10. The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

by L. Frank Baum

The mountain before them was shaped like a cone and was so tall
that its point was lost in the clouds. Directly facing the place
where Jim had stopped was an arched opening leading to a broad
stairway. The stairs were cut in the rock inside the mountain, and
they were broad and not very steep, because they circled around like
a cork-screw, and at the arched opening where the flight began the
circle was quite big. At the foot of the stairs was a sign
reading:

WARNING.
These steps lead to the
Land of the
Gargoyles.
DANGER! KEEP OUT.

"I wonder how Jim is ever going to draw the buggy up so many
stairs," said Dorothy, gravely.

"No trouble at all," declared the horse, with a contemptuous
neigh. "Still, I don't care to drag any passengers. You'll all have
to walk."

"Suppose the stairs get steeper?" suggested Zeb, doubtfully.

"Then you'll have to boost the buggy-wheels, that's all,"
answered Jim.

"We'll try it, anyway," said the Wizard. "It's the only way to
get out of the Valley of Voe."

So they began to ascend the stairs, Dorothy and the Wizard
first, Jim next, drawing the buggy, and then Zeb to watch that
nothing happened to the harness.

The light was dim, and soon they mounted into total darkness, so
that the Wizard was obliged to get out his lanterns to light the way.
But this enabled them to proceed steadily until they came to a
landing where there was a rift in the side of the mountain that let
in both light and air. Looking through this opening they could see
the Valley of Voe lying far below them, the cottages seeming like toy
houses from that distance.

After resting a few moments they resumed their climb, and still
the stairs were broad and low enough for Jim to draw the buggy easily
after him. The old horse panted a little, and had to stop often to
get his breath. At such times they were all glad to wait for him,
for continually climbing up stairs is sure to make one's legs
ache.

They wound about, always going upward, for some time. The
lights from the lanterns dimly showed the way, but it was a gloomy
journey, and they were pleased when a broad streak of light ahead
assured them they were coming to a second landing.

Here one side of the mountain had a great hole in it, like the
mouth of a cavern, and the stairs stopped at the near edge of the
floor and commenced ascending again at the opposite edge.

The opening in the mountain was on the side opposite to the
Valley of Voe, and our travellers looked out upon a strange scene.
Below them was a vast space, at the bottom of which was a black sea
with rolling billows, through which little tongues of flame
constantly shot up. Just above them, and almost on a level with their
platform, were banks of rolling clouds which constantly shifted
position and changed color. The blues and greys were very beautiful,
and Dorothy noticed that on the cloud banks sat or reclined fleecy,
shadowy forms of beautiful beings who must have been the Cloud
Fairies. Mortals who stand upon the earth and look up at the sky
cannot often distinguish these forms, but our friends were now so
near to the clouds that they observed the dainty fairies very
clearly.

"Are they real?" asked Zeb, in an awed voice.

"Of course," replied Dorothy, softly. "They are the Cloud
Fairies."

"They seem like open-work," remarked the boy, gazing intently.
"If I should squeeze one, there wouldn't be anything left of it."

In the open space between the clouds and the black, bubbling sea
far beneath, could be seen an occasional strange bird winging its way
swiftly through the air. These birds were of enormous size, and
reminded Zeb of the rocs he had read about in the Arabian Nights.
They had fierce eyes and sharp talons and beaks, and the children
hoped none of them would venture into the cavern.

"Well, I declare!" suddenly exclaimed the little Wizard. "What
in the world is this?"

They turned around and found a man standing on the floor in the
center of the cave, who bowed very politely when he saw he had
attracted their attention. He was a very old man, bent nearly
double; but the queerest thing about him was his white hair and
beard. These were so long that they reached to his feet, and both
the hair and the beard were carefully plaited into many braids, and
the end of each braid fastened with a bow of colored ribbon.

"Where did you come from?" asked Dorothy, wonderingly.

"No place at all," answered the man with the braids; "that is,
not recently. Once I lived on top the earth, but for many years I
have had my factory in this spot--half way up Pyramid Mountain."

"Are we only half way up?" enquired the boy, in a discouraged
tone.

"I believe so, my lad," replied the braided man. "But as I have
never been in either direction, down or up, since I arrived, I cannot
be positive whether it is exactly half way or not."

"Have you a factory in this place?" asked the Wizard, who had
been examining the strange personage carefully.

"To be sure," said the other. "I am a great inventor, you must
know, and I manufacture my products in this lonely spot."

"What are your products?" enquired the Wizard.

"Well, I make Assorted Flutters for flags and bunting, and a
superior grade of Rustles for ladies' silk gowns."

"I thought so," said the Wizard, with a sigh. "May we examine
some of these articles?"

"Yes, indeed; come into my shop, please," and the braided man
turned and led the way into a smaller cave, where he evidently lived.
Here, on a broad shelf, were several card-board boxes of various
sizes, each tied with cotton cord.

"This," said the man, taking up a box and handling it gently,
"contains twelve dozen rustles--enough to last any lady a year.
Will you buy it, my dear?" he asked, addressing Dorothy.

"My gown isn't silk," she said, smiling.

"Never mind. When you open the box the rustles will escape,
whether you are wearing a silk dress or not," said the man,
seriously. Then he picked up another box. "In this," he continued,
"are many assorted flutters. They are invaluable to make flags
flutter on a still day, when there is no wind. You, sir," turning to
the Wizard, "ought to have this assortment. Once you have tried my
goods I am sure you will never be without them."

"I have no money with me," said the Wizard, evasively.

"I do not want money," returned the braided man, "for I could
not spend it in this deserted place if I had it. But I would like
very much a blue hair-ribbon. You will notice my braids are tied
with yellow, pink, brown, red, green, white and black; but I have no
blue ribbons."

"I'll get you one!" cried Dorothy, who was sorry for the poor
man; so she ran back to the buggy and took from her suit-case a
pretty blue ribbon. It did her good to see how the braided man's
eyes sparkled when he received this treasure.

"You have made me very, very happy, my dear!" he exclaimed; and
then he insisted on the Wizard taking the box of flutters and the
little girl accepting the box of rustles.

"You may need them, some time," he said, "and there is really no
use in my manufacturing these things unless somebody uses them."

"Why did you leave the surface of the earth?" enquired the
Wizard.

"I could not help it. It is a sad story, but if you will try to
restrain your tears I will tell you about it. On earth I was a
manufacturer of Imported Holes for American Swiss Cheese, and I will
acknowledge that I supplied a superior article, which was in great
demand. Also I made pores for porous plasters and high-grade holes
for doughnuts and buttons. Finally I invented a new Adjustable
Post-hole, which I thought would make my fortune. I manufactured a
large quantity of these post-holes, and having no room in which to
store them I set them all end to end and put the top one in the
ground. That made an extraordinary long hole, as you may imagine,
and reached far down into the earth; and, as I leaned over it to try
to see to the bottom, I lost my balance and tumbled in.
Unfortunately, the hole led directly into the vast space you see
outside this mountain; but I managed to catch a point of rock that
projected from this cavern, and so saved myself from tumbling
headlong into the black waves beneath, where the tongues of flame
that dart out would certainly have consumed me. Here, then, I made
my home; and although it is a lonely place I amuse myself making
rustles and flutters, and so get along very nicely."

When the braided man had completed this strange tale Dorothy
nearly laughed, because it was all so absurd; but the Wizard tapped
his forehead significantly, to indicate that he thought the poor man
was crazy. So they politely bade him good day, and went back to the
outer cavern to resume their journey.