AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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secreting herself, when no one was looking, until the Princess had gone
away and the door was closed. Then the murderer was alone with her
helpless victim, the fat piglet, and I see her pounce upon the innocent
creature and eat it up----"

"Are you still seeing with your mind's eye?" enquired the Scarecrow.

"Of course; how else could I see it? And we know the thing is true,
because since the time of that interview there is no piglet to be found
anywhere."

[Illustration: EUREKA IN COURT.]

"I suppose, if the cat had been gone, instead of the piglet, your mind's
eye would see the piglet eating the cat," suggested the Scarecrow.

"Very likely," acknowledged the Woggle-Bug. "And now, Fellow Citizens
and Creatures of the Jury, I assert that so awful a crime deserves
death, and in the case of the ferocious criminal before you--who is now
washing her face--the death penalty should be inflicted nine times."

There was great applause when the speaker sat down. Then the Princess
spoke in a stern voice:

"Prisoner, what have you to say for yourself? Are you guilty, or not
guilty?"

"Why, that's for you to find out," replied Eureka. "If you can prove I'm
guilty, I'll be willing to die nine times, but a mind's eye is no proof,
because the Woggle-Bug has no mind to see with."

"Never mind, dear," said Dorothy.

Then the Tin Woodman arose and said:

"Respected Jury and dearly beloved Ozma, I pray you not to judge this
feline prisoner unfeelingly. I do not think the innocent kitten can be
guilty, and surely it is unkind to accuse a luncheon of being a murder.
Eureka is the sweet pet of a lovely little girl whom we all admire, and
gentleness and innocence are her chief virtues. Look at the kitten's
intelligent eyes;" (here Eureka closed her eyes sleepily) "gaze at her
smiling countenance!" (here Eureka snarled and showed her teeth) "mark
the tender pose of her soft, padded little hands!" (Here Eureka bared
her sharp claws and scratched at the bars of the cage.) "Would such a
gentle animal be guilty of eating a fellow creature? No; a thousand
times, no!"

"Oh, cut it short," said Eureka; "you've talked long enough."

"I'm trying to defend you," remonstrated the Tin Woodman.

"Then say something sensible," retorted the kitten. "Tell them it would
be foolish for me to eat the piglet, because I had sense enough to know
it would raise a row if I did. But don't try to make out I'm too
innocent to eat a fat piglet if I could do it and not be found out. I
imagine it would taste mighty good."

"Perhaps it would, to those who eat," remarked the Tin Woodman. "I
myself, not being built to eat, have no personal experience in such
matters. But I remember that our great poet once said:

"'To eat is sweet
When hunger's seat
Demands a treat
Of savory meat.'

"Take this into consideration, friends of the Jury, and you will readily
decide that the kitten is wrongfully accused and should be set at
liberty."

When the Tin Woodman sat down no one applauded him, for his arguments
had not been very convincing and few believed that he had proved
Eureka's innocence. As for the Jury, the members whispered to each other
for a few minutes and then they appointed the Hungry Tiger their
spokesman. The huge beast slowly arose and said:

"Kittens have no consciences, so they eat whatever pleases them. The
jury believes the white kitten known as Eureka is guilty of having eaten
the piglet owned by Princess Ozma, and recommends that she be put to
death in punishment of the crime."

The judgment of the jury was received with great applause, although
Dorothy was sobbing miserably at the fate of her pet. The Princess was
just about to order Eureka's head chopped off with the Tin Woodman's axe
when that brilliant personage once more arose and addressed her.

"Your Highness," said he, "see how easy it is for a jury to be mistaken.
The kitten could not have eaten your piglet--for here it is!"

He took off his funnel hat and from beneath it produced a tiny white
piglet, which he held aloft that all might see it clearly.

Ozma was delighted and exclaimed, eagerly:

"Give me my pet, Nick Chopper!"

And all the people cheered and clapped their hands, rejoicing that the
prisoner had escaped death and been proved to be innocent.

As the Princess held the white piglet in her arms and stroked its soft

secreting herself, when no one was looking, until the Princess had gone

away and the door was closed. Then the murderer was alone with her

helpless victim, the fat piglet, and I see her pounce upon the innocent

creature and eat it up----"

"Are you still seeing with your mind's eye?" enquired the Scarecrow.

"Of course; how else could I see it? And we know the thing is true,

because since the time of that interview there is no piglet to be found

anywhere."

[Illustration: EUREKA IN COURT.]

"I suppose, if the cat had been gone, instead of the piglet, your mind's

eye would see the piglet eating the cat," suggested the Scarecrow.

"Very likely," acknowledged the Woggle-Bug. "And now, Fellow Citizens

and Creatures of the Jury, I assert that so awful a crime deserves

death, and in the case of the ferocious criminal before you--who is now

washing her face--the death penalty should be inflicted nine times."

There was great applause when the speaker sat down. Then the Princess

spoke in a stern voice:

"Prisoner, what have you to say for yourself? Are you guilty, or not

guilty?"

"Why, that's for you to find out," replied Eureka. "If you can prove I'm

guilty, I'll be willing to die nine times, but a mind's eye is no proof,

because the Woggle-Bug has no mind to see with."

"Never mind, dear," said Dorothy.

Then the Tin Woodman arose and said:

"Respected Jury and dearly beloved Ozma, I pray you not to judge this

feline prisoner unfeelingly. I do not think the innocent kitten can be

guilty, and surely it is unkind to accuse a luncheon of being a murder.

Eureka is the sweet pet of a lovely little girl whom we all admire, and

gentleness and innocence are her chief virtues. Look at the kitten's

intelligent eyes;" (here Eureka closed her eyes sleepily) "gaze at her

smiling countenance!" (here Eureka snarled and showed her teeth) "mark

the tender pose of her soft, padded little hands!" (Here Eureka bared

her sharp claws and scratched at the bars of the cage.) "Would such a

gentle animal be guilty of eating a fellow creature? No; a thousand

times, no!"

"Oh, cut it short," said Eureka; "you've talked long enough."

"I'm trying to defend you," remonstrated the Tin Woodman.

"Then say something sensible," retorted the kitten. "Tell them it would

be foolish for me to eat the piglet, because I had sense enough to know

it would raise a row if I did. But don't try to make out I'm too

innocent to eat a fat piglet if I could do it and not be found out. I

imagine it would taste mighty good."

"Perhaps it would, to those who eat," remarked the Tin Woodman. "I

myself, not being built to eat, have no personal experience in such

matters. But I remember that our great poet once said:

"'To eat is sweet

When hunger's seat

Demands a treat

Of savory meat.'

"Take this into consideration, friends of the Jury, and you will readily

decide that the kitten is wrongfully accused and should be set at

liberty."

When the Tin Woodman sat down no one applauded him, for his arguments

had not been very convincing and few believed that he had proved

Eureka's innocence. As for the Jury, the members whispered to each other

for a few minutes and then they appointed the Hungry Tiger their

spokesman. The huge beast slowly arose and said:

"Kittens have no consciences, so they eat whatever pleases them. The

jury believes the white kitten known as Eureka is guilty of having eaten

the piglet owned by Princess Ozma, and recommends that she be put to

death in punishment of the crime."

The judgment of the jury was received with great applause, although

Dorothy was sobbing miserably at the fate of her pet. The Princess was

just about to order Eureka's head chopped off with the Tin Woodman's axe

when that brilliant personage once more arose and addressed her.

"Your Highness," said he, "see how easy it is for a jury to be mistaken.

The kitten could not have eaten your piglet--for here it is!"

He took off his funnel hat and from beneath it produced a tiny white

piglet, which he held aloft that all might see it clearly.

Ozma was delighted and exclaimed, eagerly:

"Give me my pet, Nick Chopper!"

And all the people cheered and clapped their hands, rejoicing that the

prisoner had escaped death and been proved to be innocent.

As the Princess held the white piglet in her arms and stroked its soft