Oz 18: Grandpa in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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soldier in alarm .

" I_feel heavy," spluttered Tatters suddenly, and looking at_the young prince, Grampa saw that from_the waist down he_was Tatters and from_the waist up he still was crow .

" down ! everybody down ! down as fast as_you_can fly," ordered the old soldier in a panic . he himself could feel his feathers turning to clothes and_his wings seemed too light to hold up his body . half flying and half falling, half people and half crows, the little company shot downward, and it_is mighty lucky they started down when_they did . as it_was, they turned back to themselves and landed at one and_the same minute, and_the landing was so hard that, for a moment, no one spoke at all . the old soldier broke the silence .

" why, there's bill," cried Grampa, who was sitting calmly in_the middle of a yellow rose bush . he had grown somewhat used to falling about by_this_time ." how do_you feel, bill ? " asked the old soldier, extracting several thorns from_his person .

" how do I look ? " asked the weather cock anxiously .

" handsome as ever," said Grampa, eying him closely ." being invisible hasn't hurt you at all, and how are the rest of_my old cronies ? "

"I'm all right," smiled Urtha, jumping up lightly . the little flower maiden was looking as beautiful as ever .

" so am I," said Tatters, " but I'd like to_know how we happened to_turn crow, and whether it's going to happen often . you_know, Grampa, it would_be mighty inconvenient to_be turning backwards and forwards any minute . I_am_sure it would_be very unpleasant ."

" well, it helped us over a couple of bad places," mused the old soldier ." the mischief, boys ! I've lost my pipe ! " Grampa clapped one hand to_his pocket and_the other to_his chin .

" you dropped it when_you were a crow, Tatters reminded him .Grampa did_not answer, for out of_his pocket he had drawn the blue tobacco pouch of Vaga, the bandit . in_the excitement following bill's disappearance all the tobacco had spilled out, but the pouch Grampa had thrust into his pocket just before he turned crow . here, at any rate, it_was, and on_the flap this amazing sentence: " to_turn people to crows, smoke this tobacco . one puff will keep a company of captives crows for_one hour, two puffs, two hours, three puffs for three hours, and so on .

" so_that's the reason there were so_many crows in_the blue forest ! " shouted Grampa indignantly ." so_that's why we turned to crows . it's three hours to_the minute," he puffed, pulling out his watch .

" what_are you talking about ? " asked Tatters crossly .

" us," chuckled Grampa ." it was_the bandit's tobacco that did the trick ." Showing them the blue pouch, he explained how he had smoked the magic tobacco instead of_his own and how just three puffs had kept them crows for three hours ."A couple more puffs and we'd have_been all the way to_the emerald city," sighed the old soldier regretfully ." how- some- ever, marching is more to my taste ."

" what about eating ? that's more to mine ." Tatters yawned- for flying had made him quite hungry .

" all right," agreed Grampa, and, unfastening his knapsack, he_took out one_of_the dried bear steaks and busied himself with making a fire .Fortunately they had lost none of_their possessions by turning to crows- that_is nothing except Grampa's pipe .

"I love this country," said Urtha, sitting solemnly beside the old soldier ."I believe I like Oz better than_the wizard's garden ."

" it's the top of_the world," boasted Grampa, dropping the steak into his campaign frying pan .Tatters, meanwhile, had found a pink plum tree and came back with_his cap full of plums, so_that he and Grampa had a most satisfying luncheon . bill, as usual, was searching for_the fortune and, while they were eating, Urtha merrily skipped rope with a long spray of honeysuckle .

" cheer up, boy," said the old soldier, for_the prince was looking rather thoughtful ." we're on_the right track now and only a day's march from_the capitol ."

" storm coming ! storm coming ! " shrilled the weather cock, dropping down suddenly beside the fire ." wind ! thunder and possible showers ! "

"Oh, g' wan ! " scoffed Grampa, gathering up his tin camp dishes ." you g' wan, bill ."

"I don't want to_go on," said the weather cock stubbornly ." there's a storm coming, I tell you ." and sure enough, at_that minute, a great gust of wind scattered the camp fire, blew off Grampa's hat and sent a cloud of leaves scurrying over the meadows .Tatters reached for_his red umbrella, which_was never far from_his side and Urtha, her flowery skirts flying out like ribbons on a may pole, came hurrying back .

"I've thought of something ! " screamed bill . he had to scream to_make himself heard, for_the wind had risen to a perfect gale ." if_the king's head was lost in a storm, why wouldn't it be found in a storm ! "

" snuff and nonsense ! " shouted the old soldier, picking up his hat and jamming it over his ears . then, as_the first spatter of rain came pelting down, he dashed under the big red umbrella .Tatters had all he_could do to hold it steady and several_times the wind nearly jerked him into_the air . so Grampa seized the handle with both hands and Urtha, also, took hold . but it_was no use . the gale was too_much for_them and before_they had time to let go, the red umbrella whirled up like a balloon, carrying them all along .

" here I come by_the name of bill ! " shrieked the weather cock and, flinging himself aloft, he scrambled on top of_the king's umbrella . but even bill's weight could_not bring it down .

" why this, " laughed the little flower fairy, as_the umbrella soared up toward the clouds, " this_is better than flying ! "

" better hold on," advised Grampa grimly, " there's nothing between_us and earth, but air ." the wind rose higher and higher, the rain swirled all around them and tossed them about like rag dolls . the three clung desperately to_the umbrella but in ten minutes they had risen above the storm area and were sailing straight toward a great patch of pink skyland . about halfway over, the umbrella drifted slowly downward and Grampa and Tatters, rather uncertainly, stood up in_the pink clouds .

" will we drop through ? " asked the prince doubtfully, still keeping hold of_the umbrella . after a few steps they found it quite as secure as_the real earth .

" how soft it feels," murmured Urtha and, letting go of_the umbrella, she began skipping over the fluffy cloud meadows, posies springing up wherever she stepped, just as_they had on Isa Poso . and so fresh and beautiful did the little flower girl appear against the pink of_the clouds that Grampa and Tatters simply gasped and a little sky shepherdess, who had_been resting on a cloud bank, picked up her crook and came running over to touch Urtha .

" are_you a fairy ? " asked the little shepherdess breathlessly .

" are_you a princess ? " demanded bill, flut-tering down in front of_the little sky lady before Urtha had time to_speak at all . bill never allowed anything to interfere with business .

"Oh, no ! " the cunning little lady swung her moon bonnet and fluffed out her skirts, which were all embroidered with stars ."Oh, no, I'm only a shepherdess ! " she answered modestly .

" well, we're looking for a head, a princess and a fortune," rasped bill impatiently .

" what do_you shepherd ? " asked the old soldier, pushing bill hurriedly aside ."I didn't know there were any sheep in_the sky ."

" not sheep," cried the little maiden, throwing back her head and laughing heartily, " not sheep, but stars ! I tend all the baby stars and keep them from falling out_of_the milky way," she finished, smiling shyly at Tatters .

" you_do," marvelled the prince of Ragbad, " well, where are they now and what do_you call yourself ? "

"I never call myself, but the stars call me Maribella," answered the little shepherdess, with a demure bow ." they're asleep now . are_you really looking for a princess ? "

Tatters nodded and Urtha, slipping her arms around Maribella's waist, kissed her on both cheeks .

" i_wish you were the princess," sighed Urtha, stepping back to look wistfully at_the little sky maiden .

" why ? " asked Maribella curiously .

" because you're the only_one we've seen who_is lovely enough to marry the prince," said Urtha .Tatters looked mightily embarrassed at Urtha's speech and Grampa, drawing Maribella aside told her the whole story of_their adventures .

" well," mused the little sky maiden as he finished, " there aren't any Princesses or for-tunes in_the sky, but there_are lots of heads here in_the clouds ."

" there_are ! " roared Grampa in astonishment .Maribella nodded .

"Didn't' you_know many earth people have their heads in_the clouds ? " she asked seriously ." why there's a whole company of_them on_the other side of_this very hill ."

" forward, march ! " cried the old soldier excitedly ."Urtha, Tatters, bill, fall in with_you ! " so fall in they_did, and Maribella was right, for on_the other side of_the cloud hill were nearly a hundred heads, resting lightly on_the pink clouds . some were smoking, some stared straight ahead and others were carrying on a lively conversation between themselves .

" father ! " screamed the prince of Ragbad, for king Fumbo's head was almost the first they spied .Fumbo was talking quietly to_the head of an inventor of market baskets with legs and he turned in some surprise at Tatters' call .

" the head ! the head ! we_have found the head ! " crowed bill exultantly, and burst into such ahurrah of cock-a-doodle-doos that several of_the smokers dropped their pipes and king Fumbo looked positively frightened .

" your majesty," said Grampa reproachfully, as bill finally subsided, " how could you leave us like this ? we've been through earth, air, fire and water to_find you ."

" well, I guess the jig's up," sighed Fumbo sorrowfully, " but it's been a great treat, Grampa, getting off like this . how's everybody ? "

" everybody was well enough when I left," said Grampa a bit stiffly, for he couldn't help feeling that Fumbo could_have got home if he had wanted to ." everybody's well enough, except your own body and_that looks mighty silly with_the doughnut they_have given it ."

" so they gave_me a dough head ! well, won't that_do ? " asked the king fretfully of_the old soldier .

"Oh, father, please come back," begged Tatters, falling on_his knees before_the king's head .

" you_must certainly resume your body," declared the old soldier sternly ." how did you get up here in_the first place ? "

" it was_the storm," began Fumbo, rolling his eyes from one to_the other ." my head never was on very tight, you_know ."

Grampa nodded dryly ." so it blew off," continued the king calmly, " and then I had on a wing collar," Fumbo coughed apologetically, " and_the thing flew right well, so I flew till I_came to_this cloud and here I've been ever_since .I suppose I_must go back if_you say so, but it's a poor business, old fellow . how are_you going to_get down from here ? how did you get up ? who is_this little miss rosy posy and_that iron billed bird you_have with_you ? "

" this_is Urtha," explained Tatters proudly ." we_found her in an enchanted garden . and_that's bill . we_found him in_the blue forest, and - oh, father, we've had such strange adven-tures ."

" tell me all ! " sighed Fumbo, closing his eyes and smacking his lips with anticipation .

" not unless you come back with_us," said Grampa craftily .

" we were in an island of fire," began Tatters, while Urtha, who was pressed close at his side, nodded excitedly .

" what ! " exclaimed Fumbo, opening his eyes as far as they_would go ."I'll come ! " he decided hastily, " and you_must tell me every single bit of_the story ."

Grampa smiled slyly, Tatters promised and before he_could change his mind, the old soldier thrust the king's head into_the pink bag Maribella had used for her knitting . then, accompanied by_the little sky shepherdess, Grampa and_his army prepared to leave the sky . the other heads looked very sulky as_they passed by but, paying no attention to_their mutterings, Grampa marched to_the edge of_the great pink cloud .

" now what ? " mused the old soldier, staring down anxiously ." are there any steps or air ships about, my dear ? "

Maribella shook her head ." but there's a rainbow," she cried suddenly ." could you use that ? " Arching from_the edge of_the cloud and down as far as they_could see, curved a wide glittering rainbow- for_the storm was over and_the sun was shining through_the clouds .Dancing down the rainbow came a fairy almost as lovely as Urtha herself . it_was polychrome, the rain king's daughter, and when Maribella explained that Grampa and_his company were from Oz, she insisted upon kissing them allfor polychrome had visited in Oz many_times and had met with some fine adventures there .

" come on," cried polychrome gaily, "I'll show you how to travel on a rainbow ." Seizing Urtha by_the hand, she began running down the bow as_you and i_would run down steps .Calling good bye to Maribella, Grampa and Tatters quickly followed, the prince carrying his father's head and_the red umbrella and Grampa balancing bill upon his shoulder .

" now all we_have to_find is_the princess and_the fortune, and a couple of new pipes," sighed Grampa .

"Ah, let's go home without them," begged Tatters eagerly ." i_want to show Urtha the castle and_the pigeons . we don't need a fortune to_be happy, Grampa ."

" now don't give up yet," advised Grampa, turning to wag his finger at_the prince ." there's always a fortune at_the end of_the rainbow . look ! I believe we're coming down in_the Winkie country, and when we_do," Grampa pulled his whiskers determinedly, "I'm going to_get myself an anchor .I'm tired of_this flying and falling about ."

" use me," crowed bill, but as he spoke the bow grew suddenly so very slant that instead of running they began to slid - faster and faster and faster .

" good-bye," called polychrome mischievously ."I'd come

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