AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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down upon the ground and cried until the tears ran down his whiskers,
because he had been hurt. This made Zeb laugh, in turn, and the boy
felt comforted to find that Ozma laughed as merrily at her weeping
subject as she had at him.

Just then the Scarecrow proposed a race between the Sawhorse and the
Cab-horse; and although all the others were delighted at the suggestion
the Sawhorse drew back, saying:

"Such a race would not be fair."

"Of course not," added Jim, with a touch of scorn; "those little wooden
legs of yours are not half as long as my own."

"It isn't that," said the Sawhorse, modestly; "but I never tire, and you
do."

"Bah!" cried Jim, looking with great disdain at the other; "do you
imagine for an instant that such a shabby imitation of a horse as you
are can run as fast as I?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," replied the Sawhorse.

"That is what we are trying to find out," remarked the Scarecrow. "The
object of a race is to see who can win it--or at least that is what my
excellent brains think."

"Once, when I was young," said Jim, "I was a race horse, and defeated
all who dared run against me. I was born in Kentucky, you know, where
all the best and most aristocratic horses come from."

"But you're old, now, Jim," suggested Zeb.

"Old! Why, I feel like a colt today," replied Jim. "I only wish there
was a real horse here for me to race with. I'd show the people a fine
sight, I can tell you."

"Then why not race with the Sawhorse?" enquired the Scarecrow.

"He's afraid," said Jim.

"Oh, no," answered the Sawhorse. "I merely said it wasn't fair. But if
my friend the Real Horse is willing to undertake the race I am quite
ready."

So they unharnessed Jim and took the saddle off the Sawhorse, and the
two queerly matched animals were stood side by side for the start.

"When I say 'Go!'" Zeb called to them, "you must dig out and race until
you reach those three trees you see over yonder. Then circle 'round them
and come back again. The first one that passes the place where the
Princess sits shall be named the winner. Are you ready?"

"I suppose I ought to give the wooden dummy a good start of me," growled
Jim.

"Never mind that," said the Sawhorse. "I'll do the best I can."

"Go!" cried Zeb; and at the word the two horses leaped forward and the
race was begun.

[Illustration: THE WIZARD TOOK A PIGLET FROM OZMA'S HAIR.]

Jim's big hoofs pounded away at a great rate, and although he did not
look very graceful he ran in a way to do credit to his Kentucky
breeding. But the Sawhorse was swifter than the wind. Its wooden legs
moved so fast that their twinkling could scarcely be seen, and
although so much smaller than the cab-horse it covered the ground much
faster. Before they had reached the trees the Sawhorse was far ahead,
and the wooden animal returned to the starting place and was being
lustily cheered by the Ozites before Jim came panting up to the canopy
where the Princess and her friends were seated.

[Illustration: THE HUNGRY TIGER TEACHES JIM A LESSON.]

I am sorry to record the fact that Jim was not only ashamed of his
defeat but for a moment lost control of his temper. As he looked at the
comical face of the Sawhorse he imagined that the creature was laughing
at him; so in a fit of unreasonable anger he turned around and made a
vicious kick that sent his rival tumbling head over heels upon the
ground, and broke off one of its legs and its left ear.

An instant later the Tiger crouched and launched its huge body through
the air swift and resistless as a ball from a cannon. The beast struck
Jim full on his shoulder and sent the astonished cab-horse rolling over
and over, amid shouts of delight from the spectators, who had been
horrified by the ungracious act he had been guilty of.

When Jim came to himself and sat upon his haunches he found the Cowardly
Lion crouched on one side of him and the Hungry Tiger on the other, and
their eyes were glowing like balls of fire.

"I beg your pardon, I'm sure," said Jim, meekly. "I was wrong to kick
the Sawhorse, and I am sorry I became angry at him. He has won the race,
and won it fairly; but what can a horse of flesh do against a tireless
beast of wood?"

Hearing this apology the Tiger and the Lion stopped lashing their tails
and retreated with dignified steps to the side of the Princess.

down upon the ground and cried until the tears ran down his whiskers,

because he had been hurt. This made Zeb laugh, in turn, and the boy

felt comforted to find that Ozma laughed as merrily at her weeping

subject as she had at him.

Just then the Scarecrow proposed a race between the Sawhorse and the

Cab-horse; and although all the others were delighted at the suggestion

the Sawhorse drew back, saying:

"Such a race would not be fair."

"Of course not," added Jim, with a touch of scorn; "those little wooden

legs of yours are not half as long as my own."

"It isn't that," said the Sawhorse, modestly; "but I never tire, and you

do."

"Bah!" cried Jim, looking with great disdain at the other; "do you

imagine for an instant that such a shabby imitation of a horse as you

are can run as fast as I?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," replied the Sawhorse.

"That is what we are trying to find out," remarked the Scarecrow. "The

object of a race is to see who can win it--or at least that is what my

excellent brains think."

"Once, when I was young," said Jim, "I was a race horse, and defeated

all who dared run against me. I was born in Kentucky, you know, where

all the best and most aristocratic horses come from."

"But you're old, now, Jim," suggested Zeb.

"Old! Why, I feel like a colt today," replied Jim. "I only wish there

was a real horse here for me to race with. I'd show the people a fine

sight, I can tell you."

"Then why not race with the Sawhorse?" enquired the Scarecrow.

"He's afraid," said Jim.

"Oh, no," answered the Sawhorse. "I merely said it wasn't fair. But if

my friend the Real Horse is willing to undertake the race I am quite

ready."

So they unharnessed Jim and took the saddle off the Sawhorse, and the

two queerly matched animals were stood side by side for the start.

"When I say 'Go!'" Zeb called to them, "you must dig out and race until

you reach those three trees you see over yonder. Then circle 'round them

and come back again. The first one that passes the place where the

Princess sits shall be named the winner. Are you ready?"

"I suppose I ought to give the wooden dummy a good start of me," growled

Jim.

"Never mind that," said the Sawhorse. "I'll do the best I can."

"Go!" cried Zeb; and at the word the two horses leaped forward and the

race was begun.

[Illustration: THE WIZARD TOOK A PIGLET FROM OZMA'S HAIR.]

Jim's big hoofs pounded away at a great rate, and although he did not

look very graceful he ran in a way to do credit to his Kentucky

breeding. But the Sawhorse was swifter than the wind. Its wooden legs

moved so fast that their twinkling could scarcely be seen, and

although so much smaller than the cab-horse it covered the ground much

faster. Before they had reached the trees the Sawhorse was far ahead,

and the wooden animal returned to the starting place and was being

lustily cheered by the Ozites before Jim came panting up to the canopy

where the Princess and her friends were seated.

[Illustration: THE HUNGRY TIGER TEACHES JIM A LESSON.]

I am sorry to record the fact that Jim was not only ashamed of his

defeat but for a moment lost control of his temper. As he looked at the

comical face of the Sawhorse he imagined that the creature was laughing

at him; so in a fit of unreasonable anger he turned around and made a

vicious kick that sent his rival tumbling head over heels upon the

ground, and broke off one of its legs and its left ear.

An instant later the Tiger crouched and launched its huge body through

the air swift and resistless as a ball from a cannon. The beast struck

Jim full on his shoulder and sent the astonished cab-horse rolling over

and over, amid shouts of delight from the spectators, who had been

horrified by the ungracious act he had been guilty of.

When Jim came to himself and sat upon his haunches he found the Cowardly

Lion crouched on one side of him and the Hungry Tiger on the other, and

their eyes were glowing like balls of fire.

"I beg your pardon, I'm sure," said Jim, meekly. "I was wrong to kick

the Sawhorse, and I am sorry I became angry at him. He has won the race,

and won it fairly; but what can a horse of flesh do against a tireless

beast of wood?"

Hearing this apology the Tiger and the Lion stopped lashing their tails

and retreated with dignified steps to the side of the Princess.