The Lizard of Oz: Chapter Ten
The River
The paved road soon ended, and windy paths, just wide enough for a VW, branched and then branched again through the woods. Miss Osborne didn’t know what to expect. The kids, who were tired of being crowded in the car, wanted to walk with the Redcoats, and Miss Osborne was too tired to chase them down. Mr. Shermin didn’t answer when she asked for directions. Maybe he was confused too. Who wouldn’t be? So she drove slowly, taking this path, then that, at random.
Miss Shelby was bewildered by the prince turning into a frog. She didn’t know how to explain it. She just sat in the car, and Mr. New Man climbed down from the roof and walked beside the car near where she was sitting.
The woods were full of wild flowers. The kids started picking them and bringing them back to the car.
Kathy picked daisies and pulled off petals. “He loves me. He loves me not …” But no matter which way it came out, she picked another one and did it again.
Gaynell stuck forgetmenots in her hair.
Linda S. picked sunflowers and stuck some on the sides of the car to give it flower power. She gave a big one to Mr. New Man. It was almost as tall as he was. When he stuck it in a buttonhole, the stem went all the way down through his pantleg and into his shoe. The sunny top was up by his ear.
When they arrived at the river, Miss Osborne took the fishbowl from Cindy and asked hopefully, “Prince, I mean, Mr. Frog, Prince Frog, where should we go from here?”
But the frog didn’t answer. He just croaked and hopped out of the fishbowl into the river.
“No, please! Don’t go away without telling us…” she pleaded.
Then Mrs. O’Rourke, who had been getting along swimmingly with the frog, croaked too and jumped in after him.
“No, not Mrs. O’Rourke, too,” cried Miss Osborne.
Mr. Shermin said, “I must admit, I’m feeling a bit amphibian myself.”
“Please, Mr. Shermin,” said Miss Osborne. “Please stay. How could we ever find our way out of the woods without you?”
“Who’s that guy over there on the raft?” asked Donny.
“All aboard!” the stranger hollered.
Timmy walked right up to him and asked, “Are you Huckleberry Finn?”
“No, Charon’s the name,” he replied, “Mr. Charon the ferryboatman. Where do you want to go?”
Miss Osborne answered, “We want to go home.”
And the Redcoat Sergeant asked, “Could you please tell us ‘ow to get ‘ome from ‘ere?”
“Home or Ome,” Mr. Charon answered, “I wouldn’t want to go either place myself. But everyone to his own taste, and either way it’s quite an undertaking; so you’ll need me to take you under.”
“Under where?” asked Miss Osborne.
“Under the world, of course. I’m the undertaker. Mr. Charon’s the name.”
“But why should we go under the world?” she asked. “We just want to go home.”
“Do you know where you are or how you got here or where to go next?”
“No, that’s why I asked you.”
“Yes, you’re like all the others, wanting easy answers. But if I understand, it doesn’t do you any good. You’ve got to understand yourself; so I’ve got to take you under the world so you can stand under it and understand it. That’s my job. Let’s get on with it. But first you’ll have to pay the toll.”
“Toll?”
“Yes, of course. Do you think I work for nothing? That’ll be one magic coin please.”
“But…” began Miss Osborne.
“Mister,” asked Donny, “do you know Achilles the Heel?”
“Of course, son,” answered Mr.Charon.
“And the three-headed dog?”
“You mean the underdog?”
“Underdog?”
“Yes, Sir Berus is his name. He guards the Underworld. He makes sure that nobody gets in without paying the toll.”
Donny told Miss Osborne, “This guy’s the real thing. We’d better give him the magic coin.”
“What magic coin?” asked Miss Osborne.
“The one Mr. Shermin flips to tell us which way to go,” explained Eugene.
So Miss Osborne asked Mr. Shermin, “Could you please… ?”
“Of course, Miss Osborne,” Mr. Shermin answered. “No trouble. No trouble at all.”
Mr. Shermin gave his magic coin a flip with his flipper, and it flew out of the fishbowl, onto the ground, and stood on end.
Mr. Charon waved them on board, and Miss Osborne drove the VW straight ahead onto the ferryboat.
The kids all ran aboard, then the Redcoats. Then Mr.Charon gave a push with his pole, and the raft went speeding down the river.
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Links to other chapters and the story of how this story was written.
