Show 1 P k OF IN TEREST T 3 j r- r Fc StOWS of 9 L. L Frank Bourn Baum t i The Eleven Guesses 01 land rand and discouraged after atter seeing armies of the Nome King of Oz turned to her friends and Jome ome King calmly reseated him him- this n his rock throne would o ld ild be foolish for tor us to fight Irl said to the Tin Woodman For or bravo brave Thirty-Seven Thirty would be ly destroyed Im I'm sure I do not how to act in this emergency the k king king- where his kitchen Is sled l the tho T Ticer cr Im hungry as night pounce up upon n the King King and thim him to pieces pieties remarked the Lion y it said the monarch lighting pe ipe with another hot coal which I Ik k from his pock pocket t. t LIon crouched low Jow and tried to if upon the Nome Nomo King but he hed hed hed d only a little way into the air ame me down again in the same Inot In t being able to approach the e even n an inch seems to me said the Scare- Scare thoughtfully that our best plan wheedle His Ills Majesty Into giving i 3 slaves since he Is too great a Ian to oppose Is is the most sensible thing any I have e suggested declared the King It is folly foUy to threaten It it Im I'm so kind hearted that I can- can tand coaxing or wheedling If ally wish to accomplish anything ur dr r j Journey urney my d dear ar Ozma you coax a. a me ry well veU ell said Ozma more cheer- cheer t Let us be friends and talk tall this n a a. friendly manner Ibe be e sure agreed the King his winkling merrily in m very anxious she continued rate crate the Queen of Ev and her herin fn in n who are now ornaments and brac brae in your oUr Majesty's palace restore them to their people ic Ie sir how this may be I. I U king remained ed thoughtful for lent after which he asked You willing to take a fewa few a s and risks yourself In order free the people of Ev indeed answered Ozma n n said the Nome King I will willou ou this offer You shall go and unattended into my palace Gamine famine carefully all that the Contain Then you shall have sign sion to touch eleven different t pronouncing at the time the Ev and if any of one them or orhan orhan orhan han one one proves to be the trans- trans l ion n of the Queen of Ev or any ten en children then th-en they will inbe in- in inE j be e restored to their true forms in-I in la lay leave my kingdom in your our ti r any tiny objection what- what It is possible for you In this o free the entire entice eleven but If it not guess all the objects cor- cor and some of the slaves remain med then each one of your fend and nd followers ma may In turn en- en palace and have havee the same jes es esI I grant you thank you thank you for this fer said Ozma eagerly I ake but one condition added me King his eyes twinkling itIs it she inquired one ne of the eleven objects you troves oves to be the transformation of t the royal family of Ev then of freeing them you will wUl your- your come enchanted and trans- trans Into an article of a bric-a-brac This is only fair and fd td is the tho risk you declared you Illing to take ing mg this condition imposed by me me King Ozma became silent rightful and all her friends at her uneasily t ou do it exclaimed Dorot Doro- Doro t f fou you ou guess wrong you will be bed bei yourself i d' d LI II I shall shan have eleven guesses Ozma Surely I ought to toIne tone tone ne Ine object Jn in n eleven deven correctly I ado do do I shall rescue one of the I mily and be safe myself Then Ihen of you may attempt it and ande e shall free all those who are 1 I 1 we fall taU inquired the ow Id look nice as a piece brat a-brat brac a wouldn't wouldn I must not fall fail cried Ozma Having come all this Ito to free these poor people It be w weak ak and cowardly in us don the adventure Therefore 1 the Nome Kings King's offer at it once into the royal palace a e rg along long then my dear said g g- g climbing down from his with some Borne difficulty because sp at r Ill 1 show you the way a wall of the tho cave I wed ived his hand Instantly an appeared through which a a. smiling farewell to her I Ji y passe passed d'- d' lund fund herself in a splendid hall moro morn beautiful and grand grandy y hing she eho had ever beheld The were composed of great that rose fa far l' l buve her head the walls and floors were of marble exquisitely tinted In do ino o 0 ors Thick velvet carpets t the floor and heavy silken s covered vered the arches l leading adIng- to ous ous rooms of the palace The Thee e was mado made of rare old woods awed arYed and covered with dellins dell deli ins ins and and the entire palace was ty iy la a mysterious rosy glow that JO o i t come from no particular t ij ed each apartment with z pleasing radiance I passed from one room to ane antly an- an e delighted by all she saw ly y palace had no other occue jUhe e Nome King h hid had d left her hern n rance which closed behind Jn n all the magnificent rooms pt red to be no other person tEe mantels and on many tad ind brackets and tables were I of every nt ugly ly made out of all sorts sc B glass china stones and here were vases and fig fig- m in n and animals and graven end ind bowls and mosaics of proms pro pre proms I ms ms and many other things IL oo 00 were on the the walls and aground palace was quite a aI f rare and curious and costly i 1 first filot ha M P Ion of ofIS ofis IS If I Oma began to wonder I 1 0 w Y t I a fy fyi i 1 a i I t rd wA 7 3 7 1 ti 1 I b I V Vu u r r 1 i iJ J V. V lt l lII II Ke J n THIS IS BUT A SMALL PART OF MY ARMY which of all the numerous ornaments they contained were the transformations transformations transformations of the royal family of Ev There was nothing to guide her for everything everything everything every every- thing seemed without a spark of life So Soshe she must must guess blindly and for forth forthe forthe th the first time the the girl gIrl came to realize how dangerous was her task and how likely she was to lose her own freedom freedom freedom free free- dom In Jn striving to free others from the bondage of the Nome King No wonder vonder the cunning monarch laughed good with his visitors when he knew how easily they might be en en- en trapped But nut Ozma having undertaken the venture would not abandon It She looked at a silver candelabra that had ten branches and thought This may maybe maybe maybe be the Queen of Ev Iv and her ten chil chil- dren So she touched and uttered aloud the word Ev as the Nome King had Instructed her to do when she guessed But the candelabra re remained remained remained re- re as it was before Then ehe she wandered into another I room and touched a china lamb thinking thinking think think- I ing ut It t might be one of the children she I sought But again she was as unsuccessful unsuccessful ful Three guests four guesses five tIve six seven eight nine and ten she made and still not one of them was right I The girl shivered a little and grew pale even under the rosy light for now but one guess remained and her own I fate depended upon the result She resolved not to be hasty and strolled through a all the rooms once more gazing earnestly upon the various various va va- rious ornaments and trying t to td decide which she would touch Finally In despair despair de de- spall she decided to leave it entirely to chance She faced the doorway of ofa ofa ofa a room shut her eyes tightly and then thrusting aside the heavy draperies she Bhe advanced blindly with her right arm outstretched before her Slowly softly she crept forward until until until un un- til her hand tame came in contact with an object upon a small round table She Shedid Shedid Shedid did not know what it was but In a alow alow alow I low voice she pronounced the word Ev The rooms were quite empty of life after that thaL The Nome Nomo King had gained I a new ornament For upon the edge j of the table rested a pretty grasshopper per that seemed to have been formed from a single emerald It was was all that remained of Ozma of Oz In the throne room just beyond the palace the Nome King suddenly looked up 1 and nd smiled Next he said in his pleasant voice Dorothy the Scarecrow and the tile Tin Woodman who had been sitting in anxious silence each gave a start of dismay and started Into one another's eyes Has she failed asked Tik So it seems answered the little HUle monarch cheerfully But nut that is no reason one of you should not succeed The next may have twelve guesses instead in instead in- in stead of eleven for there are now I Istead twelve persons transformed into orna orna- ments Well Vell well Which of you goes next i Ill go said Dorothy Not so replied the Tin Woodman As commander of Ozma's army it is ismy ismy I my privilege to follow her and attempt her rescue I Away you go then said the Scarecrow Scarecrow Scarecrow Scare Scare- crow but be careful old friend I Ir I r will promised the Tin Woodman i and then he followed the Nome King to I the entrance to the palace and the rock closed behind him Copyrighted by L. L Frank Baum for forthe forthe forthe the George Matthew Adams Service I Editors Editor's Note Next Note Next week in ht The Nome Kome King Laughs we shall hear I what became of the Tin Woodmans Woodman's attempts at the Eleven Guesses |