Chapter 6: Hazards of a Flower
It seemed simple enough. All our heroes had to do was follow the river the opposite direction from which they came to find the road again. They didn't plan on a field of flowers blocking the way. The meadow was carpeted with them everywhere. The flowers had wide petals and brilliant colors, nearly every one of the rainbow.
"What beautiful flowers!" Nick cried. "If I still had my heart, I'd give this whole field to Nimmee Amee as a gift of my love!"
"Yeah, I always liked flowers," the Lion mused. "They're weak 'n frail 'n I can crush 'em easily with m' paws. But there are no flowers quite like these in the forests."
"Pretty," the Scarecrow gaped.
"There's no better carpet to lead us back to the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City," Nick concluded. "Let's go!"
"Wait!" Jack suddenly commanded. "I've been told something about these flowers. Something important." He thought back, way back, to when he was a child. He found a flower just like these and picked it for his mother. As he came back home, giggling and holding his present, his father caught sight of it.
"No!" he cried and took the flower away. Little Jack was bewildered at this action. His father looked at him sternly and said, "My son, beware this flower. Refuse it in any form, in a potion, in a powder, even as a flower. It has good qualities to it, like a pleasant smell and brilliant colors. It can help sleep and stop pain. But it does horrible things to the body. En masse, it can even be deadly. Do you understand?"
Little Jack nodded, and his father walked away with the flower. Jack looked up at the others. "Nick, you and the Scarecrow can go through the field. The Lion and I must find a way around it."
"But you get more lost than before!" the Scarecrow protested.
"We cannot go through this field. We will die!"
"Laddie, nothin' ever dies in Oz!" the Lion answered.
"That cannot be true!"
"Well, it is. Besides, I can see that there is no way around this field. It stretches out much too far."
"Then, I suppose we must hold our breaths and try to go as quickly as we can."
Jack tried this at first, but he didn't realize how extensive the field was. The scent of the flowers kept tickling his nose. When he reached the middle of the field, he let his breath go and panted. The flowers' scent came in full force.
At first, Jack felt good. The pain from his battle with the Kalidahs was gone, and a feeling of pleasure rushed over him. But it only lasted for a few seconds. The pleasure went into overload. It felt uncomfortable, like a nightmare. His body began to feel numb all over. Worst of all, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Every step he tried to take in resistance, he became more tired. He breathing slowed down considerably. Jack didn't even realize he plopped down and fell asleep.
When Jack awoke, he found himself on the grass next to the Yellow Brick Road. "He's back!" the Scarecrow said excitedly.
"Jack, we thought we lost you," Nick said.
"What happened?" Jack said groggily.
"You fell asleep in that flowerbed. Then I remembered when I was warned about poppies when I was a tot. I was told that they cause you to fall asleep and never wake up. We got you out of the flowerbed, away from the scent of the flowers. I was afraid it was too late, but you woke up."
"Thank you," Jack smiled. He sat up and tried to be more awake, when he realized one of their number was missing. "Where's the Lion?"
Nick looked downcast. "I'm sorry, Jack. He was much too heavy. Scarecrow and I couldn't lift him. We had no choice but to leave him behind."
"Perhaps if I helped--"
"No!" the Scarecrow answered. "You fall asleep again."
"You are right. Well, at least in his dreams he is not a coward."
"HELLLLLLLLLLLLP!" a shrill voice cried. Jack looked up to see a tiny mouse being chased by a wildcat.
"Oh dear, that poor mouse!" Nick cried. "She'll be eaten up!"
"Not if I can help it." Jack chased the cat into the woods and swiftly cut off its head. The mouse was still shaking in fear, but Jack gestured gently to it. "It's all right. You are no longer in danger. Come on." He reached out and stroked the mouse's back. Nervously, it crawled into his hand. That was when Jack realized she was wearing a kimono and a tiny crown. "Empress!" he gasped.
She bowed in his hand. "Thank you, great warrior. Thank you for saving me from the beast."
Jack bowed his head back. "It was an honor to serve you. Now, let me introduce your majesty to my friends."
He took the mouse to see Nick and the Scarecrow. "It is a pleasure to meet you," said Nick. "Since I have no heart, I am always careful to make a friend to those who need one, even if they are only a mouse."
"Only a mouse?" the mouse piped up. "I am the Empress of all the field mice!"
"Ooooh, an empress?" the Scarecrow said.
"Yes. Let me show you the subjects of my kingdom." Jack set her down, and she made a high-pitched cry. Immediately, hundreds of mice wearing kimonos and other Oriental clothing surrounded her. They spoke in mouse about the Empress' terrifying ordeal with the wild cat. Then they all came before Jack and bowed. "We are in your debt, great warrior," the Empress said. "We shall fulfill any command you wish."
"I have but one request. Our friend, the lion, is under the spell of the flowers over there, but we cannot carry him out. Will your subjects please work together and do this for us?"
"Oh no! Not with a lion! He'll eat us!"
"I will see to it that he won't. He's my friend, and he will not hurt my other friends."
"Besides, he's a coward," Nick threw in.
"Well, if you say so, but we'll need a cart."
Nick and Jack worked together to make a cart for the mice to pull the lion out. They worked as quickly as they could so they would not lose their friend. The mice worked quickly too, so they wouldn't fall prey to the flowers' dangerous scent. The plan was a success.
Jack bowed to the Empress. "Thank you."
"No, thank you. And if you need us again, just blow this whistle." She handed Jack a tiny whistle. "We'll come as quickly as we can to help you. And now, farewell." She bowed, and the mice scurried off.
The Lion woke up after a while. It took a long time, since he was in the flowerbed for so long. The travelers told him what had happened.
"How strange! Frail flowers nearly did me in, and tiny, meek mice saved m' life?"
"It is not unheard of," Jack answered. "I had heard stories of a mouse who save a lion from a hunter because he spared her from becoming his dinner."
The Lion looked up. "Look there! I see a green castle in the distance!"
"The Emerald City!" Nick cried out eagerly. "We're getting close!"
"Yes," Jack said thoughtfully. "It will not be long now."
It seemed simple enough. All our heroes had to do was follow the river the opposite direction from which they came to find the road again. They didn't plan on a field of flowers blocking the way. The meadow was carpeted with them everywhere. The flowers had wide petals and brilliant colors, nearly every one of the rainbow.
"What beautiful flowers!" Nick cried. "If I still had my heart, I'd give this whole field to Nimmee Amee as a gift of my love!"
"Yeah, I always liked flowers," the Lion mused. "They're weak 'n frail 'n I can crush 'em easily with m' paws. But there are no flowers quite like these in the forests."
"Pretty," the Scarecrow gaped.
"There's no better carpet to lead us back to the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City," Nick concluded. "Let's go!"
"Wait!" Jack suddenly commanded. "I've been told something about these flowers. Something important." He thought back, way back, to when he was a child. He found a flower just like these and picked it for his mother. As he came back home, giggling and holding his present, his father caught sight of it.
"No!" he cried and took the flower away. Little Jack was bewildered at this action. His father looked at him sternly and said, "My son, beware this flower. Refuse it in any form, in a potion, in a powder, even as a flower. It has good qualities to it, like a pleasant smell and brilliant colors. It can help sleep and stop pain. But it does horrible things to the body. En masse, it can even be deadly. Do you understand?"
Little Jack nodded, and his father walked away with the flower. Jack looked up at the others. "Nick, you and the Scarecrow can go through the field. The Lion and I must find a way around it."
"But you get more lost than before!" the Scarecrow protested.
"We cannot go through this field. We will die!"
"Laddie, nothin' ever dies in Oz!" the Lion answered.
"That cannot be true!"
"Well, it is. Besides, I can see that there is no way around this field. It stretches out much too far."
"Then, I suppose we must hold our breaths and try to go as quickly as we can."
Jack tried this at first, but he didn't realize how extensive the field was. The scent of the flowers kept tickling his nose. When he reached the middle of the field, he let his breath go and panted. The flowers' scent came in full force.
At first, Jack felt good. The pain from his battle with the Kalidahs was gone, and a feeling of pleasure rushed over him. But it only lasted for a few seconds. The pleasure went into overload. It felt uncomfortable, like a nightmare. His body began to feel numb all over. Worst of all, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Every step he tried to take in resistance, he became more tired. He breathing slowed down considerably. Jack didn't even realize he plopped down and fell asleep.
When Jack awoke, he found himself on the grass next to the Yellow Brick Road. "He's back!" the Scarecrow said excitedly.
"Jack, we thought we lost you," Nick said.
"What happened?" Jack said groggily.
"You fell asleep in that flowerbed. Then I remembered when I was warned about poppies when I was a tot. I was told that they cause you to fall asleep and never wake up. We got you out of the flowerbed, away from the scent of the flowers. I was afraid it was too late, but you woke up."
"Thank you," Jack smiled. He sat up and tried to be more awake, when he realized one of their number was missing. "Where's the Lion?"
Nick looked downcast. "I'm sorry, Jack. He was much too heavy. Scarecrow and I couldn't lift him. We had no choice but to leave him behind."
"Perhaps if I helped--"
"No!" the Scarecrow answered. "You fall asleep again."
"You are right. Well, at least in his dreams he is not a coward."
"HELLLLLLLLLLLLP!" a shrill voice cried. Jack looked up to see a tiny mouse being chased by a wildcat.
"Oh dear, that poor mouse!" Nick cried. "She'll be eaten up!"
"Not if I can help it." Jack chased the cat into the woods and swiftly cut off its head. The mouse was still shaking in fear, but Jack gestured gently to it. "It's all right. You are no longer in danger. Come on." He reached out and stroked the mouse's back. Nervously, it crawled into his hand. That was when Jack realized she was wearing a kimono and a tiny crown. "Empress!" he gasped.
She bowed in his hand. "Thank you, great warrior. Thank you for saving me from the beast."
Jack bowed his head back. "It was an honor to serve you. Now, let me introduce your majesty to my friends."
He took the mouse to see Nick and the Scarecrow. "It is a pleasure to meet you," said Nick. "Since I have no heart, I am always careful to make a friend to those who need one, even if they are only a mouse."
"Only a mouse?" the mouse piped up. "I am the Empress of all the field mice!"
"Ooooh, an empress?" the Scarecrow said.
"Yes. Let me show you the subjects of my kingdom." Jack set her down, and she made a high-pitched cry. Immediately, hundreds of mice wearing kimonos and other Oriental clothing surrounded her. They spoke in mouse about the Empress' terrifying ordeal with the wild cat. Then they all came before Jack and bowed. "We are in your debt, great warrior," the Empress said. "We shall fulfill any command you wish."
"I have but one request. Our friend, the lion, is under the spell of the flowers over there, but we cannot carry him out. Will your subjects please work together and do this for us?"
"Oh no! Not with a lion! He'll eat us!"
"I will see to it that he won't. He's my friend, and he will not hurt my other friends."
"Besides, he's a coward," Nick threw in.
"Well, if you say so, but we'll need a cart."
Nick and Jack worked together to make a cart for the mice to pull the lion out. They worked as quickly as they could so they would not lose their friend. The mice worked quickly too, so they wouldn't fall prey to the flowers' dangerous scent. The plan was a success.
Jack bowed to the Empress. "Thank you."
"No, thank you. And if you need us again, just blow this whistle." She handed Jack a tiny whistle. "We'll come as quickly as we can to help you. And now, farewell." She bowed, and the mice scurried off.
The Lion woke up after a while. It took a long time, since he was in the flowerbed for so long. The travelers told him what had happened.
"How strange! Frail flowers nearly did me in, and tiny, meek mice saved m' life?"
"It is not unheard of," Jack answered. "I had heard stories of a mouse who save a lion from a hunter because he spared her from becoming his dinner."
The Lion looked up. "Look there! I see a green castle in the distance!"
"The Emerald City!" Nick cried out eagerly. "We're getting close!"
"Yes," Jack said thoughtfully. "It will not be long now."
