The Wishing Horse of Oz was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson and L. Frank Baum and follows more of Dorothy’s exciting adventures. This time, there’s horses.
More About the Emeralds
Skamperoo had not slept a wink. He tossed from side to side of the royal bed, his head simply buzzing with enchanting plans for the future. With the magic emeralds he could have everything he desired, and his desires and wishes were multiplying so rapidly he scarcely knew where to begin or what to wish first. The necklaces pressed uncomfortably against his throat, but he would not take them off. He was so weary he ached in every bone, but still he could not stop thinking, and just as the castle clock tolled seven the very thing he should wish for first came suddenly to him.
Ah, that was it—too bad he had to wait a whole week, but a week would pass and perhaps during that time he would discover for himself the magic secret of his sparkling new treasures. Then he could be his own magician and put that meddlesome merchant in his place. As he was running over in his mind possible places to send Matiah, the door of his room opened cautiously and Pinny Penny stuck in his head.
“Well! Well? And did I ring?” grunted Skamperoo fretfully. “This is a fine time to awaken an Emperor.”
“Emperor?” exclaimed Pinny Penny, coming all the way into the room and closing the door. “Since when has Skampavia’s King become an Emperor?”
“Oh, go away and don’t bother me.” Turning his back on Pinny Penny, the King thumped his pillow and closed his eyes as tightly as he could.
“It’s all about the horse,” whispered Pinny Penny, coming around to the other side of the bed. “A strange and magnificent animal for a mere merchant, if I may be permitted to say so. Not only that—it TALKS. It’s ordering the stable boys around in a shocking manner and it even told ME to mind my own business.”
“Well, why don’t you?” suggested Skamperoo, rolling over on his back. “Of course he talks, Pinny; he’s an Oz horse, and all animals from Oz talk. I thought you knew that.”
“Well, if this merchant has a talking horse, he is not so poor as he pretends,” persisted Pinny Penny, shaking his finger under the King’s nose. “My advice is to set the fellow on his horse and send him about his business as quickly as possible. I don’t like his looks, Skamper. He’s mean and mischievous, and mark my words, no good will come of him or his necklaces.”
“I don’t like his looks any better than you,” agreed the King, clasping his fat hands on his stomach. “But if I keep the emeralds I must keep the merchant, and besides I’ve a notion I could ride that talking horse myself.”
“Oh, good goats and gravy! Then I’d best go and lay in a supply of splints and liniment.” Pushing his specs up on his forehead, Pinny Penny cast a disgusted glance at his huge reclining master and rushed hurriedly from the royal presence.
Now Matiah, as you can well imagine, had slept no better than the King. In the small room to which Pinny Penny had taken him, he paced restlessly up and down. After all, he knew only two facts about the magic emeralds, the first that they really could, under certain conditions, grant wishes; the second, that they must not be worn by the person making the wish. This much the merchant had reasoned out for himself. As the King had got his wish while he, Matiah, was wearing the necklaces, and he himself had not got the wish he made with the emeralds around his own throat, that much seemed certain. Snapping his fingers joyfully and feeling sure the King was now wearing the jeweled chains, Matiah made a second wish, counting slowly to a hundred. But the hearty supper he had ordered as a test failed to appear and flinging himself down on the bed he began to rack his brains for some other solution of the mystery. Perhaps the magic power rested in a single stone which he had luckily touched as the King made his wish.
Holding his head with both hands, he tried to remember exactly what he had done as Skamperoo began to count. But it was no use. He could not recall a single thing after he had started to run across the garden. And how, concluded the infuriated fellow, was he ever to discover the way to use the emeralds without arousing the King’s suspicions or revealing the fact that he knew no more about them than Skamperoo himself? Muttering with vexation, he kicked a foot stool all the way across the room and sat staring morosely at the worn carpet. The short, uneasy nap he finally got before morning did him no good, and cross and jumpy as a cougar, he made his way to the dingy dining hall of the palace.
The King had already breakfasted, and looking out of the window, Matiah saw a terrified servant leading the Talking Horse around the courtyard, Skamperoo following at a safe distance. The sight of the stamping white charger made Matiah shudder anew. What a waste! he reflected bitterly, and if the King grew fond of the saucy monster it would make his own task even more difficult, for until he succeeded in stealing the necklaces, Matiah did not intend to let Skamperoo out of his sight. Gulping down the weak coffee and cold eggs a shabby servant grudgingly placed before him, he hastened outside.
“Good morning, your Majesty!” he called out heartily. “And may I have a word with your Royal Highness?”
“What kind of a word?” snickered Chalk, rolling his yellow eyes roguishly round at the merchant. “Give him a word, old Rub-atub, if that’s all he wants. The right word for him, I should say, would be ‘GO!’ or ‘NO!’ and then we all could be happy.”
“It is about the necklaces,” confided Matiah, ignoring the horse utterly, and falling easily into step with the King. “They must be cleaned every day to keep them in good wishing condition.”
“But I was just going for a ride,” objected Skamperoo with a little frown, “won’t this afternoon do?”
“No, NOW is the proper time,” answered Matiah impressively, thinking how clever he was to have invented this ruse to get hold of the emeralds. “If your Majesty will just give them to me, I’ll polish them up while you are—er—exercising.”
“No—no—er—that is, I’d better come and help you,” Skamperoo spoke quickly. “I can ride this afternoon.”
“You think so?” With an exuberant prance, Chalk rose on his hind legs and spun around like a pinwheel. “Well, see you later, old Sos!” And with the terrified stable boy hanging to his bridle he went galloping off to the stable.
“If you take my advice, you’ll have that creature knocked on the head,” said Matiah savagely. “Surely you won’t endanger our lives by riding on his back?”
“OUR lives!” exclaimed Skamperoo, looking at Matiah in surprise. “You do not have to ride him; in fact, he’s really my horse,” he stated jealously.
“So long as your Majesty wears the magic necklaces I must go wherever you go and do whatever you do!” explained the merchant loftily.
“How—how very awkward!” In spite of himself, Skamperoo groaned as he thought how tiresome it would be with Matiah trailing after him from morning till night. “I should think a magician like yourself could arrange things more sensibly.”
“But consider what is at stake,” Matiah reminded him earnestly. “Together we can have and do anything we wish. Is that not worth a little inconvenience?”
“Yes, yes, I suppose so. But if we are to do everything together, I think I should know the magic wishing formula as well as you.” Skamperoo looked defiantly up at his newest advisor.
“That is impossible.” Striding along stiffly, Matiah shook his head. “The incantation once revealed becomes powerless. Only one versed in magic is permitted to use the emeralds. Have you thought at all about your next wish?” he asked, anxious to direct the King’s mind into more cheerful channels. “We should plan and consult about it together, you know. But wait until we are in your Majesty’s throne room,” He added quickly, as Skamperoo began to open and shut his mouth like a fish without saying anything. “While I am cleaning the necklaces we can talk it over, yes?” Matiah’s fingers fairly itched for the sparkling jewels, but restraining a mad impulse to snatch them from the King’s throat, he walked along quietly beside Skamperoo talking so calmly and convincingly that he soon had the Skampavian monarch not only willing but anxious to reveal the wish that had kept him awake most of the night.
First assuring himself that they were alone and locking the door so they would not be disturbed, the King seated himself at a small table. Matiah drew up a chair opposite and held out his hand for the necklaces. Reluctantly Skamperoo handed them over, keeping a jealous eye on the jewels as the merchant began polishing them with a small square of silk he had taken from his pocket.
As he rubbed the silk over the emeralds, Matiah carefully examined each one for some mark or sign that would give him a clue to their magic power. Intent as he was upon this task, a few low spoken words of Skamperoo made him sit suddenly erect and regard the King with new respect and attention. How in thunderation, thought Matiah wonderingly, had this fat silly monarch ever managed to hit upon such a magnificent and breath-taking wish, and as Skamperoo explained and elaborated upon his plans and schemes for the future, the merchant’s interest grew apace. Quicker and cleverer than the King, he saw not only the possibilities of this splendid wish, but all the difficulties and problems that must be met and disposed of before it could be reasonably granted.
Leaning forward, the emeralds for the moment forgotten, he put his mouth close to Skamperoo’s ear. “There are three things that must be done before your wish can be realized.” Matiah spoke tensely. “First, … second, … third, ….” After each short whispered direction Skamperoo nodded to show that he understood.
“Then it will take four wishes to do it,” he sighed, resting his elbows heavily on the table. “That will be four weeks, won’t it?”
“No, perhaps if we are careful we can work it all into one,” answered Matiah thoughtfully, and taking up his bit of silk he began polishing the emeralds with renewed vigor. The King, watching him, forgot his former dislike and distrust. Matiah’s enthusiastic approval of his plans made him feel that perhaps he had misjudged this long-faced, whiskered stranger. Perhaps he would not wish him away, after all. He might prove very useful in the strange and magnificent future that stretched ahead.
Matiah, on his part, had no such kindly intentions toward the King. He merely meant to make Skamperoo’s wish his own, and so grand and daring was the prospect that he grew more impatient than ever to discover the way to accomplish it. Holding all three necklaces up to the light, he squinted at them anxiously. The chains seemed identical in every respect, but no—what was this? One had a diamond clasp, while the clasps on the other two were of flattened emeralds. This, then, was the solution. The magic wishing power undoubtedly rested in the diamond clasp. Revealing in no way his satisfaction and elation over this important discovery, Matiah handed the necklaces back to the King.
Somehow, decided the merchant, he must make Skamperoo touch the diamond clasp while he silently repeated the King’s wish, but before that he needed a little time to prepare himself for the grand and glorious years that were to be his. As Skamperoo, exhausted by so much thinking early in the morning, waddled wearily over to his throne, Matiah strode to the book shelves located in an adjoining alcove.
“While your Majesty rests I will have a look at this interesting library,” he murmured ingratiatingly, “and at the same time store up some useful information for the future.” Skamperoo sleepily returned the merchant’s broad wink, then, sinking back among his cushions, closed his eyes.
From his chair in the alcove, Matiah could keep the King in view, and satisfied that Skamperoo was really asleep, he began hurriedly turning over the pages of the large volume Pinny Penny had but that morning returned to the shelves. Soon he became so absorbed he forgot all about the King. And that was a pity, for had he taken the trouble to look, he would have discovered that the King was no longer there.