Oz 21: The Gnome King of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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eyes, they both burst into a loud "ah," grumpy and Ozwold joining in so vigorously that_the bandmaster's cap blew off .

" that's fine," he approved, picking his cap up somewhat nervously ." and now you're in tune . when_the music starts go where you wish, do what you_want, but be_sure to_keep step and remember to sing, not to_speak, or you_will_be arrested ."

"Oompah ! Oompah ! who_are these strangers ? " Dancing down the marble street came a small bobbed-haired queen, with a very short skirt and a tunic embroidered all over with fiddles and horns . on her head for a crown was a hollowed out drum and by her side was atom-tom cat, clattering and clanging as he ran along .

"Travellers, my dear Jazzma," answered the bandmaster with a bow . as_the queen stared curiously at_the travellers and_they as curiously stared back, the loud roll of a drum sounded in_the distance . instantly from every dwelling marched men arrayed in gay uniforms like Oompahs and Tunesters in embroidered tunics like the queen's, only instead of drums, on their heads they wore bright bandannas .

" it's a play ! " murmured Peter, as Oompah placed himself hastily at_the head of_the band and all the Tunesters stood waiting with toes stiffly pointed . when Oompah raised his baton, the band burst into a lively march and_the whole population began dancing in every direction . some_of_the women and girls danced toward the markets, singing out their orders in rhyme, others began sweeping the pavements, carrying on long conversations in song as_they swept . everybody was doing something and doing it to music . it really was quite gay and, fluttering his plumes importantly, the oztrich began strutting along in perfect time to_the music . grumpy watching the queen, who was just ahead, slid and shuffled along skillfully . as for Scraps, she simply outdid herself .Peter, from_his vantage point on_the oztrich's back, watched the whole performance with great interest, feeling exactly as_if he were in a circus parade . the inhabitants of tune town seemed all to live in flats and_the walls of_their dwellings were covered with lines, notes and scales, while all the streets were marked with musical signs . the trees, instead of leaves, bore musical notes and when_the wind swept through them played silvery tunes that mixed not unpleasantly with_the music of_the band . song birds fluttered in_the branches and, quite forgetting the law against speaking, Peter called out to grumpy to look at them ." if_you_have a word to_say, sing it out in rhyme; do_you wish to spoil our play and throw us out of_time ? " warbled the queen, waving a drum stick at Peter .Peter grew very red and while he_was trying to_think up a rhymed reply the music started again and Scraps, capering up_to Jazzma, chanted gaily: " you really are a funny nation, and must we sing our conversation ? "

the queen, taking three steps to_the right and four to_the left, nodded vigorously and, looking admiringly at_the patchwork girl, sang: " maiden stay, you_are so gay, I'd like to look at you all day . my maid in waiting you shall be and live in rag time harmonee ! "

Peter waited anxiously for Scraps to answer . tune town was so jolly, he_was almost afraid Scraps would forget their important mission . but Scraps, for all her giddiness, was deeply attached to Ozma and extremely worried about_the plans of Ruggedo for her downfall . so kicking up her heels, she sang out saucily: " and_that your majesty would mean to dance attendance on a queen; a maid of waiting, not for_me, I'm the patchwork girl, but I won't work, wheee ! "

Turning acartwheel, Scraps walked a few paces on her hands, then coming right side up, danced amiably along beside Jazzma .Peter chuckled to himself and hoped he_would remember all of_this nonsense to_tell his grandfather . then, suddenly catching sight of a small inn, set back among_the tune trees, he reached over and touched Scraps on_the shoulder . he_was terribly hungry, but not being quick at rhymes could_not put his hunger into song .Scraps, however, caught his meaning at once and again turned to address the queen . she had to sing quite loud for all the Tunesters were warbling about_this and_that till the confusion was terrible ." if_we stopped at_this inn, would you_think us rude ? your majesty, my friends crave food ! " bawled Scraps not untunefully .

the queen, who was dancing a fox trot and purchasing a bouquet from a flower girl at_the same time, nodded graciously and screamed back: " eat if_you_wish, our viol inn is kept by_the famous Daddy Linn, but eat in_time and use your feet, be careful not to drop a beat ! "

Scraps sang back to queen Jazzma: "Using one's feet to eat's a feat we've never tried, nor dropped a beat ."

" if anyone drops a beat, I'll eat it," mumbled grumpy under his breath .Fortunately no one heard him, and in a few_moments they reached the inn .Pausing at_the foot of_the steps and still marking time to_the music, they stared up with great interest . as_they_did so an old gentleman with a fiddle body and bow legs came skipping out on_the porch ." before_you eat, you_must pay me in harmonee, sweet harmonee ! " sang the inn keeper, accompanying himself upon his fiddle body with one bow leg, while he stood upon_the other .

"Does he mean we_have to sing ? " whispered Peter, sliding off the oztrich and setting the egg down carefully under a tree .Scraps nodded and while grumpy and_the oztrich rolled their eyes at her pleadingly, she clasped her cotton hands and sang with great feeling a song she had made up about sir Hokus, the good knight of Oz .

" as brave as a lion, as bold as a king, is sir Hokus of Pokes; he_can fight, he_can sing, he_can sweep out the castle, but Hokus likes best to bag a big giant, or go on a quest, and in Oz an adventure is happening each minute and whenever one happens, he's sure to_be in_it ! "

" well, he's not in this_one," thought Peter almost as interested in scrap's song as_the inn keeper . as Daddy Linn was now bowing and smiling and motioning for_them to_come up, they started quite cheerfully up the steps . but no sooner had they set foot upon_the first one than_the whole flight danced off . you_see, they were dance steps, all the steps in tune town are, but after dancing three polkas and a three- step, they waltzed back to_the porch and somewhat dizzily the travellers jumped off .

" let's run away, let's run away, I_can't keep dancing here all day,"

puffed Ozwold, proud to have_made up a song at last .

"Eeney meeney miney mo, first you eat and then you go," answered Scraps .Peter and grumpy quite agreed with her and, shuffling their feet in_time to_the music, they waited impatiently for_the inn keeper to reappear . when he_did come out he had four leather music rolls on a tray and handed them around as if_they were the most delicious morsels imaginable .

"Fie ! Fie ! have_you no pie ! " sang Scraps, while Peter and grumpy shook their heads in disappointment

Ozwold pecked savagely at one_of_the rolls, but even he_could_not eat leather ." pie ? I_have a grand piana, how would that suit, miss Diana ? "

the inn keeper looked inquiringly at_the patchwork girl and, when she shook her head, danced crossly into_the inn and slammed the door ." no wonder they call this a viol inn, no dinner at all, just a dreadful din ! " mumbled Scraps, who hated to_have Peter disappointed .Peter, with a sigh, jumped over the flighty dance steps, picked up the oztrich egg and, with grumpy shuffling disconsolately after, started back toward the main street .

" very awk- when one can't talk," wheezed the oztrich, rolling its eyes sadly at Peter ." never mind, a way I'll find, Tunester, will_you be so kind-"

Touching aTunester on_the sleeve, Scraps trilled earnestly: "Mister, will_you show us how to leave this town ? we're going now ." to_get out of tune, get out of tune ! you'll find yourselves out, pretty soon, chuckled the singer, waltzing away unconcernedly .

" what do_you suppose he means by_that ? " exclaimed Peter, forgetting that he_was breaking the law again . no sooner had he spoken than_the music and dancing stopped and this_time the whole band rushed toward him with instruments threateningly upraised .

" scream ! " puffed the patchwork girl, struck by a sudden idea ." altogether now, Ah ! " not knowing what else to_do, Peter, grumpy and_the Oztrich screamed "Ah" as loudly as they_could, Scraps joining in with a will . as each_one screamed in a different key, the result was a perfectly dreadful discord .Covering their ears and dropping their horns and drums, the members of_the band, Jazzma and her Tunesters fled in every direction . before_the last echoes of_that "Ah ! " had died away, the four offenders found themselves out of tune indeed, though how they had gotten over the wall not one_of_them could_have told you .

" did we blow over ? " asked Peter, looking down anxiously at_the oztrich egg to_see if_it_was broken .

" no," giggled Scraps, throwing a kiss in_the direction of_the wall, " we sang out of tune, Peter, and here we_are out of tune . which road shall we take, boys ? " there were three roads leading away from tune town and after quite a debate they chose the center one .

" I_hope we_find something to eat soon, sighed Peter, as Ozwold started briskly down the road ."I'm hungry as a bear ! "

" not as_this bear," growled grumpy, patting his middle sorrowfully .

chapter 14

Ozwold and_his friends rush on

that was a fine place for_you, Scraps," chuckled Peter as_the oztrich thudded good humoredly along the sunny road ." you'd rather sing than talk anyway . but singing and dancing all your life, whew ! how would you play base ball to music, I wonder . imagine singing out signals and trying to_make a home run to a waltz ."

" the dinners were the saddest," sighed grumpy, licking his chops hungrily ." do you_see any biscuit bushes or carrot trees around here ? "

" there's some kind of a tree in_that field," answered Peter, but the fruit is up so high we couldn't reach it, anyway .

" I_could," grunted the little bear eagerly ." let's stop and try ." the oztrich had spied some especially appetizing rocks by_the roadside and was quite willing to stop . so Peter placed his egg child beside him and, while they ran off to investigate the fruit tree, Ozwold lunched quite contentedly on a couple of cobblestones . the tree was about as tall as acocoanut palm and clustered at_the top were large green fruits about_the size of watermelons .

Requiring no luncheon, Scraps danced off to amuse herself and, as Peter and grumpy blinked hungrily upward, two of_the melons detached themselves from_the branch of_the tree and came sailing gracefully downward .

" why, they've umbrellas over them," gasped Peter .

" of_course," said the little bear calmly ." have_you never seen an umbrella melon ? " Peter never had and said so quite frankly .

" well," explained grumpy, placing himself in_a_position to catch the larger of_the two ." if_they didn't have these umbrella attachments they'd smash to pieces when_they fell . as_it_is, when_the fruit is ripe the umbrella leaves open and float them safely down .Ah-hh ! " Holding out both arms, grumpy neatly caught his melon and, hugging it blissfully, sat down to enjoy his first meal since leaving patch .Peter had to chase his luncheon all around the field, for_the breeze was brisk and_the umbrella attachment larger than_the melon itself . but finally he_did manage to overtake it and bringing the melon back, settled down beside grumpy .Cutting off the umbrella leaves with_his pen knife, Peter split the melon in two . it_was something like a cantaloupe, only much larger and much sweeter and to_the tired, hungry, dusty little traveller, it tasted perfectly delicious . but, hungry as he_was, half the melon was all he_could eat and he looked in admiring astonishment as grumpy burrowed his nose deeper and deeper into his . the entire center was gone and he_was nibbling at_the rind when Scraps came hurrying back across the field .

" are_you boys going to eat all day ? glad I don't waste my_time that way ! "

" you don't know what you miss, miss ." Licking his nose, grumpy grinned up at_the patchwork girl, but Scraps, sticking out her tongue, merely turned acartwheel, jumped over a fence, and landed neatly on_the back of Ozwold .Peter and grumpy were_not slow to_follow, for they were all anxious to reach the capital before nightfall .

" is my child safe ? " mumbled Ozwold as_well as he_could with_the two cobblestones still sticking in_his throat ." whatever you_do, don't drop my child . he_is my wife's favorite egg . I_do hope he doesn't hatch out before we reach the emerald city ! "

" so do I," breathed Peter, looking quite nervously at_the huge egg in_his lap ." have_you ever been in_the emerald city ? " he asked politely .

" no," answered the oztrich slowly ." have_you ? " Peter shook his head and as Ozwold jogged along the lane, Scraps told him all about_the capital of Oz and_the delightful people who live there, ending up with_the story of Ruggedo's escape and_his wicked plan to steal all the Oz magic and make himself ruler of_the realm .

" ruler of Oz ! " screamed the oztrich, stopping in consternation ." great grandmothers, why didn't you tell me this before ? why, if_that old gnome has aflying cloak, he's probably reached the emerald city and captured everybody by_this_time .a gnome on_the throne of Oz, how perfectly impos ! Ruggedo ruler of Oz, how simply ridick ! " at each word Ozwold grew more indignant, and finally, with a screech like an engine whistle, he hurled himself forward, running along at such speed that trees, fences, farms and hills whirled by in a blur of dust and Peter and_the others had all they_could do to_keep their places .Hugging the oztrich egg with one arm and Scraps with_the other, Peter blinked and bounced and tried to catch a glimpse of_the country they were passing or the country they were coming to . but between_the speed and_the dust, he could_see nothing .

" if he's just going

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