الفصل الفصل 9 · The Queen of the Field Mice

The Queen of the Field Mice

“We cannot be far from the road of yellow brick, now,” remarked the

Scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl, “for we have come nearly as far

as the river carried us away.”

The Tin Woodman was about to reply when he heard a low growl, and

turning his head (which worked beautifully on hinges) he saw a strange

beast come bounding over the grass toward them. It was, indeed, a great

yellow Wildcat, and the Woodman thought it must be chasing something,

for its ears were lying close to its head and its mouth was wide open,

showing two rows of ugly teeth, while its red eyes glowed like balls of

fire. As it came nearer the Tin Woodman saw that running before the

beast was a little gray field mouse, and although he had no heart he

knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty,

harmless creature.

So the Woodman raised his axe, and as the Wildcat ran by he gave it a

quick blow that cut the beast’s head clean off from its body, and it

rolled over at his feet in two pieces.

The field mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short;

and coming slowly up to the Woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice:

“Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life.”

“Don’t speak of it, I beg of you,” replied the Woodman. “I have no

heart, you know, so I am careful to help all those who may need a

friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse.”

“Only a mouse!” cried the little animal, indignantly. “Why, I am a

Queen—the Queen of all the Field Mice!”

“Oh, indeed,” said the Woodman, making a bow.

“Therefore you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in

saving my life,” added the Queen.

At that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their

little legs could carry them, and when they saw their Queen they

exclaimed:

“Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you manage

to escape the great Wildcat?” They all bowed so low to the little Queen

that they almost stood upon their heads.

“This funny tin man,” she answered, “killed the Wildcat and saved my

life. So hereafter you must all serve him, and obey his slightest

wish.”

“We will!” cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. And then they

scampered in all directions, for Toto had awakened from his sleep, and

seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and jumped

right into the middle of the group. Toto had always loved to chase mice

when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.

But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight,

while he called to the mice, “Come back! Come back! Toto shall not hurt

you.”

At this the Queen of the Mice stuck her head out from underneath a

clump of grass and asked, in a timid voice, “Are you sure he will not

bite us?”

“I will not let him,” said the Woodman; “so do not be afraid.”

One by one the mice came creeping back, and Toto did not bark again,

although he tried to get out of the Woodman’s arms, and would have

bitten him had he not known very well he was made of tin. Finally one

of the biggest mice spoke.

“Is there anything we can do,” it asked, “to repay you for saving the

life of our Queen?”

“Nothing that I know of,” answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow, who

had been trying to think, but could not because his head was stuffed

with straw, said, quickly, “Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the

Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed.”

“A Lion!” cried the little Queen. “Why, he would eat us all up.”

“Oh, no,” declared the Scarecrow; “this Lion is a coward.”

“Really?” asked the Mouse.

“He says so himself,” answered the Scarecrow, “and he would never hurt

anyone who is our friend. If you will help us to save him I promise

that he shall treat you all with kindness.”

“Very well,” said the Queen, “we trust you. But what shall we do?”

“Are there many of these mice which call you Queen and are willing to

obey you?”

“Oh, yes; there are thousands,” she replied.

“Then send for them all to come here as soon as possible, and let each

one bring a long piece of string.”

The Queen turned to the mice that attended her and told them to go at

once and get all her people. As soon as they heard her orders they ran

away in every direction as fast as possible.

“Now,” said the Scarecrow to the Tin Woodman, “you must go to those

trees by the riverside and make a truck that will carry the Lion.”

So the Woodman went at once to the trees and began to work; and he soon

made a truck out of the limbs of trees, from which he chopped away all

the leaves and branches. He fastened it together with wooden pegs and

made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree trunk. So fast

and so well did he work that by the time the mice began to arrive the

truck was all ready for them.

They came from all directions, and there were thousands of them: big

mice and little mice and middle-sized mice; and each one brought a

piece of string in his mouth. It was about this time that Dorothy woke

from her long sleep and opened her eyes. She was greatly astonished to

find herself lying upon the grass, with thousands of mice standing

around and looking at her timidly. But the Scarecrow told her about

everything, and turning to the dignified little Mouse, he said:

“Permit me to introduce to you her Majesty, the Queen.”

Dorothy nodded gravely and the Queen made a curtsy, after which she

became quite friendly with the little girl.

The Scarecrow and the Woodman now began to fasten the mice to the

truck, using the strings they had brought. One end of a string was tied

around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the truck. Of course

the truck was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice who were to

draw it; but when all the mice had been harnessed, they were able to

pull it quite easily. Even the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman could sit

on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer little horses to the place

where the Lion lay asleep.

After a great deal of hard work, for the Lion was heavy, they managed

to get him up on the truck. Then the Queen hurriedly gave her people

the order to start, for she feared if the mice stayed among the poppies

too long they also would fall asleep.

At first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir

the heavily loaded truck; but the Woodman and the Scarecrow both pushed

from behind, and they got along better. Soon they rolled the Lion out

of the poppy bed to the green fields, where he could breathe the sweet,

fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers.

Dorothy came to meet them and thanked the little mice warmly for saving

her companion from death. She had grown so fond of the big Lion she was

glad he had been rescued.

Then the mice were unharnessed from the truck and scampered away

through the grass to their homes. The Queen of the Mice was the last to

leave.

“If ever you need us again,” she said, “come out into the field and

call, and we shall hear you and come to your assistance. Good-bye!”

“Good-bye!” they all answered, and away the Queen ran, while Dorothy

held Toto tightly lest he should run after her and frighten her.

After this they sat down beside the Lion until he should awaken; and

the Scarecrow brought Dorothy some fruit from a tree near by, which she

ate for her dinner.