Chapter 24: The Birthday Celebration

A clear, perfect day, with a gentle breeze and a sunny sky, greeted
Princess Ozma as she wakened next morning, the anniversary of her
birth.  While it was yet early all the city was astir and crowds of
people came from all parts of the Land of Oz to witness the
festivities in honor of their girl Ruler's birthday.
The noted visitors from foreign countries, who had all been
transported to the Emerald City by means of the Magic Belt, were as
much a show to the Ozites as were their own familiar celebrities, and
the streets leading from the royal palace to the jeweled gates were
thronged with men, women, and children to see the procession as it
passed out to the green fields where the ceremonies were to take place.
And what a great procession it was!
First came a thousand young girls—the prettiest in the land—dressed
in white muslin, with green sashes and hair ribbons, bearing green
baskets of red roses.  As they walked they scattered these flowers
upon the marble pavements, so that the way was carpeted thick with
roses for the procession to walk upon.
Then came the Rulers of the four Kingdoms of Oz: the Emperor of the
Winkies, the Monarch of the Munchkins, the King of the Quadlings and
the Sovereign of the Gillikins, each wearing a long chain of emeralds
around his neck to show that he was a vassal of the Ruler of the
Emerald City.
Next marched the Emerald City Cornet Band, clothed in green-and-gold
uniforms and playing the "Ozma Two-Step."  The Royal Army of Oz
followed, consisting of twenty-seven officers, from the Captain-General
down to the Lieutenants.  There were no privates in Ozma's Army because
soldiers were not needed to fight battles, but only to look important,
and an officer always looks more imposing than a private.
While the people cheered and waved their hats and handkerchiefs, there
came walking the Royal Princess Ozma, looking so pretty and sweet that
it is no wonder her people love her so dearly.  She had decided she
would not ride in her chariot that day, as she preferred to walk in
the procession with her favored subjects and her guests.  Just in
front of her trotted the living Blue Bear Rug owned by old Dyna, which
wobbled clumsily on its four feet because there was nothing but the
skin to support them, with a stuffed head at one end and a stubby tail
at the other.  But whenever Ozma paused in her walk the Bear Rug
would flop down flat upon the ground for the princess to stand upon
until she resumed her progress.
Following the Princess stalked her two enormous beasts, the Cowardly
Lion and the Hungry Tiger, and even if the Army had not been there
these two would have been powerful enough to guard their mistress
from any harm.
Next marched the invited guests, who were loudly cheered by the people
of Oz along the road, and were therefore obliged to bow to right and
left almost every step of the way.  First was Santa Claus, who, because
he was fat and not used to walking, rode the wonderful Saw-Horse.  The
merry old gentleman had a basket of small toys with him, and he tossed
the toys one by one to the children as he passed by.  His Ryls and
Knooks marched close behind him.
Queen Zixi of Ix came after; then John Dough and the Cherub, with the
rubber bear named Para Bruin strutting between them on its hind legs;
then the Queen of Merryland, escorted by her wooden soldiers; then
King Bud of Noland and his sister, the Princess Fluff; then the Queen
of Ev and her ten royal children; then the Braided Man and the Candy
Man, side by side; then King Dox of Foxville and King Kik-a-bray of
Dunkiton, who by this time had become good friends; and finally Johnny
Dooit, in his leather apron, smoking his long pipe.
These wonderful personages were not more heartily cheered by the
people than were those who followed after them in the procession.
Dorothy was a general favorite, and she walked arm in arm with the
Scarecrow, who was beloved by all.  Then came Polychrome and
Button-Bright, and the people loved the Rainbow's pretty Daughter and
the beautiful blue-eyed boy as soon as they saw them.  The shaggy man
in his shaggy new suit attracted much attention because he was such a
novelty.  With regular steps tramped the machine-man Tik-tok, and
there was more cheering when the Wizard of Oz followed in the
procession.  The Woggle-Bug and Jack Pumpkinhead were next, and behind
them Glinda the Sorceress and the Good Witch of the North.  Finally
came Billina, with her brood of chickens to whom she clucked anxiously
to keep them together and to hasten them along so they would not delay
the procession.
Another band followed, this time the Tin Band of the Emperor of the
Winkies, playing a beautiful march called, "There's No Plate Like Tin."
Then came the servants of the Royal Palace, in a long line, and behind
them all the people joined the procession and marched away through the
emerald gates and out upon the broad green.
Here had been erected a splendid pavilion, with a grandstand big enough
to seat all the royal party and those who had taken part in the
procession.  Over the pavilion, which was of green silk and cloth of
gold, countless banners waved in the breeze.  Just in front of this,
and connected with it by a runway had been built a broad platform, so
that all the spectators could see plainly the entertainment provided
for them.
The Wizard now became Master of Ceremonies, as Ozma had placed the
conduct of the performance in his hands.  After the people had all
congregated about the platform and the royal party and the visitors
were seated in the grandstand, the Wizard skillfully performed some
feats of juggling glass balls and lighted candles.  He tossed a dozen
or so of them high in the air and caught them one by one as they came
down, without missing any.
Then he introduced the Scarecrow, who did a sword-swallowing act that
aroused much interest.  After this the Tin Woodman gave an exhibition
of Swinging the Axe, which he made to whirl around him so rapidly that
the eye could scarcely follow the motion of the gleaming blade.
Glinda the Sorceress then stepped upon the platform, and by her magic
made a big tree grow in the middle of the space, made blossoms appear
upon the tree, and made the blossoms become delicious fruit called
tamornas, and so great was the quantity of fruit produced that when
the servants climbed the tree and tossed it down to the crowd, there
was enough to satisfy every person present.
Para Bruin, the rubber bear, climbed to a limb of the big tree, rolled
himself into a ball, and dropped to the platform, whence he bounded up
again to the limb.  He repeated this bouncing act several times, to
the great delight of all the children present.  After he had finished,
and bowed, and returned to his seat, Glinda waved her wand and the
tree disappeared; but its fruit still remained to be eaten.
The Good Witch of the North amused the people by transforming ten
stones into ten birds, the ten birds into ten lambs, and the ten lambs
into ten little girls, who gave a pretty dance and were then
transformed into ten stones again, just as they were in the beginning.
Johnny Dooit next came on the platform with his tool-chest, and in a
few minutes built a great flying machine; then put his chest in the
machine and the whole thing flew away together—Johnny and all—after
he had bid good-bye to those present and thanked the Princess
for her hospitality.
The Wizard then announced the last act of all, which was considered
really wonderful.  He had invented a machine to blow huge soap-bubbles,
as big as balloons, and this machine was hidden under the platform so
that only the rim of the big clay pipe to produce the bubbles showed
above the flooring.  The tank of soapsuds, and the air-pumps to inflate
the bubbles, were out of sight beneath, so that when the bubbles began
to grow upon the floor of the platform it really seemed like magic to the
people of Oz, who knew nothing about even the common soap-bubbles that
our children blow with a penny clay pipe and a basin of soap-and-water.
The Wizard had invented another thing.  Usually, soap-bubbles are
frail and burst easily, lasting only a few moments as they float in
the air; but the Wizard added a sort of glue to his soapsuds, which
made his bubbles tough; and, as the glue dried rapidly when exposed to
the air, the Wizard's bubbles were strong enough to float for hours
without breaking.
He began by blowing—by means of his machinery and air-pumps—several
large bubbles which he allowed to float upward into the sky, where the
sunshine fell upon them and gave them iridescent hues that were most
beautiful.  This aroused much wonder and delight because it was a new
amusement to every one present—except perhaps Dorothy and Button-Bright,
and even they had never seen such big, strong bubbles before.
The Wizard then blew a bunch of small bubbles and afterward blew a big
bubble around them so they were left in the center of it; then he
allowed the whole mass of pretty globes to float into the air and
disappear in the far distant sky.
"That is really fine!" declared Santa Claus, who loved toys and
pretty things.  "I think, Mr. Wizard, I shall have you blow a bubble
around me; then I can float away home and see the country spread out
beneath me as I travel.  There isn't a spot on earth that I haven't
visited, but I usually go in the night-time, riding behind my swift
reindeer.  Here is a good chance to observe the country by daylight,
while I am riding slowly and at my ease."
"Do you think you will be able to guide the bubble?" asked the Wizard.
"Oh yes; I know enough magic to do that," replied Santa Claus.
"You blow the bubble, with me inside of it, and I'll be sure to
get home in safety."
"Please send me home in a bubble, too!" begged the Queen of Merryland.
"Very well, madam; you shall try the journey first," politely
answered old Santa.
The pretty wax doll bade good-bye to the Princess Ozma and the others
and stood on the platform while the Wizard blew a big soap-bubble
around her.  When completed, he allowed the bubble to float slowly
upward, and there could be seen the little Queen of Merryland standing
in the middle of it and blowing kisses from her fingers to those below.
The bubble took a southerly direction, quickly floating out of sight.
"That's a very nice way to travel," said Princess Fluff.  "I'd like to
go home in a bubble, too."
So the Wizard blew a big bubble around Princess Fluff, and another
around King Bud, her brother, and a third one around Queen Zixi; and
soon these three bubbles had mounted into the sky and were floating
off in a group in the direction of the kingdom of Noland.
The success of these ventures induced the other guests from foreign
lands to undertake bubble journeys, also; so the Wizard put them one
by one inside his bubbles, and Santa Claus directed the way they
should go, because he knew exactly where everybody lived.
Finally, Button-Bright said:
"I want to go home, too."
"Why, so you shall!" cried Santa; "for I'm sure your father and
mother will be glad to see you again.  Mr. Wizard, please blow a big,
fine bubble for Button-Bright to ride in, and I'll agree to send him
home to his family as safe as safe can be."
"I'm sorry," said Dorothy with a sigh, for she was fond of her little
comrade; "but p'raps it's best for Button-Bright to get home; 'cause
his folks must be worrying just dreadful."
She kissed the boy, and Ozma kissed him, too, and all the others waved
their hands and said good-bye and wished him a pleasant journey.
"Are you glad to leave us, dear?" asked Dorothy, a little wistfully.
"Don't know," said Button-Bright.
He sat down cross-legged on the platform, with his sailor hat tipped
back on his head, and the Wizard blew a beautiful bubble all around him.
A minute later it had mounted into the sky, sailing toward the west,
and the last they saw of Button-Bright he was still sitting in the
middle of the shining globe and waving his sailor hat at those below.
"Will you ride in a bubble, or shall I send you and Toto home by means
of the Magic Belt?" the Princess asked Dorothy.
"Guess I'll use the Belt," replied the little girl.  "I'm sort of
'fraid of those bubbles."
"Bow-wow!" said Toto, approvingly.  He loved to bark at the bubbles as
they sailed away, but he didn't care to ride in one.
Santa Claus decided to go next.  He thanked Ozma for her hospitality
and wished her many happy returns of the day.  Then the Wizard blew a
bubble around his chubby little body and smaller bubbles around each
of his Ryls and Knooks.
As the kind and generous friend of children mounted into the air the
people all cheered at the top of their voices, for they loved Santa
Claus dearly; and the little man heard them through the walls of his
bubble and waved his hands in return as he smiled down upon them.  The
band played bravely while every one watched the bubble until it was
completely out of sight.
"How 'bout you, Polly?" Dorothy asked her friend.  "Are you 'fraid of
bubbles, too?"
"No," answered Polychrome, smiling; "but Santa Claus promised to speak
to my father as he passed through the sky.  So perhaps I shall get
home an easier way."
Indeed, the little maid had scarcely made this speech when a sudden
radiance filled the air, and while the people looked on in wonder the
end of a gorgeous rainbow slowly settled down upon the platform.
With a glad cry, the Rainbow's Daughter sprang from her seat and
danced along the curve of the bow, mounting gradually upward, while
the folds of her gauzy gown whirled and floated around her like a
cloud and blended with the colors of the rainbow itself.
"Good-bye Ozma!  Good-bye Dorothy!" cried a voice they knew belonged to
Polychrome; but now the little maiden's form had melted wholly into
the rainbow, and their eyes could no longer see her.
Suddenly, the end of the rainbow lifted and its colors slowly faded
like mist before a breeze.  Dorothy sighed deeply and turned to Ozma.
"I'm sorry to lose Polly," she said; "but I guess she's better off
with her father; 'cause even the Land of Oz couldn't be like home to a
cloud fairy."
"No indeed," replied the Princess; "but it has been delightful for us
to know Polychrome for a little while, and—who knows?—perhaps we
may meet the Rainbow's Daughter again, some day."
The entertainment being now ended, all left the pavilion and formed
their gay procession back to the Emerald City again.  Of Dorothy's
recent traveling companions only Toto and the shaggy man remained,
and Ozma had decided to allow the latter to live in Oz for a time, at
least.  If he proved honest and true she promised to let him live
there always, and the shaggy man was anxious to earn this reward.
They had a nice quiet dinner together and passed a pleasant evening
with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tik-tok, and the Yellow Hen
for company.
When Dorothy bade them good-night, she kissed them all good-bye at the
same time.  For Ozma had agreed that while Dorothy slept she and Toto
should be transported by means of the Magic Belt to her own little bed
in the Kansas farm-house and the little girl laughed as she thought
how astonished Uncle Henry and Aunt Em would be when she came down to
breakfast with them next morning.
Quite content to have had so pleasant an adventure, and a little tired
by all the day's busy scenes, Dorothy clasped Toto in her arms and lay
down upon the pretty white bed in her room in Ozma's royal palace.
Presently she was sound asleep.

THE END