11. The Nome King

           Byandby,whentheydrewneartothemountainthatblockedtheirpathandwhichwasthefurthermostedgeoftheKingdomofEv,thewaygrewdarkandgloomyforthereasonthatthehighpeaksoneithersideshutoutthesunshine.Anditwasverysilent,too,astherewerenobirdstosingorsquirrelstochatter,thetreesbeingleftfarbehindthemandonlythebarerocksremaining.

           OzmaandDorothywerealittleawedbythesilence,andalltheotherswerequietandgraveexcepttheSawhorse,which,asittrottedalongwiththeScarecrowuponhisback,hummedaqueersong,ofwhichthiswasthechorus:

           "Wouldawoodenhorseinawoodlandgo?

           Aye,aye!Isigh,hewould,although

           Hadhenothadawoodenhead

           He’dmountthemountaintopinstead."

           ButnoonepaidanyattentiontothisbecausetheywerenowclosetotheNomeKing’sdominions,andhissplendidundergroundpalacecouldnotbeveryfaraway.

           Suddenlytheyheardashoutofjeeringlaughter,andstoppedshort.Theywouldhavetostopinaminute,anyway,forthehugemountainbarredtheirfurtherprogressandthepathrancloseuptoawallofrockandended.

           "Whowasthatlaughing?"askedOzma.

           Therewasnoreply,butinthegloomtheycouldseestrangeformsflitacrossthefaceoftherock.Whateverthecreationsmightbetheyseemedveryliketherockitself,fortheywerethecolorofrocksandtheirshapeswereasroughandruggedasiftheyhadbeenbrokenawayfromthesideofthemountain.Theykeptclosetothesteepclifffacingourfriends,andglidedupanddown,andthiswayandthat,withalackofregularitythatwasquiteconfusing.