| 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 |
| 1 | 33 | 66 | 99 | 132 |
|
www.freeclassicebooks.com
around the throne. Then he took hold of the back and broke off a piece of
marble over a foot thick. "This," said he, coming back to his seat, "is very solid
marble and much harder than ordinary stone. Yet I can crumble it easily with
my fingers, a proof that I am very strong."
Even as he spoke, he began breaking off chunks of marble and crumbling
them as one would a bit of earth. The Wizard was so astonished that he took
a piece in his own hands and tested it, finding it very hard indeed.
Just then one of the giant servants entered and exclaimed, "Oh, Your Majesty,
the cook has burned the soup! What shall we do?"
"
How dare you interrupt me?" asked the Czarover, and grasping the immense
giant by one of his legs, he raised him in the air and threw him headfirst out
of an open window. "Now, tell me," he said, turning to Button-Bright, "could
your man in Philadelphia crumble marble in his fingers?"
"
I guess not," said Button-Bright, much impressed by the skinny monarch's
strength.
"
"
What makes you so strong?" inquired Dorothy.
It's the zosozo," he explained, "which is an invention of my own. I and all my
people eat zosozo, and it gives us tremendous strength. Would you like to eat
some?"
"
No thank you," replied the girl. "I--I don't want to get so thin."
"
Well, of course one can't have strength and flesh at the same time," said the
Czarover. "Zosozo is pure energy, and it's the only compound of its sort in
existence. I never allow our giants to have it, you know, or they would soon
become our masters, since they are bigger that we; so I keep all the stuff
locked up in my private laboratory. Once a year I feed a teaspoonful of it to
each of my people--men, women and children--so every one of them is nearly
as strong as I am. Wouldn't YOU like a dose, sir?" he asked, turning to the
Wizard.
"
Well," said the Wizard, "if you would give me a little zosozo in a bottle, I'd like
to take it with me on my travels. It might come in handy on occasion."
"
To be sure. I'll give you enough for six doses," promised the Czarover.
7
1
Page
Quick Jump
|