Show f p n m o f D a a f 79 0 by I L Frank Blum Baum Published by permission of ot the ReillY S Co morning the little Princess came to the door NEXT N sj t nt at f the new dwelling built for Chick and John rohn DOth and said to them Let us take a walk and I 1 will show you J ou low how beautiful our lian is in those parts where there ther are no to worry us So together the three walked along the tho shore until they hp drew near to a high point of rock the summit of or w lieh was reached by a winding path When they had up the steep the Ue Princess had to stop to rest for she sho was not strong and se seemed ined me to tire easily And wow now while tIe set sat t upon some soma rocks r a big brown bron boar bear out of a cave and stood before them Dont he be afraid l the th Princes He won wont t hurt us its its lf In lara Iara lIndH Tr Tie fl r was iraa fat and ami of monstrous is size sizo and Its Us color It had Nut hair hall all an its body as w i 1 a rich no at upon rrt 1 ate irs rt ha Iut have but was w s smooth and shiny He Ile 11 save gave g we i sign sic s he be looked rt et t th the newcomers and John Ir re 1 at Hie Uie Ie rows of J long lonn Ion white teeth teth that showed so 1 Argo I he ho noticed etl Ube tHe tierce claws cI TS upon the bars baars l I nd decoded that in hi spite of the tho rabbit and the Prince evs cg mess n he ho was WiS in rou company compan In an aeed HI alt although hough Chick laughed at the bear the r ad d man irin grew W quite nervous nerus nert ous a as the big bis hi beast ast advanced sniffed lit at t him curiously almost as If it realized rt w made mad J t gingerbread d and md th that t gingerbread is ib isI I t ou Oll to eat NIt Then it held out a fat raw pant at as if It desiring t tl halts hake hand lland aad and n not t wishing to appear 11 rude John Johni i ll i id 1 his hil own ow hand in th the bears beu p paw which seemed l li c c i j more son soli and ami daUby than ihan his Jh own Om The rIte a next mo nu mut ut the animal thew threw its it great arms urns around the he s gin In n man and hogged him Win close cloe to its body b John Jhu gave san a 8 cry of fear tear although h it was 5 hard bard to tell teU which Chich was teas a nor more soft oft and yielding the boars bears fat body bod or ort ortre tre t lt f rm o of tile the th gingerbread gin man Stop StOll that hi II h p kirs hn the hear bear lan fan lanE fang E g Ege age l I Ift let et me roe go gG Instantly What hat do jou rou you mean by b buch uch nth actions The Tiie bear beal hearing healing this speech at once released r Jolia JohL vho began be n to ret test red I ir of l hka eW to r tee oe e If We he t e had bad been beun dam dami am amell i cd ell by It the hug Why you U say y you u were a friend frie and nd e t tl teak l k my language t asked uk the bear beer In H II wins ton of re N reI 1 I reach You Vou ou knew well enol I l was a friend since I came cam camith With ith the retorted John angrily 1 suppose yui 14 would like l to cat rot me toe just jest j Bt bearse be aCS r t am Inn gi l ir Jr t read 1 I thought you yoi 01 smelled Ded like Ilk gingerbread ging rt tl 1 T bear But t dont ont worry werry about my ray yeu J eu 1 J t i nt cat eat I Io No o ald said John surprised Wb hy i not Mt e Well the principal reason is that Im Fm mad of or rub said paid the bear exclaimed e John JohnY Y Yes s robber rb er Set Net you OU nei no DOno alit ai 3 chean Composition but pure Para rubber of the best 0 quality Iu Im Jm Im practically indestructible Well 1 declare said John who ho was really reaH aston aeton a ton i lied heil h Arc re your our teeth t th rubber also alsoTo alsoTo alsoTo To be sure acknowledged the bear seeming to be bet ber t r ashamed of the fact but they api appear ear very horrible t tt ti look at do they not No o one would suspect they Uv would bend nci if I 1 tried to bite with them the To me they were n ro terrible Ie in m arance John Jom i at t 1 which the th bear ar seemed much gratified I l dont n rounding to tt you ou who are a l friend and affil l language lie he resumed that 1 am as harm hami harmI eak Je mv my m I I a s 1 not nm m hut Dut i 1 J upon my strike terror into the v ful appearance a NI which should f parts cf et alt all n beholder l At one time tune every In lit Inv litt t 1 v island feared me and acknowledged me their king out Jut ut those horrid discovered i 1 was rubber hid tind u uI I Itie i io C dewed ten ll nm me ever er since How Now came you to be ho alive asked asted John Was Wa it tt II I tlc Le GIat Ive never heard of the Great Elixir re e d the th l M B tt i ir tr a ad d Ive le no idea I ow 1 came cara to l he be e alive allva ily liy I C arll arlit ct Ft is tb Ut that t i J was wan living In mach the me mc way that 1 I urn am now Do Da D you ou remember whoa whan you OU were 1 not hying No 0 paid ld Tub Tabs conversation which she site could not at all under Mind tard t II surprised the Princess s very verj much But Hut she hc iva war JI 01 id to see sec that the rubber bear and the gingerbread ji in tn n had become friends and nd so SQ she took Chicks nand hand ni ru led the smiling CherUl up to they stood This is my new friend name Is lis Chick she shu id to the bear for the girl was teas as accustomed to talking Para Bruin as she would Mould to a u person and you u must le tC as good and kind hind to Chick as ns you OU have been to m me my dear Para arn or 1 shall hall not love you OU may auy mor The bear r save g ve th Princess a generous hug and then hi he 11 hugged hUg Chick but the tha words tho the girl had spoken teemed leme l to puzzle kiwi hm for he lac turned to John Jehn and said aid Why hy do you ou Oll suppose sup o e so to many different languages were ever Invented od The fhe speak one language all you Ou ano ilmi speak und a nd the toe Princess and speak still another And it Is all very absurd far lor the roily only language 1 cnn can understand Is la my own 1 can speak with and understand the tho Princess and tlC tic as well as 1 I can speak with you ou declared John The bear looked oled h at him hint admiringly If Jr that I is so EO then tell me whist the Princess s said to tone tom tone ne m just now no he requested So 10 o the girls words Into the bear lan Ian lannge age and ami when Para Pam Bruin heard them he laughed l filth I Tell the tho Princess that Ill be as good to her leer friend lurk as i possible Ie said Il he lie and John at once translated d dit it U ro o 0 that the J t s understood nice said she I knew l Para Pam would be befriends friends with hick Chick And now ask the bear be to bounce fr f 1 r 1 us He does it often and It Is II a very interesting hilt hight So a John requested the bear to bounce which he at att once agreed to do seeming to t feel f l considerable pride In III l tc nt From Irom the point 00 they th stood the th hill Je ne in Ji a i t steep incline dine In toward the forest and at nt the or of I the IP hill hut was tvis 1 Us oj fiat took rock Curling curlin tI Ito Into a ball the he great greit bear rolled his body down the tho hili k faster a every moment until be he struck the flat UatI tat f I t rock rn k at nt the tho bottom Then bo ho bounded high 1111 into the air all Qa in 11 tho the same way that a rubber ball does when thrown down upon a hard pavement and made mado a graceful sr back backward b k ward curve until he reached the top of the bill again where when he h bounced up and down a few times tim s and then heft stood Io ocd upright and bowed before the gingerbread man and md the gleeful Cherub who was W J rapturously delighted by the performance Great net it U asked Para Bruin grinning with pride So o ordinary hear bear could do that I 1 assure you ou Ard It proves pro estha the purity and high grade STad of my rubber rUbb r It lt does indeed declared John I am greatly pleased to have met so remarkable and talented a abear bear I tt 1 r t 1 co cor cor r t r 1 1 Q 17 1 r y rt i Hit r I f Stop S top that l Ji he shouted t You Von must visit me often sold said the bear b ar making mal n a Low bow It Is a great creat treat to hear my own own lan Ian language guage spoken for or 1 I am the only bear ar upon the thc island land 1 landI I any visiting card cards but my name is Para Bruin and amt you yon on are arc always welcome it ut my cave cavet Ui t i am called John J lm Dough said the manI man manI I cannot claim clam to l he be c Indestructible but while I last I Ishall Ishall shall b bt be i proud of your friendship and md will bring the children to tf visit you ou often Try lI to tu teach tOach them my language suggested Para Bruin for I love Joo children and md have often orien wished I might talk with then them As for Tor the little Princess all the island 1 people love 10 her lur dearly except pf df course the this ilif lIf kels ard we wc all nU worry more or less les over oer her health hes weak and und Delicate you ou know and her life here Is made so 10 unhappy by the thu separation from her parents that Im Fm afraid she chic wont be with uw uy I very er long lone lon Ho wiped wiper a n tear from his eye ey with a puffy pUrr pv PW and glanced lU affectionately at the girl Irl hats the tho matter with her asked l John anxiously Xo No strength th and vitality answered the bear ailing every Say a and there a drug store or a doc doctor doctor doctor tor on the th island But dont tell teU her whatever you OU do she che realize it and ud the knowledge would o lv make her more unhappy t Thou Then the boar boor who seemed scorned se remarkably I tender heart h art ed cd trotted with bouncing footsteps Into his cave so that the t little Princess Prncess for whom ho grieved might not pot see fee the th tears that stood in his rubber eyes After that John and Chick and nd the Princess started sta d to tl return re un to their dwellings by means cle ns or ot a short hort cut cot through the tho forest known to the girL John was feeling very c contented In the he companionship of o the tho two children n mill gad reflected ted that in spite of the his Ills life on this thin beautiful bet island bade fair fall to b pleasant and agree agreeable agreeable able But his content was WiS suddenly interrupted Interrupt d by the Cherub who gave gate a loud cry and pointed excitedly cx into the forest Tho The gingerbread matt man had cast but one look when ha he began bean to tremble violently For there before be ore bun only a few paces aw v stood his bitter and relentless enemy All Ali the Arab ArabE At t last said ald Alt All smiling most unpleasantly I 1 have again found you ou John was waif too agitated to reply but Chick asked ns cd How on earth did you ever eer get to this Inland By means m ot o the witch the Arab replied J I pur purchased purchased chased from her Iler two transport powders One trans transported transported ported me to the tho Isle of I and nd when vh 1 you ou then es cs escaped escaped cape me the other ether powder pow er transported me here But ButI I cannot allow the gingerbread man to escape sc pe me again I have J lve no more mote powders per any way to reach in the witch wl h who makes them So my m dear John Dough DoughI I please accept your our fate and permit me to eat cat you ou at nt That I cannot not do said aid John firmly for lor if It 1 I ant aU eaten caten that is the end of arme me How Flow selfish exclaimed the Arab rab Who Vho are you to he be considered before All se son n of of a n mighty n Y Sheik S San anO an chief of or an ancient Tribe Trib ed of or the tho Desert R mem her sir that when I 1 have eaten you ou I shall gain for the priceless powers rs of the tho Great Elixir con contained contained contained in your your gingerbread anti will thus become the rost powerful and most intelligent man In the world besides R living Dare you rou sir allow your our selfish 1 f ti I 4 r ri i t r rr r i i fJ i 11 i 1 t tf tr tt t L f f r p t t G I 1 t t ty i y 7 3 o F You iTou force me to eat en t you without your our consent i j motives r to Interfere with so grand rard a result I dare 1 re replied John But you have hate nothing to say s y about It lt continued the Arab Arah t You ou are not your our own master You belong lons to tl ms tn m for tOI I purchased you from Jules Gro this the theba ba er who made you ou and I am nm therefore entitled to tot cat ct t you ou I please Nevertheless answered John I will not nat be eaten if It 1 can car help h lp it itAn ItAn IL An hh but that is unjust protested the tho Arab If to bo be unjust U is to be eaten said saI l John you ou noel need nc jin 10 look to me the for justice 1 i may be lie wrong in this de tit decision but it is better to he e wrong wron than to be bt nothing Then Then remarked rl ed AH AU sadly you force farce me to eat et you rou without your consent which it will me meto meto meto to de 10 dek V k th this he drew his terrible knife and sprang upon Join JolO Dough with great ferocity cut But in tho the recent en encounter enl encounter counter l with w th Black the gingerbread singer bread man had learned earned how powerful the tho Elixir l made him PO so 9 he did lj not run this t is time from the Arab but avoided d the thrust of or the tale knife and caught the body of or AH AU in a l strong strom clasp Next moment tin he h had hUll lifted him u I and awl tossed tOI him high into the tha nil air us IlS easily cail as us he hl hud had tossed cd the The Arab Amb in the top branches ol of o a tall scarlet sc plant and clung clun to them in great fear fjar list he should fall faU to the ground and be killed Indeed Ind ell ellIcO eo sn frightened was he that he uttered screams of terror with Kith Ith every breath and forgot all about ab ut eating John Dough h in the more important t thought of how hon he hc j reach each safety Lets run exclaimed Chick grasping Johns nanu Dont mind the Arab It J he falls nU its good tor 01 him him Lots Lets run exclaimed Chick grasping gra Johns P Princess See there thel como come some of the creatures now with Black at ut their head Hearing Bearing this John hesitated no longer but fled flod down dawn another pathway with the children and coon loft left the tha sound cf ct c AH Ili Ii cries far fal behind him |