Oz 16: Kabumpo in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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. hidden in_this box were magic secrets that_would doubtless enable him to capture the whole of Oz but, klumping kaloogas, how was he to_get at 'em ? he finally gave the gold box such avindictive kick that he almost crushed his curly toes; then holding onto one foot, he hopped about on_the other till he fell over exhausted .

for several minutes he lay perfectly still; then jumping up he seized the box and flung it with all his gnome might against the rock wall .

" take that ! " screamed Ruggedo furiously . there_was a bright flash; then the box righted itself slowly and sailed straight back into Ruggedo's hands and, more wonderful still, it_was open' with_his eyes almost popping from_his head, the gnome sat down on_the floor, the box in_his lap .

in_the first tray were four golden flasks and each_one was carefully labeled . the first was marked, "Flying fluid"; "Vanishing cream" was in_the second . the third flask held "Glegg's instantaneous Expanding extract," and in_the fourth was " spike's hair strengthener ."

Ruggedo rubbed his hands gleefully and lifted out the top tray . in_the next compartment was a tiny copper kettle, a lamp and a package marked " triple trick tea ." so anxious was Ruggedo to_know what_was in_the last compartment that he scarcely glanced at Glegg's tea set . quickly he peered into_the bottom of_the casket . there were two boxes .Taking up the first Ruggedo read, "Glegg's question box . shake three times after each question ."

" great grampus ! " spluttered the gnome, " this_is a find ! " he_was growing more excited every_minute and_his hands shook so he_could hardly read the label on_the last box . finally he_made it out: "Re-animating Rays, guaranteed to reawaken any person who has lost the power of life through sorcery, witchcraft or enchantment," said the label .

well, did anyone ever hear anything more magic than that ? Ruggedo glanced from one to_the other of_the little gold flasks and boxes . there were so_many he hardly knew which to use first ."Flying fluid and Vanishing cream," mused the gnome . well, they_might help after he had captured Oz, but he_felt it would take more powerful magic than Flying fluid and Vanishing cream to capture the fairy kingdom . next he picked up the bottle labeled " spike's hair strengthener ." anything that strengthened would_be helpful, so, with one eye on_the last bottle, Ruggedo absently rubbed some_of_the hair strengthener on_his head . he stopped rubbing in a hurry and put his finger in_his mouth with a howl of pain . the he jumped up in alarm and ran to a small mirror hanging on_the wall . every hair on_his head had become an iron spike and_the result was so terrible that_it frightened even the old gnome . he flung the bottle angrily on_the ground . but stop ! he_could butt his enemies with_the sharp spikes ! Comforting himself with_this cheerful thought, Ruggedo returned to_the magic box .

" instantaneous Expanding extract," muttered the gnome, turning the bottle over carefully ." that ought to_make me larger- and if I were larger- if I were larger ! " he snapped his fingers and began hopping up and down . he_was about to empty the bottle over his head when he suddenly reflected that_it might_be safer to_try this powerful extract on someone else . but on whom ?

Ruggedo glanced quickly around the cave and then remembered the wooden doll . he_would try a little on Peg Amy and_see how it worked .Turning the key he stepped softly into wag's room . without wakening the rabbit, Ruggedo dragged out the wooden doll .Propping her up against the wall, the gnome uncorked the bottle of expanding fluid and dropped two drops on Peg Amy's head . Peg was about ten inches high, but no sooner had the expanding fluid touched her than she shot up four feet and with_such force that she lost her balance and came crashing down on top of Ruggedo, almost crushing him flat .

" get off, you great log of wood ! " screamed the gnome, struggling furiously . but this Peg Amy was powerless to_do and it_was only after a frightful struggle that Ruggedo managed to drag himself out . he started to shake Peg but as she was now four times his size he soon gave that up .

" well, anyway it works," sighed the gnome, rubbing his nose and_the middle of_his back ."I wonder how it would act on a live person ? I'll try a little on_that silly rabbit," he concluded, tip-toeing back into wag's room . now wag's apartment was about seven feet square- plenty large enough for a regular rabbit- but two drop's of_the expanding fluid- and, stars ! wag was no longer a regular rabbit but asix- foot funny bunny, stretching from one end of_the room to_the other . he expanded without even waking up .Ruggedo had to squeeze past him in_order to_get out and, chuckling with satisfaction, the gnome hurried back to_his box of magic . his mind was now made up . he_would take Glegg's mixed magic under his arm, go above ground and with_the Expanding fluid change himself into a giant . then conquering Oz would_be a simple matter .

it_was all going to_be so easy and amusing that Ruggedo felt he had plenty of_time to examine the rest of_the bottles and boxes . he rubbed some_of_the Vanishing cream on a sofa cushion and it instantly disappeared . the box of Re-animating Rays, guaranteed to reawaken anyone from enchantment, interested the old gnome immensely, but how could he try them when there_was no bewitched person about- at_least none that he_knew of ? then his eye fell on_the_question box . why_not try that ? so, " how shall I use the Re-animating Rays ? " asked Ruggedo, shaking the box three times . nothing happened at first . then, by_the light from_his emerald lamp, the gnome saw a sentence forming on_the lid .

" try them on Peg," said the box shortly . without thinking of consequences or wondering what the question box meant by suggesting Peg, the curious gnome opened the box of rays and held it over the huge wooden doll . for as long as it would take to count ten Peg lay perfectly still . then, with a creak and jerk, she sprang to her feet .

" how perfectly pomiferous ! " cried Peg Amy, with an awkward jump ."I'm alive ! why, I'm alive all over ! " she moved one arm, then the other and turned her head stiffly from side to side ." I_can walk ! " cried Peg ." I_can walk; I_can skip; I_can run ! " here Peg began running around the cave, her joints squeaking merrily at every step .

at Peg's first move Ruggedo had jumped back of a rock, his every spike standing on end . too late he realized his mistake . this huge wooden creature clattering around the cave was positively dangerous . why, she might easily pound him to bits . why on earth had he meddled with_the magic rays and why under the earth should a wooden doll come to life ? he waited till Peg had run to_the farthest end of_the cave; then he dashed to_the magic casket and scrambled the bottles, the trick tea set and_the flasks back into place and started for_the door that led to_the secret passage as fast as his crooked little legs would carry him .

but he_was not fast enough, for Peg heard and in a flash was after him .

" stop ! go away ! " screamed Ruggedo .

" why, it's the old gnome ! " cried the wooden doll in surprise ." the wicked old gnome who used to shake me all the time . why, how small he_is ! I_could pick him up with one hand ! " she made a snatch at Ruggedo .

" go away ! " shrieked Ruggedo, ducking behind a rock ." go away- there's a dear girl," he added coaxingly ."I didn't shake you much- not too_much, you_know ! "

Peg Amy put a wooden finger to her forehead and regarded him attentively .

"I remember," she murmured thoughtfully ." you found a magic box, and you're going to harm Ozma and try to conquer Oz . I_must get that box ! "

Reaching around the rock she seized Ruggedo by_the arm .

in a panic, he jerked away ." help ! help ! " cried the gnome king, darting off toward the other end of_the cave ." help ! help ! "

in_his little rock room wag stirred uneasily . then, as Ruggedo's cries grew louder, he bounced erect and almost cracked his skull on_the low ceiling . hardly knowing what he_was doing he rushed at_the door only to knock himself almost senseless against the top, for of_course he_did_not realize he had expanded into a giant rabbit . but as_the cries from_the other room became louder and louder he got up and rubbing his head in adazed fashion he somehow crowded himself through_the door and hopped into_the cave . when he_saw Peg Amy chasing Ruggedo, wag fell back against the wall .

" my wocks and hoop soons ! " stuttered the rabbit ." she_is alive ! and he's shrunk ! "

wag's voice rose triumphantly ."I'm going to pound his curly toes off ! " he shouted . with_this he joined merrily in_the chase .

"I'll catch him ! " he_called, "I'll catch him, Peg, my dear, and make him pay for all the shakings he has_given you .I'll pound his curly toes off ! "

"Oh, wag ! Don't do_that," cried the wooden doll, stopping short ."I didn't mind the shakings and gnomes don't know any better ! "

" neither do rabbits ! " cried wag stubbornly, bounding after Ruggedo ."I'll pound his curly toes off, I tell you ! "

the old gnome was sputtering like a fire- cracker . what chance had he now with two after him ? then suddenly he had an idea . without stopping, he fumbled in_the box which he still clutched under one arm and pulled out the bottle of Expanding fluid .Uncorking the bottle he poured its contents over his head- every single drop !

this_is what happened: first he shot out sideways, till Peg and wag were almost crushed against the wall . with a hoarse scream wag dragged Peg Amy back into his room, which_was now barely large enough to hold them . they were just in_time, for Ruggedo was still spreading . soon there_was not an inch of space left to expand in . then he shot up and grew up and grew and grew and groaned and grew till there wasn't any more room to grow in . so, he burst through_the top of_the cave, with a noise like fifty boilers exploding .

no wonder Dorothy thought it_was a cyclone ! for what_was on_the top of_the cave but the royal palace of Oz ? the next instant it_was impaled fast on_the spikes of Ruggedo's giant head and shooting up with_him toward the clouds . and_that wretched gnome never stopped growing till he_was three-quarters of mile high !

if_the people in_the palace were frightened, Ruggedo was more frightened still . being a giant was a new experience for him and having a castle jammed on_his head was worse still . the first thing he tried to_do, when he stopped growing, was to lift the castle off, but his spikes were driven fast into_the foundations and it fitted closer than his scalp .

in a panic Ruggedo began to run, and when a giant runs he gets somewhere . each step carried him a half mile and shook the country below like an earthquake and rattled the people in_the castle above like pennies in a Christmas bank .Shaking with terror and hardly knowing why, the gnome made for_his old kingdom, and in an hour had reached the little country of Oogaboo, which_is in_the very northwestern corner of Oz, opposite his old dominions .

the deadly desert is so narrow at_this point that with one jump Ruggedo was across and, puffing like a volcano about to erupt, he sank down on_the highest mountain in Ev .Fortunately he had_not stepped on any cities in_his flight, although he had crushed several forests and about a hundred fences ."Oh, Oh, my head ! " groaned Ruggedo, rocking to and fro . he_seemed to_have forgotten all about conquering Oz . he_was full of twinges and growing pains .Ozma's castle was giving him a thundering headache, and there he sat, a fearsome figure in_the bright moonlight, moaning and groaning instead of conquering .

the book of Records had_been right indeed when it stated that Ruggedo had something on_his mind .Ozma's castle itself sat squarely upon that mischievous mind- and every moment it seemed to grow heavier .

no wonder there had_been confusion in_the castle ! every time Ruggedo shook his aching head Ozma and her guests were tossed about like leaves in a storm . mixed magic had made mischief indeed .

,,,,,,,,,,,,,, chapter 10

Peg and wag to_the rescue

for_a_long_time after_the terrific bang following Ruggedo's final expansion, wag and Peg Amy had_been too stunned to even move . crowded together in_the little rock room, they lay perfectly breathless .

"Umpthing sappened," quavered the rabbit at last .

" that sounds rather queer, but i_think I_know what you mean," said Peg, sitting up cautiously .

" something has happened .Ruggedo's been blown up, I guess ."

" mixed magic ! " groaned wag gloomily ." I_knew it would explode . say, Peg, what makes this room so small ? "

"I don't know," sighed the doll in a puzzled voice, for neither Peg nor wag realized how_much they had grown ." but let's go above ground and_see what has become of Ruggedo ." one at_a_time and with great difficulty they got through_the door .

" why, there_are the stars ! " cried Peg Amy, clasping her wooden hands rapturously ." real stars ! " the top of_the cave had gone off with_the old gnome king and_the two stood looking up at_the lovely skies of Oz .

" it doesn't seem so

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