The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-19
HIS Majesty THE sCARECRow.

HIS MAJESTY THE SCARECROW.
I suppose every reader CT this book
knows what scarecrow is; but Jack
Pumpkinhead. never having seen such
a creation, was more surprised at
meeting the remarkable King of the
Emerald City than by any other one
experience of his brief. life.
HisW Majesty the Scarecrow was
dressed in suit of faded blue clothes,
and his head was merely small sack
stuffed with straw, upon which eyes,
ears, a nose and a mouth had been
rudely. painted to represent a face. The
clothes were also stuffed with straw,
and that SO unevenly or carelessly that
His Majesty's legs and arms seemed
more bumpy than was necessary. Upon
his hands were gloves with long fin
gers, and these were padded with cot
ton. WispS of straw stuck out from
the monarch's coat and also from his
neck and boot-tops. Upon his head
he wore a heavy golden, crown set
, thick with sparkling jewels, and the
weight of this crown caused his brow
/ to sag in wrinkles, giving thoughtful
expression to the painted face. In
deed, the crown alone betokened maj
esty; in all else the Scarecrow King
Sys
awkward, and unsubstantial
But if the strange appearance of his
Ma esty the Scarecrow seemed start
ling to Jack, no less wonderful was
the form of the Pumpkinhead to the
Scarecrow. The purple trousers and
pink waistcoat and red shirt hung
loosely over the wooden Joints Tip had
manufactured, and the carved face on
the pumpkin grinned perpetually, as if
its wearer considered life the jolliest
thing imaginable.
At first, indeed, His Majesty thought
his queer visitor was laughing at him,
and, was inclined to resent such a lib
erty; but it was not without reason
that the ScarecrOw had attained the
reputation of being the wisest person.
age in the Land of Or. He made a
more careful examination of his Wis
itor, and soon discovered that Jacks
features were carved into a smile and
that he could not look grave if he
wished to.
The King was the first to speak.
After regarding Jack for some min
utes he said, in a tone of wonder:
Where on earth did you come
from, and how do you happen to be
alive?''
st beg your Majesty's pardon" re-
turned the Pumpkinhead; 'but I do
not understand YOU
what don't you understand ?"
asked the Scarecrow.
why, 1 don't understand your lam
guage. You see. I came from the
Country of the Gillikins. so that 1 am
a. foreigner"
"Ah, to be sure!" exclaimed the
Scarecrow. 81 myself speak the Ian
guage of the Munohkins, which is also
the language of the Emerald City.
But you, I suppose, speak the lam
guage of the Pumpkinheads?'
Exactly so, your Majesty" replied
the other, bowling; $50 it will be i'm
possible for us to understand one an
other"
THAT is unfortunate, certainly"
said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully.
I'VE must have an interpreter
What is an interpreter" asked
Jack.
"A person who understands both
my language and your own. When
I say anything, the interpreter can
tell you what mean and when you
say anything the interpreter can tell
me what you mean. For the inter-
prefer can speak both languages as
well as understand them"
THAT is certainly clever said
Jack, greatly pleased at finding so
simple a way out of the difficulty.
So the Scarecrow commanded the