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Updated: June 21, 2025
The Patchwork Girl was as light as a feather and very spry; the Tin Woodman covered the ground as easily as Uncle Henry and the Wizard; but Tik-Tok moved slowly and the slightest obstruction in the road would halt him until the others cleared it away. Then, too, Tik-Tok's machinery kept running down, so Betsy and Trot took turns in winding it up.
Tik-Tok looked at them and then around him in surprise. "Fall in what? The well?" he asked. "No," said Queen Ann, "you must fall in marching order." "Can-not I march without fall-ing in-to it?" asked the Clockwork Man. "Shoulder your gun and stand ready to march," advised Files; so Tik-Tok held the gun straight and stood still. "What next?" he asked. The Queen turned to Shaggy.
"My or-ders were to con-quer you," replied Tik-Tok, "and my ma-chin-er-y has done the best it knows how to car-ry out those or-ders." Ruggedo pounded on his gong and Kaliko appeared, followed closely by General Guph. "Take this copper man into the shops and set him to work hammering gold," commanded the King. "Being run by machinery he ought to be a steady worker.
"How big is the lake and how big is the island?" was the Frogman's question. "None of us can tell, for we have not been there." "In that case," said the Scarecrow, "it appears to me we ought to go to the Skeezer country and examine it carefully." "Quite right," agreed the Tin Woodman. "We-will-have-to-go-there-any-how," remarked Tik-Tok in his jerky machine voice.
Then Dorothy wound up Tik-tok and he danced a jig to amuse the company, after which the Yellow Hen related some of her adventures with the Nome King in the Land of Ev. The Princess served delicious refreshments to those who were in the habit of eating, and when Dorothy's bed time arrived the company separated after exchanging many friendly sentiments.
Next to the Scarecrow, Dorothy was seated, and next to her was Tik-Tok, the Clockwork Man, who had been wound up as tightly as his clockwork would permit, so he wouldn't interrupt the festivities by running down. Then came Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Dorothy's own relations, two kindly old people who had a cozy home in the Emerald City and were very happy and contented there.
Then, just as they began to fear the Tube would never end, Tik-Tok popped out into broad daylight and, after making a graceful circle in the air, fell with a splash into a great marble fountain. Out came the officers, in quick succession, tumbling heels over head and striking the ground in many undignified attitudes.
But it is wise to disregard laws when they conflict with justice, and it seems that you and your followers did not disobey our laws willingly, being forced into the Tube by Ruggedo. Therefore the Nome King is alone to blame, and he alone must be punished." "That suits me," said Tik-Tok. "But Rug-ge-do is on the o-ther side of the world where he is a-way out of your reach."
"No," said Files, throwing down his gun and removing the knapsack which was strapped to his back, "I resign my position as the Army of Oogaboo. I enlisted to fight the enemy and become a hero, but if you want some one to bind harmless girls you will have to hire another Private." Then he walked over to the others and shook hands with Shaggy and Tik-Tok.
Only Tik-Tok was unmoved at the discovery. "Then," said he, "if you are Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo, and think Rug-ge-do is to blame, I am sure that some-thing queer will hap-pen to the King of the Nomes." "I wonder what 'twill be," said Betsy. The Private Citizen otherwise known as Tititi-Hoochoo, the Great Jinjin looked at the little girl steadily.
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