At daybreak Tip was awakened by the Pumpkinhead. He rubbed the sleep from
his eyes, bathed in a little brook, and then ate a portion of his bread and
cheese. Having thus prepared for a new day the boy said:

“Let us start at once. Nine miles is quite a distance, but we ought to reach
the Emerald City by noon if no accidents happen.” So the Pumpkinhead was
again perched upon the back of the Saw-Horse and the journey was resumed.

Tip noticed that the purple tint of the grass and trees had now faded to a
dull lavender, and before long this lavender appeared to take on a greenish
tinge that gradually brightened as they drew nearer to the great City where
the Scarecrow ruled.

The little party had traveled but a short two miles upon their way when the
road of yellow brick was parted by a broad and swift river. Tip was puzzled
how to cross over; but after a time he discovered a man in a ferry-boat
approaching from the other side of the stream.

When the man reached the bank Tip asked:

“Will you row us to the other side?”

“Yes, if you have money,” returned the ferryman, whose face looked cross and
disagreeable.

“But I have no money,” said Tip.

“None at all?” inquired the man.

“None at all,” answered the boy.

“Then I’ll not break my back rowing you over,” said the ferryman, decidedly.

“What a nice man!” remarked the Pumpkinhead, smilingly.

The ferryman stared at him, but made no reply. Tip was trying to think, for
it was a great disappointment to him to find his journey so suddenly brought
to an end.

“I must certainly get to the Emerald City,” he said to the boatman; “but how
can I cross the river if you do not take me?”

The man laughed, and it was not a nice laugh.

“That wooden horse will float,” said he; “and
you can ride him across. As for the pumpkinheaded loon who accompanies you,
let him sink or swim it won’t matter greatly which.”

“Don’t worry about me,” said Jack, smiling pleasantly upon the crabbed
ferryman; “I’m sure I ought to float beautifully.”

Tip thought the experiment was worth making, and the Saw-Horse, who did not
know what danger meant, offered no objections whatever. So the boy led it
down into the water and climbed upon its back. Jack also waded in up to his
knees and
grasped the tail of the horse so that he might keep his pumpkin head above
the water.

“Now,” said Tip, instructing the Saw-Horse, “if you wiggle your legs you
will probably swim; and if you swim we shall probably reach the other side.”

The Saw-Horse at once began to wiggle its legs, which acted as oars and
moved the adventurers slowly across the river to the opposite side. So
successful was the trip that presently they were climbing, wet and dripping,
up the grassy bank.

Tip’s trouser-legs and shoes were thoroughly soaked; but the Saw-Horse had
floated so perfectly that from his knees up the boy was entirely dry. As for
the Pumpkinhead, every stitch of his gorgeous clothing dripped water.

“The sun will soon dry us,” said Tip “and, anyhow, we are now safely across,
in spite of the ferryman, and can continue our journey.

“I didn’t mind swimming, at all,” remarked the horse.

“Nor did I,” added Jack.

They soon regained the road of yellow brick, which proved to be a
continuation of the road they had left on the other side, and then Tip once
more mounted the Pumpkinhead upon the back of the Saw-Horse.

“If you ride fast,” said he, “the wind will help to dry your clothing. I
will hold on to the horse’s tail and run after you. In this way we all will
become dry in a very short time.”

“Then the horse must step lively,” said Jack.

“I’ll do my best,” returned the Saw-Horse, cheerfully.

Tip grasped the end of the branch that served as tail to the Saw-Horse, and
called loudly: “Get-up!”

The horse started at a good pace, and Tip followed behind. Then he decided
they could go faster, so he shouted: “Trot!”

Now, the Saw-Horse remembered that this word was the command to go as fast
as he could; so he began rocking along the road at a tremendous pace,
and Tip had hard work — running faster than he ever had before in his life
— to keep his feet.

Soon he was out of breath, and although he wanted to call “Whoa!” to the
horse, he found he could not get the word out of his throat. Then the end of
the tail he was clutching, being nothing more than a dead branch, suddenly
broke away, and the next minute the boy was rolling in the dust of the road,
while the horse and its pumpkin-headed rider dashed on and quickly
disappeared in the distance.

By the time Tip had picked himself up and cleared the dust from his throat
so he could say “Whoa!” there was no further need of saying it, for the
horse was long since out of sight.

So he did the only sensible thing he could do. He sat down and took a good
rest, and afterward began walking along the road.

“Some time I will surely overtake them,” he reflected; “for the road will
end at the gates of the Emerald City, and they can go no further than that.”

Meantime Jack was holding fast to the post and the Saw-Horse was tearing
along the road like a racer. Neither of them knew Tip was left behind, for
the Pumpkinhead did not look around and the Saw-Horse couldn’t.

As he rode, Jack noticed that the grass and trees
had become a bright emerald-green in color, so he guessed they were nearing
the Emerald City even before the tall spires and domes came into sight.

At length a high wall of green stone, studded thick with emeralds, loomed up
before them; and fearing the Saw-Horse would not know enough to stop and so
might smash them both against this wall, Jack ventured to cry “Whoa!” as
loud as he could.

So suddenly did the horse obey that had it not been for his post Jack would
have been pitched off head foremost, and his beautiful face ruined.

“That was a fast ride, dear father!” he exclaimed; and then, hearing no
reply, he turned around and discovered for the first time that Tip was not
there.

This apparent desertion puzzled the Pumpkinhead, and made him uneasy. And
while he was wondering what had become of the boy, and what he ought to do
next under such trying circumstances, the gateway in the green wall opened
and a man came out.

This man was short and round, with a fat face that seemed remarkably good-
natured. He was clothed all in green and wore a high, peaked green hat upon
his head and green spectacles over his eyes. Bowing before the Pumpkinhead
he said:

“I am the Guardian of the Gates of the Emerald
City. May I inquire who you are, and what is your business?”

“My name is Jack Pumpkinhead,” returned the other, smilingly; “but as to my
business, I haven’t the least idea in the world what it is.”

The Guardian of the Gates looked surprised, and shook his head as if
dissatisfied with the reply.

“What are you, a man or a pumpkin?” he asked, politely.

“Both, if you please,” answered Jack.

“And this wooden horse — is it alive?” questioned the Guardian.

The horse rolled one knotty eye upward and winked at Jack. Then it gave a
prance and brought one leg down on the Guardian’s toes.

“Ouch!” cried the man; “I’m sorry I asked that question. But the answer is
most convincing. Have you any errand, sir, in the Emerald City?”

“It seems to me that I have,” replied the Pumpkinhead, seriously; “but I
cannot think what it is. My father knows all about it, but he is not here.”

“This is a strange affair very strange!” declared the Guardian. “But you
seem harmless. Folks do not smile so delightfully when they mean mischief.”

“As for that,” said Jack, “I cannot help my smile, for it is carved on my
face with a jack-knife.”

“Well, come with me into my room,” resumed the Guardian, “and I will see
what can be done for you.”

So Jack rode the Saw-Horse through the gateway into a little room built into
the wall. The Guardian pulled a bell-cord, and presently a very tall soldier
— clothed in a green uniform — entered from the opposite door. This
soldier carried a long green gun over his shoulder and had lovely green
whiskers that fell quite to his knees. The Guardian at once addressed him,
saying:

“Here is a strange gentleman who doesn’t know why he has come to the Emerald
City, or what he wants. Tell me, what shall we do with him?”

The Soldier with the Green Whiskers looked at Jack with much care and
curiosity. Finally he shook his head so positively that little waves rippled
down his whiskers, and then he said:

“I must take him to His Majesty, the Scarecrow.”

But what will His Majesty, the Scarecrow, do with him?” asked the Guardian
of the Gates.

“That is His Majesty’s business,” returned the soldier. “I have troubles
enough of my own. All outside troubles must be turned over to His Majesty.
So put the spectacles on this fellow, and I’ll take him to the royal
palace.”

So the Guardian opened a big box of spectacles and tried to fit a pair to
Jack’s great round eyes.

“I haven’t a pair in stock that will really cover those eyes up,” said the
little man, with a sigh; “and your head is so big that I shall be obliged to
tie the spectacles on.”

“But why need I wear spectacles?” asked Jack.

“It’s the fashion here,” said the Soldier, “and they will keep you from
being blinded by the glitter and glare of the gorgeous Emerald City.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Jack. “Tie them on, by all means. I don’t wish to be
blinded.”

“Nor I!” broke in the Saw-Horse; so a pair of green spectacles was quickly
fastened over the bulging knots that served it for eyes.

Then the Soldier with the Green Whiskers led them through the inner gate and
they at once found themselves in the main street of the magnificent Emerald
City.

Sparkling green gems ornamented the fronts of the beautiful houses and the
towers and turrets were all faced with emeralds. Even the green marble
pavement glittered with precious stones, and it was indeed a grand and
marvelous sight to one who beheld it for the first time.

However, the Pumpkinhead and the Saw-Horse,
knowing nothing of wealth and beauty, paid little attention to the wonderful
sights they saw through their green spectacles. They calmly followed after
the green soldier and scarcely noticed the crowds of green people who stared
at them in surprise. When a green dog ran out and barked at them the Saw-
Horse promptly kicked at it with its wooden leg and sent the little animal
howling into one of the houses; but nothing more serious than this happened
to interrupt their progress to the royal palace.

The Pumpkinhead wanted to ride up the green marble steps and straight into
the Scarecrow’s presence; but the soldier would not permit that. So Jack
dismounted, with much difficulty, and a servant led the Saw-Horse around to
the rear while the Soldier with the Green Whiskers escorted the Pumpkinhead
into the palace, by the front entrance.

The stranger was left in a handsomely furnished waiting room while the
soldier went to announce him. It so happened that at this hour His Majesty
was at leisure and greatly bored for want of something to do, so he ordered
his visitor to be shown at once into his throne room.

Jack felt no fear or embarrassment at meeting the ruler of this magnificent
city, for he was entirely ignorant of all worldly customs. But when he
entered the room and saw for the first time His Majesty the Scarecrow seated
upon his glittering throne, he stopped short in amazement.