Glinda of Oz | Page 9

the first one and said:
"The web is finished, O King, and the strangers are our prisoners."
Dorothy did not like the looks of these spiders at all. They had big
heads, sharp claws, small eyes and fuzzy hair all over their purple
bodies.
"They look wicked," she whispered to Ozma. "What shall we do?"
Ozma gazed upon the spiders with a serious face.
"What is your object in making us prisoners?" she inquired.
"We need someone to keep house for us," answered the Spider King.
"There is sweeping and dusting to be done, and polishing and washing
of dishes, and that is work my people dislike to do. So we decided that
if any strangers came our way we would capture them and make them
our servants."
"I am Princess Ozma, Ruler of all Oz," said the girl with dignity.
"Well, I am King of all Spiders," was the reply, "and that makes me
your master. Come with me to my palace and I will instruct you in your

work."
"I won't," said Dorothy indignantly. "We won't have anything to do
with you."
"We'll see about that," returned the Spider in a severe tone, and the next
instant he made a dive straight at Dorothy, opening the claws in his legs
as if to grab and pinch her with the sharp points. But the girl was
wearing her Magic Belt and was not harmed. The Spider King could
not even touch her. He turned swiftly and made a dash at Ozma, but she
held her Magic Wand over his head and the monster recoiled as if it
had been struck.
"You'd better let us go," Dorothy advised him, "for you see you can't
hurt us."
"So I see," returned the Spider King angrily. "Your magic is greater
than mine. But I'll not help you to escape. If you can break the magic
web my people have woven you may go; if not you must stay here and
starve." With that the Spider King uttered a peculiar whistle and all the
spiders disappeared.
"There is more magic in my fairyland than I dreamed of," remarked the
beautiful Ozma, with a sigh of regret. "It seems that my laws have not
been obeyed, for even these monstrous spiders defy me by means of
Magic."
"Never mind that now," said Dorothy; "let's see what we can do to get
out of this trap."
They now examined the web with great care and were amazed at its
strength. Although finer than the finest silken hairs, it resisted all their
efforts to work through, even though both girls threw all their weight
against it.
"We must find some instrument which will cut the threads of the web,"
said Ozma, finally. "Let us look about for such a tool."

So they wandered among the bushes and finally came to a shallow pool
of water, formed by a small bubbling spring. Dorothy stooped to get a
drink and discovered in the water a green crab, about as big as her hand.
The crab had two big, sharp claws, and as soon as Dorothy saw them
she had an idea that those claws could save them.
"Come out of the water," she called to the crab; "I want to talk to you."
Rather lazily the crab rose to the surface and caught hold of a bit of
rock. With his head above the water he said in a cross voice:
"What do you want?"
"We want you to cut the web of the purple spiders with your claws, so
we can get through it," answered Dorothy. "You can do that, can't
you?"
"I suppose so," replied the crab. "But if I do what will you give me?"
"What do you wish?" Ozma inquired.
"I wish to be white, instead of green," said the crab. "Green crabs are
very common, and white ones are rare; besides the purple spiders,
which infest this hillside, are afraid of white crabs. Could you make me
white if I should agree to cut the web for you?"
"Yes," said Ozma, "I can do that easily. And, so you may know I am
speaking the truth, I will change your color now."
She waved her silver wand over the pool and the crab instantly became
snow-white -- all except his eyes, which remained black. The creature
saw his reflection in the water and was so delighted that he at once
climbed out of the pool and began moving slowly toward the web, by
backing away from the pool. He moved so very slowly that Dorothy
cried out impatiently: "Dear me, this will never do!" Caching the crab
in her hands she ran with him to the web.
She had to hold him up even then, so he could reach with his claws

strand after strand of