The Marvelous Land of Oz [42]
the Gump; "so I will do my best to
206 please you," and he flew on for a time in silence.
Presently Jack Pumpkinhead became uneasy.
"I wonder if riding through the air is liable to spoil pumpkins," he said.
"Not unless you carelessly drop your head over the side," answered the Woggle-Bug. "In that event your head would no longer be a pumpkin, for it would become a squash."
"Have I not asked you to restrain these unfeeling jokes?" demanded Tip, looking at the Woggle-Bug with a severe expression.
"You have; and I've restrained a good many of them," replied the insect. "But there are opportunities for so many excellent puns in our language that, to an educated person like myself, the temptation to express them is almost irresistible."
"People with more or less education discovered those puns centuries ago," said Tip.
"Are you sure?" asked the Woggle-Bug, with a startled look.
"Of course I am," answered the boy. "An educated Woggle-Bug may be a new thing; but a Woggle-Bug education is as old as the hills, judging from the display you make of it."
The insect seemed much impressed by this remark, and for a time maintained a meek silence.
207
The Scarecrow, in shifting his seat, saw upon the cushions the pepper-box which Tip had cast aside, and began to examine it.
"Throw it overboard," said the boy; "it's quite empty now, and there's no use keeping it."
"Is it really empty?" asked the Scarecrow, looking curiously into the box.
"Of course it is," answered Tip. "I shook out every grain of the powder.
"Then the box has two bottoms," announced the Scarecrow, "for the bottom on the inside is fully an inch away from the bottom on the outside."
"Let me see," said the Tin Woodman, taking the box from his friend. "Yes," he declared, after looking it over, "the thing certainly has a false bottom. Now, I wonder what that is for?"
"Can't you get it apart, and find out?" enquired Tip, now quite interested in the mystery.
"Why, yes; the lower bottom unscrews," said the Tin Woodman. "My fingers are rather stiff; please see if you can open it."
He handed the pepper-box to Tip, who had no difficulty in unscrewing the bottom. And in the cavity below were three silver pills, with a carefully folded paper lying underneath them.
This paper the boy proceeded to unfold, taking
208 care not to spill the pills, and found several lines clearly written in red ink.
"Read it aloud," said the Scarecrow. so Tip read, as follows:
"DR. NIKIDIK'S CELEBRATED WISHING PILLS.
"Directions for Use: Swallow one pill; count seventeen by twos; then make a Wish. -The Wish will immediately be granted. CAUTION: Keep in a Dry and Dark Place."
"Why, this is a very valuable discovery!" cried the Scarecrow.
"It is, indeed," replied Tip, gravely. "These pills may be of great use to us. I wonder if old Mombi knew they were in the bottom of the pepper-box. I remember hearing her say that she got the Powder of Life from this same Nikidik."
"He must be a powerful Sorcerer!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman; "and since the powder proved a success we ought to have confidence in the pills."
"But how," asked the Scarecrow, "can anyone count seventeen by twos? Seventeen is an odd number."
"That is true," replied Tip, greatly disappointed. "No one can possibly count seventeen by twos."
"Then the pills are of no use to us," wailed the Pumpkinhead; "and this fact overwhelms me with
209 grief. For I had intended wishing that my head would never spoil."
"Nonsense!" said the Scarecrow, sharply. "If we could use the pills at all we would make far better wishes than that."
"I do not see how anything could be better," protested poor Jack. "If you were liable to spoil at any time you could understand my anxiety."
"For my part," said the Tin Woodman, "I sympathize with you in every respect. But since we cannot count seventeen by twos, sympathy is all you are liable to get."
By this time it had become quite dark, and the voyagers found above them a cloudy
206 please you," and he flew on for a time in silence.
Presently Jack Pumpkinhead became uneasy.
"I wonder if riding through the air is liable to spoil pumpkins," he said.
"Not unless you carelessly drop your head over the side," answered the Woggle-Bug. "In that event your head would no longer be a pumpkin, for it would become a squash."
"Have I not asked you to restrain these unfeeling jokes?" demanded Tip, looking at the Woggle-Bug with a severe expression.
"You have; and I've restrained a good many of them," replied the insect. "But there are opportunities for so many excellent puns in our language that, to an educated person like myself, the temptation to express them is almost irresistible."
"People with more or less education discovered those puns centuries ago," said Tip.
"Are you sure?" asked the Woggle-Bug, with a startled look.
"Of course I am," answered the boy. "An educated Woggle-Bug may be a new thing; but a Woggle-Bug education is as old as the hills, judging from the display you make of it."
The insect seemed much impressed by this remark, and for a time maintained a meek silence.
207
The Scarecrow, in shifting his seat, saw upon the cushions the pepper-box which Tip had cast aside, and began to examine it.
"Throw it overboard," said the boy; "it's quite empty now, and there's no use keeping it."
"Is it really empty?" asked the Scarecrow, looking curiously into the box.
"Of course it is," answered Tip. "I shook out every grain of the powder.
"Then the box has two bottoms," announced the Scarecrow, "for the bottom on the inside is fully an inch away from the bottom on the outside."
"Let me see," said the Tin Woodman, taking the box from his friend. "Yes," he declared, after looking it over, "the thing certainly has a false bottom. Now, I wonder what that is for?"
"Can't you get it apart, and find out?" enquired Tip, now quite interested in the mystery.
"Why, yes; the lower bottom unscrews," said the Tin Woodman. "My fingers are rather stiff; please see if you can open it."
He handed the pepper-box to Tip, who had no difficulty in unscrewing the bottom. And in the cavity below were three silver pills, with a carefully folded paper lying underneath them.
This paper the boy proceeded to unfold, taking
208 care not to spill the pills, and found several lines clearly written in red ink.
"Read it aloud," said the Scarecrow. so Tip read, as follows:
"DR. NIKIDIK'S CELEBRATED WISHING PILLS.
"Directions for Use: Swallow one pill; count seventeen by twos; then make a Wish. -The Wish will immediately be granted. CAUTION: Keep in a Dry and Dark Place."
"Why, this is a very valuable discovery!" cried the Scarecrow.
"It is, indeed," replied Tip, gravely. "These pills may be of great use to us. I wonder if old Mombi knew they were in the bottom of the pepper-box. I remember hearing her say that she got the Powder of Life from this same Nikidik."
"He must be a powerful Sorcerer!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman; "and since the powder proved a success we ought to have confidence in the pills."
"But how," asked the Scarecrow, "can anyone count seventeen by twos? Seventeen is an odd number."
"That is true," replied Tip, greatly disappointed. "No one can possibly count seventeen by twos."
"Then the pills are of no use to us," wailed the Pumpkinhead; "and this fact overwhelms me with
209 grief. For I had intended wishing that my head would never spoil."
"Nonsense!" said the Scarecrow, sharply. "If we could use the pills at all we would make far better wishes than that."
"I do not see how anything could be better," protested poor Jack. "If you were liable to spoil at any time you could understand my anxiety."
"For my part," said the Tin Woodman, "I sympathize with you in every respect. But since we cannot count seventeen by twos, sympathy is all you are liable to get."
By this time it had become quite dark, and the voyagers found above them a cloudy