but he knew fishes are easy to fool if anything bright attracts their attention, so he decided to try the blossom. Having thrown the end of his line in the water of a nearby brook he soon felt a sharp tug that told him a fish had bitten and was caught on the bent pin; so the little man drew in the string and, sure enough, the fish came with it and was landed safely on the sh.o.r.e, where it began to flop around in great excitement.

[Ill.u.s.tration: IN THE GARDEN OF THE MANGABOOS.]

The fish was fat and round, and its scales glistened like beautifully cut jewels set close together; but there was no time to examine it closely, for Eureka made a jump and caught it between her claws, and in a few moments it had entirely disappeared.

”Oh, Eureka!” cried Dorothy, ”did you eat the bones?”

”If it had any bones, I ate them,” replied the kitten, composedly, as it washed its face after the meal. ”But I don't think that fish had any bones, because I didn't feel them scratch my throat.”

”You were very greedy,” said the girl.

”I was very hungry,” replied the kitten.

The little pigs had stood huddled in a group, watching this scene with frightened eyes.

”Cats are dreadful creatures!” said one of them.

”I'm glad we are not fishes!” said another.

”Don't worry,” Dorothy murmured, soothingly, ”I'll not let the kitten hurt you.”

Then she happened to remember that in a corner of her suit-case were one or two crackers that were left over from her luncheon on the train, and she went to the buggy and brought them. Eureka stuck up her nose at such food, but the tiny piglets squealed delightedly at the sight of the crackers and ate them up in a jiffy.

”Now let us go back to the city,” suggested the Wizard. ”That is, if Jim has had enough of the pink gra.s.s.”

The cab-horse, who was browsing near, lifted his head with a sigh.

”I've tried to eat a lot while I had the chance,” said he, ”for it's likely to be a long while between meals in this strange country. But I'm ready to go, now, at any time you wish.”

So, after the Wizard had put the piglets back into his inside pocket, where they cuddled up and went to sleep, the three climbed into the buggy and Jim started back to the town.

”Where shall we stay?” asked the girl.

”I think I shall take possession of the House of the Sorcerer,” replied the Wizard; ”for the Prince said in the presence of his people that he would keep me until they picked another Sorcerer, and the new Princess won't know but that we belong there.”