AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"How does it taste?" asked the Wizard.

"Not bad at all," said Jim. "If they give me plenty of it I'll not
complain about its color."

By this time the party had reached a freshly plowed field, and the
Prince said to Dorothy:

"This is our planting-ground."

Several Mangaboos came forward with glass spades and dug a hole in the
ground. Then they put the two halves of the Sorcerer into it and covered
him up. After that other people brought water from a brook and sprinkled
the earth.

"He will sprout very soon," said the Prince, "and grow into a large
bush, from which we shall in time be able to pick several very good
sorcerers."

"Do all your people grow on bushes?" asked the boy.

"Certainly," was the reply. "Do not all people grow upon bushes where
you came from, on the outside of the earth."

"Not that I ever heard of."

"How strange! But if you will come with me to one of our folk gardens I
will show you the way we grow in the Land of the Mangaboos."

It appeared that these odd people, while they were able to walk through
the air with ease, usually moved upon the ground in the ordinary way.
There were no stairs in their houses, because they did not need them,
but on a level surface they generally walked just as we do.

The little party of strangers now followed the Prince across a few more
of the glass bridges and along several paths until they came to a garden
enclosed by a high hedge. Jim had refused to leave the field of grass,
where he was engaged in busily eating; so the Wizard got out of the
buggy and joined Zeb and Dorothy, and the kitten followed demurely at
their heels.

Inside the hedge they came upon row after row of large and handsome
plants with broad leaves gracefully curving until their points nearly
reached the ground. In the center of each plant grew a daintily dressed
Mangaboo, for the clothing of all these creatures grew upon them and was
attached to their bodies.

The growing Mangaboos were of all sizes, from the blossom that had just
turned into a wee baby to the full-grown and almost ripe man or woman.
On some of the bushes might be seen a bud, a blossom, a baby, a
half-grown person and a ripe one; but even those ready to pluck were
motionless and silent, as if devoid of life. This sight explained to
Dorothy why she had seen no children among the Mangaboos, a thing she
had until now been unable to account for.

"Our people do not acquire their real life until they leave their
bushes," said the Prince. "You will notice they are all attached to the
plants by the soles of their feet, and when they are quite ripe they are
easily separated from the stems and at once attain the powers of motion
and speech. So while they grow they cannot be said to really live, and
they must be picked before they can become good citizens."

"How long do you live, after you are picked?" asked Dorothy.

"That depends upon the care we take of ourselves," he replied. "If we
keep cool and moist, and meet with no accidents, we often live for five
years. I've been picked over six years, but our family is known to be
especially long lived."

"Do you eat?" asked the boy.

"Eat! No, indeed. We are quite solid inside our bodies, and have no need
to eat, any more than does a potato."

"But the potatoes sometimes sprout," said Zeb.

"And sometimes we do," answered the Prince; "but that is considered a
great misfortune, for then we must be planted at once."

"Where did you grow?" asked the Wizard.

"I will show you," was the reply. "Step this way, please."

He led them within another but smaller circle of hedge, where grew one
large and beautiful bush.

"This," said he, "is the Royal Bush of the Mangaboos. All of our Princes
and Rulers have grown upon this one bush from time immemorial."

They stood before it in silent admiration. On the central stalk stood
poised the figure of a girl so exquisitely formed and colored and so
lovely in the expression of her delicate features that Dorothy thought
she had never seen so sweet and adorable a creature in all her life.
The maiden's gown was soft as satin and fell about her in ample folds,
while dainty lace-like traceries trimmed the bodice and sleeves. Her
flesh was fine and smooth as polished ivory, and her poise expressed
both dignity and grace.

"Who is this?" asked the Wizard, curiously.

"How does it taste?" asked the Wizard.

"Not bad at all," said Jim. "If they give me plenty of it I'll not

complain about its color."

By this time the party had reached a freshly plowed field, and the

Prince said to Dorothy:

"This is our planting-ground."

Several Mangaboos came forward with glass spades and dug a hole in the

ground. Then they put the two halves of the Sorcerer into it and covered

him up. After that other people brought water from a brook and sprinkled

the earth.

"He will sprout very soon," said the Prince, "and grow into a large

bush, from which we shall in time be able to pick several very good

sorcerers."

"Do all your people grow on bushes?" asked the boy.

"Certainly," was the reply. "Do not all people grow upon bushes where

you came from, on the outside of the earth."

"Not that I ever heard of."

"How strange! But if you will come with me to one of our folk gardens I

will show you the way we grow in the Land of the Mangaboos."

It appeared that these odd people, while they were able to walk through

the air with ease, usually moved upon the ground in the ordinary way.

There were no stairs in their houses, because they did not need them,

but on a level surface they generally walked just as we do.

The little party of strangers now followed the Prince across a few more

of the glass bridges and along several paths until they came to a garden

enclosed by a high hedge. Jim had refused to leave the field of grass,

where he was engaged in busily eating; so the Wizard got out of the

buggy and joined Zeb and Dorothy, and the kitten followed demurely at

their heels.

Inside the hedge they came upon row after row of large and handsome

plants with broad leaves gracefully curving until their points nearly

reached the ground. In the center of each plant grew a daintily dressed

Mangaboo, for the clothing of all these creatures grew upon them and was

attached to their bodies.

The growing Mangaboos were of all sizes, from the blossom that had just

turned into a wee baby to the full-grown and almost ripe man or woman.

On some of the bushes might be seen a bud, a blossom, a baby, a

half-grown person and a ripe one; but even those ready to pluck were

motionless and silent, as if devoid of life. This sight explained to

Dorothy why she had seen no children among the Mangaboos, a thing she

had until now been unable to account for.

"Our people do not acquire their real life until they leave their

bushes," said the Prince. "You will notice they are all attached to the

plants by the soles of their feet, and when they are quite ripe they are

easily separated from the stems and at once attain the powers of motion

and speech. So while they grow they cannot be said to really live, and

they must be picked before they can become good citizens."

"How long do you live, after you are picked?" asked Dorothy.

"That depends upon the care we take of ourselves," he replied. "If we

keep cool and moist, and meet with no accidents, we often live for five

years. I've been picked over six years, but our family is known to be

especially long lived."

"Do you eat?" asked the boy.

"Eat! No, indeed. We are quite solid inside our bodies, and have no need

to eat, any more than does a potato."

"But the potatoes sometimes sprout," said Zeb.

"And sometimes we do," answered the Prince; "but that is considered a

great misfortune, for then we must be planted at once."

"Where did you grow?" asked the Wizard.

"I will show you," was the reply. "Step this way, please."

He led them within another but smaller circle of hedge, where grew one

large and beautiful bush.

"This," said he, "is the Royal Bush of the Mangaboos. All of our Princes

and Rulers have grown upon this one bush from time immemorial."

They stood before it in silent admiration. On the central stalk stood

poised the figure of a girl so exquisitely formed and colored and so

lovely in the expression of her delicate features that Dorothy thought

she had never seen so sweet and adorable a creature in all her life.

The maiden's gown was soft as satin and fell about her in ample folds,

while dainty lace-like traceries trimmed the bodice and sleeves. Her

flesh was fine and smooth as polished ivory, and her poise expressed

both dignity and grace.

"Who is this?" asked the Wizard, curiously.