The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
21. The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts
After climbing down from the china wall the travelers found themselvesin a disagreeable country, full of bogs and marshes and covered withtall, rank grass. It was difficult to walk without falling into muddyholes, for the grass was so thick that it hid them from sight.However, by carefully picking their way, they got safely along untilthey reached solid ground. But here the country seemed wilder thanever, and after a long and tiresome walk through the underbrush theyentered another forest, where the trees were bigger and older than anythey had ever seen.
”This forest is perfectly delightful,” declared the Lion, lookingaround him with joy. ”Never have I seen a more beautiful place.”
”It seems gloomy,” said the Scarecrow.
”Not a bit of it,” answered the Lion. ”I should like to live here allmy life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and howrich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely nowild beast could wish a pleasanter home.”
”Perhaps there are wild beasts in the forest now,” said Dorothy.
”I suppose there are,” returned the Lion, ”but I do not see any of themabout.”
They walked through the forest until it became too dark to go anyfarther. Dorothy and Toto and the Lion lay down to sleep, while theWoodman and the Scarecrow kept watch over them as usual.
When morning came, they started again. Before they had gone far theyheard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals. Totowhimpered a little, but none of the others was frightened, and theykept along the well-trodden path until they came to an opening in thewood, in which were gathered hundreds of beasts of every variety.There were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and allthe others in the natural history, and for a moment Dorothy was afraid.But the Lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and hejudged by their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble.
As he spoke several of the beasts caught sight of him, and at once thegreat assemblage hushed as if by magic. The biggest of the tigers cameup to the Lion and bowed, saying:
”Welcome, O King of Beasts! You have come in good time to fight ourenemy and bring peace to all the animals of the forest once more.”
”What is your trouble?” asked the Lion quietly.
”We are all threatened,” answered the tiger, ”by a fierce enemy whichhas lately come into this forest. It is a most tremendous monster,like a great spider, with a body as big as an elephant and legs as longas a tree trunk. It has eight of these long legs, and as the monstercrawls through the forest he seizes an animal with a leg and drags itto his mouth, where he eats it as a spider does a fly. Not one of usis safe while this fierce creature is alive, and we had called ameeting to decide how to take care of ourselves when you came among us.”
The Lion thought for a moment.
”Are there any other lions in this forest?” he asked.
”No; there were some, but the monster has eaten them all. And,besides, they were none of them nearly so large and brave as you.”
”If I put an end to your enemy, will you bow down to me and obey me asKing of the Forest?” inquired the Lion.
”We will do that gladly,” returned the tiger; and all the other beastsroared with a mighty roar: ”We will!”
”Where is this great spider of yours now?” asked the Lion.
”Yonder, among the oak trees,” said the tiger, pointing with hisforefoot.
”Take good care of these friends of mine,” said the Lion, ”and I willgo at once to fight the monster.”
He bade his comrades good-bye and marched proudly away to do battlewith the enemy.
The great spider was lying asleep when the Lion found him, and itlooked so ugly that its foe turned up his nose in disgust. Its legswere quite as long as the tiger had said, and its body covered withcoarse black hair. It had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teeth afoot long; but its head was joined to the pudgy body by a neck asslender as a wasp's waist. This gave the Lion a hint of the best wayto attack the creature, and as he knew it was easier to fight it asleepthan awake, he gave a great spring and landed directly upon themonster's back. Then, with one blow of his heavy paw, all armed withsharp claws, he knocked the spider's head from its body. Jumping down,he watched it until the long legs stopped wiggling, when he knew it wasquite dead.
The Lion went back to the opening where the beasts of the forest werewaiting for him and said proudly:
”You need fear your enemy no longer.”
Then the beasts bowed down to the Lion as their King, and he promisedto come back and rule over them as soon as Dorothy was safely on herway to Kansas.
After climbing down from the china wall the travelers found themselvesin a disagreeable country, full of bogs and marshes and covered withtall, rank grass. It was difficult to walk without falling into muddyholes, for the grass was so thick that it hid them from sight.However, by carefully picking their way, they got safely along untilthey reached solid ground. But here the country seemed wilder thanever, and after a long and tiresome walk through the underbrush theyentered another forest, where the trees were bigger and older than anythey had ever seen.
”This forest is perfectly delightful,” declared the Lion, lookingaround him with joy. ”Never have I seen a more beautiful place.”
”It seems gloomy,” said the Scarecrow.
”Not a bit of it,” answered the Lion. ”I should like to live here allmy life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and howrich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely nowild beast could wish a pleasanter home.”
”Perhaps there are wild beasts in the forest now,” said Dorothy.
”I suppose there are,” returned the Lion, ”but I do not see any of themabout.”
They walked through the forest until it became too dark to go anyfarther. Dorothy and Toto and the Lion lay down to sleep, while theWoodman and the Scarecrow kept watch over them as usual.
When morning came, they started again. Before they had gone far theyheard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals. Totowhimpered a little, but none of the others was frightened, and theykept along the well-trodden path until they came to an opening in thewood, in which were gathered hundreds of beasts of every variety.There were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and allthe others in the natural history, and for a moment Dorothy was afraid.But the Lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and hejudged by their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble.
As he spoke several of the beasts caught sight of him, and at once thegreat assemblage hushed as if by magic. The biggest of the tigers cameup to the Lion and bowed, saying:
”Welcome, O King of Beasts! You have come in good time to fight ourenemy and bring peace to all the animals of the forest once more.”
”What is your trouble?” asked the Lion quietly.
”We are all threatened,” answered the tiger, ”by a fierce enemy whichhas lately come into this forest. It is a most tremendous monster,like a great spider, with a body as big as an elephant and legs as longas a tree trunk. It has eight of these long legs, and as the monstercrawls through the forest he seizes an animal with a leg and drags itto his mouth, where he eats it as a spider does a fly. Not one of usis safe while this fierce creature is alive, and we had called ameeting to decide how to take care of ourselves when you came among us.”
The Lion thought for a moment.
”Are there any other lions in this forest?” he asked.
”No; there were some, but the monster has eaten them all. And,besides, they were none of them nearly so large and brave as you.”
”If I put an end to your enemy, will you bow down to me and obey me asKing of the Forest?” inquired the Lion.
”We will do that gladly,” returned the tiger; and all the other beastsroared with a mighty roar: ”We will!”
”Where is this great spider of yours now?” asked the Lion.
”Yonder, among the oak trees,” said the tiger, pointing with hisforefoot.
”Take good care of these friends of mine,” said the Lion, ”and I willgo at once to fight the monster.”
He bade his comrades good-bye and marched proudly away to do battlewith the enemy.
The great spider was lying asleep when the Lion found him, and itlooked so ugly that its foe turned up his nose in disgust. Its legswere quite as long as the tiger had said, and its body covered withcoarse black hair. It had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teeth afoot long; but its head was joined to the pudgy body by a neck asslender as a wasp's waist. This gave the Lion a hint of the best wayto attack the creature, and as he knew it was easier to fight it asleepthan awake, he gave a great spring and landed directly upon themonster's back. Then, with one blow of his heavy paw, all armed withsharp claws, he knocked the spider's head from its body. Jumping down,he watched it until the long legs stopped wiggling, when he knew it wasquite dead.
The Lion went back to the opening where the beasts of the forest werewaiting for him and said proudly:
”You need fear your enemy no longer.”
Then the beasts bowed down to the Lion as their King, and he promisedto come back and rule over them as soon as Dorothy was safely on herway to Kansas.