Chapter 13: Glinda the Good and the Scarecrow of Oz

That country south of the Emerald City, in the Land of
Oz, is known as the Quadling Country, and in the very
southernmost part of it stands a splendid palace in which
lives Glinda the Good.
Glinda is the Royal Sorceress of Oz. She has wonderful
magical powers and uses them only to benefit the subjects
of Ozma's kingdom. Even the famous Wizard of Oz pays
tribute to her, for Glinda taught him all the real magic
he knows, and she is his superior in all sorts of sorcery.
Everyone loves Glinda, from the dainty and exquisite
Ruler, Ozma, down to the humblest inhabitant of Oz, for
she is always kindly and helpful and willing to listen to
their troubles, however busy she may be. No one knows her
age, but all can see how beautiful and stately she is.
Her hair is like red gold and finer than the finest
silken strands. Her eyes are blue as the sky and always
frank and smiling. Her cheeks are the envy of peach-blows
and her mouth is enticing as a rosebud. Glinda is tall
and wears splendid gowns that trail behind her as she
walks. She wears no jewels, for her beauty would shame
them.
For attendants Glinda has half a hundred of the
loveliest girls in Oz. They are gathered from all over
Oz, from among the Winkies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins
and the Quadlings, as well as from Ozma's magnificent
Emerald City, and it is considered a great favor to be
allowed to serve the Royal Sorceress.
Among the many wonderful things in Glinda's palace is
the Great Book of Records. In this book is inscribed
everything that takes place in all the world, just the
instant it happens; so that by referring to its pages
Glinda knows what is taking place far and near, in every
country that exists. In this way she learns when and
where she can help any in distress or danger, and
although her duties are confined to assisting those who
inhabit the Land of Oz, she is always interested in what
takes place in the unprotected outside world.
So it was that on a certain evening Glinda sat in her
library, surrounded by a bevy of her maids, who were
engaged in spinning, weaving and embroidery, when an
attendant announced the arrival at the palace of the
Scarecrow.
This personage was one of the most famous and popular
in all the Land of Oz. His body was merely a suit of
Munchkin clothes stuffed with straw, but his head was a
round sack filled with bran, with which the Wizard of Oz
had mixed some magic brains of a very superior sort. The
eyes, nose and mouth of the Scarecrow were painted upon
the front of the sack, as were his ears, and since this
quaint being had been endowed with life, the expression
of his face was very interesting, if somewhat comical.
The Scarecrow was good all through, even to his brains,
and while he was naturally awkward in his movements and
lacked the neat symmetry of other people, his disposition
was so kind and considerate and he was so obliging and
honest, that all who knew him loved him, and there were
few people in Oz who had not met our Scarecrow and made
his acquaintance. He lived part of the time in Ozma's
palace at the Emerald City, part of the time in his own
corncob castle in the Winkie Country, and part of the
time he traveled over all Oz, visiting with the people
and playing with the children, whom he dearly loved.
It was on one of his wandering journeys that the
Scarecrow had arrived at Glinda's palace, and the
Sorceress at once made him welcome. As he sat beside her,
talking of his adventures, he asked:
"What's new in the way of news?"
Glinda opened her Great Book of Records and read some
of the last pages.
"Here is an item quite curious and interesting," she
announced, an accent of surprise in her voice. "Three
people from the big Outside World have arrived in
Jinxland."
"Where is Jinxland?" inquired the Scarecrow.
"Very near here, a little to the east of us," she said.
"In fact, Jinxland is a little slice taken off the
Quadling Country, but separated from it by a range of
high mountains, at the foot of which lies a wide, deep
gulf that is supposed to be impassable."
"Then Jinxland is really a part of the Land of Oz,"
said he.
"Yes," returned Glinda, "but Oz people know nothing of
it, except what is recorded here in my book."
"What does the Book say about it?" asked the Scarecrow.
"It is ruled by a wicked man called King Krewl,
although he has no right to the title. Most of the people
are good, but they are very timid and live in constant
fear of their fierce ruler. There are also several Wicked
Witches who keep the inhabitants of Jinxland in a state
of terror."
"Do those witches have any magical powers?" inquired
the Scarecrow.
"Yes, they seem to understand witchcraft in its most
evil form, for one of them has just transformed a
respectable and honest old sailor—one of the strangers
who arrived there—into a grasshopper. This same witch,
Blinkie by name, is also planning to freeze the heart of
a beautiful Jinxland girl named Princess Gloria."
"Why, that's a dreadful thing to do!" exclaimed the
Scarecrow.
Glinda's face was very grave. She read in her book how
Trot and Button-Bright were turned out of the King's
castle, and how they found refuge in the hut of Pon, the
gardener's boy
"I'm afraid those helpless earth people will endure
much suffering in Jinxland, even if the wicked King and
the witches permit them to live," said the good
Sorceress, thoughtfully. "I wish I might help them."
"Can I do anything?" asked the Scarecrow, anxiously.
"If so, tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
For a few moments Glinda did not reply, but sat musing
over the records. Then she said: "I am going to send you
to Jinxland, to protect Trot and Button-Bright and Cap'n
Bill."
"All right," answered the Scarecrow in a cheerful
voice. "I know Button-Bright already, for he has been in
the Land of Oz before. You remember he went away from the
Land of Oz in one of our Wizard's big bubbles."
"Yes," said Glinda, "I remember that." Then she
carefully instructed the Scarecrow what to do and gave
him certain magical things which he placed in the pockets
of his ragged Munchkin coat.
"As you have no need to sleep," said she, "you may as
well start at once."
"The night is the same as day to me," he replied,
"except that I cannot see my way so well in the dark."
"I will furnish a light to guide you," promised the
Sorceress.
So the Scarecrow bade her good-bye and at once started
on his journey. By morning he had reached the mountains
that separated the Quadling Country from Jinxland. The
sides of these mountains were too steep to climb, but the
Scarecrow took a small rope from his pocket and tossed
one end upward, into the air. The rope unwound itself for
hundreds of feet, until it caught upon a peak of rock at
the very top of a mountain, for it was a magic rope
furnished him by Glinda. The Scarecrow climbed the rope
and, after pulling it up, let it down on the other side
of the mountain range. When he descended the rope on this
side he found himself in Jinxland, but at his feet yawned
the Great Gulf, which must be crossed before he could
proceed any farther.
The Scarecrow knelt down and examined the ground
carefully, and in a moment he discovered a fuzzy brown
spider that had rolled itself into a ball. So he took two
tiny pills from his pocket and laid them beside the
spider, which unrolled itself and quickly ate up the
pills. Then the Scarecrow said in a voice of command:
"Spin!" and the spider obeyed instantly.
In a few moments the little creature had spun two
slender but strong strands that reached way across the
gulf, one being five or six feet above the other. When
these were completed the Scarecrow started across the
tiny bridge, walking upon one strand as a person walks
upon a rope, and holding to the upper strand with his
hands to prevent him from losing his balance and toppling
over into the gulf. The tiny threads held him safely,
thanks to the strength given them by the magic pills.
Presently he was safe across and standing on the plains
of Jinxland. Far away he could see the towers of the
King's castle and toward this he at once began to walk.