Upon his head he wore a heavy
golden crown set thick with sparkling jewels, and the weight of this crown
caused his brow to sag in wrinkles, giving a thoughtful expression to the
painted face. Indeed, the crown alone betokened majesty; in all else the,
Scarecrow King was but a simple scarecrow -- flimsy, awkward, and
unsubstantial.
But if the strange appearance of his Majesty the Scarecrow seemed startling
to Jack, no less wonderful was the form of the Pumpkinhead to the Scarecrow.
The purple trousers and pink waistcoat and red shirt hung loosely over the
wooden joints Tip had manufactured, and the carved face on the pumpkin
grinned perpetually, as if its wearer considered life the jolliest thing
imaginable.
At first, indeed, His Majesty thought his queer visitor was laughing at him,
and was inclined to resent such a liberty; but it was not without reason
that the Scarecrow had attained the reputation of being the wisest personage
in the Land of Oz. He made a more careful examination of his visitor, and
soon discovered that Jack's features were carved into a smile and that he
could not look grave if he wished to.
The King was the first to speak. After regarding
73 Line-Art Drawing
Jack for some minutes he said, in a tone of wonder:
"Where on earth did you come from, and how do you happen to be alive?"
"I beg your Majesty's pardon," returned the Pumpkinhead; "but I do not
understand you.
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