Oz 16: Kabumpo in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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so high as it used to," said the rabbit, looking at_the walls ." why, I believe I_could jump out if i_took a good run and carry you, too . come ashort, Peg ! "

"Aren't you mixed, wag dear ? Don't you mean come along ? " asked Peg, smoothing down her torn dress .

" well, now that you mention it, my head does feel queer," admitted the rabbit, twitching his nose, "bort of sackwards ! "

" sort of backwards," corrected Peg gently ." well, never mind . I_know what you mean . Peg and wag to_the rescue but do let's try to_find that awful box of magic .

you_know Ruggedo brought me to life, wag, with something in_that box ! "

" only good thing he ever did," said wag, shaking his head ." but i_think you were alive before," he added solemnly ." you always seemed alive to_me .

" i_think so, too," whispered Peg excitedly ." I_can't remember just how, or where, but Oh ! wag ! I_know I've been alive before .I remember dancing ."

Peg took a few awkward steps and wag looked on dubiously, too polite to criticize her efforts . he didn't even laugh when Peg Amy fell down . Peg laughed herself, however, as merrily as possible ." it's going to_be such fun being alive," she said, picking herself up gaily, " such fun, wag dear . why, there's Glegg's box ! " she pounced upon_the little shining gold casket ."Ruggedo didn't take it after all ! "

" is_it shut ? " asked wag, clapping both paws to_his ears ." look out for explosions, say I ."

" no, but I'll soon close it," said Peg and, shutting Glegg's box, she slipped it into pocket of her dress . it_was about half the size of_this book you_are reading and as Peg's pockets were big and old fashioned, it fitted quite nicely .

" come ashort," said wag again, looking uneasily, for he_was anxious to_get out_of_the gnome's cave . so Peg seated herself carefully on_his back and clasped her wooden arms around his neck . then wag ran back a few steps, gave a great jump and sailed up, up and out_of_the cave .

"Ten penny tea cups ! " shrieked the soldier with_the green Whiskers, falling over backwards ." what next ? " for wag with Peg on_his back had leaped straight over his head .

Picking himself up, and with every whisker in_his beard prickling straight on end, the grand army of Oz backed toward the royal stable . when he had backed half the distance he turned and ran for_his life . but he need not have_been afraid .

" what a funny little man," chuckled wag ." why, he's no bigger than we_are . he's n-- ! " then suddenly wag clutched his ears ."Oh ! " he screamed, beginning to hop up and down, "I forgot all my treasures- my olden goop soons .Oh ! Oh ! my urple sool wocks ! I've forgotten my urple sool wocks ! "

" your what ? " cried Peg Amy, clutching him by_the fur ." now wag, dear, you're all mixed up . perhaps it's ' cause your ears are crossed . there, now, do stop wiggling your whiskers and turn out your toes ! "

but wag continued to wiggle his whiskers and turn in_his toes and roar for_his urple sool wocks .

" stop ! " screamed Peg at last, with both hands over her wooden ears ." I_know what you mean ! your purple wool socks ! "

" yes," sobbed the rabbit, slumping down on a rock and holding his head in both paws .

" well, don't you_think"- the wooden doll shook her head jerkily-"Don't you_think it's just as_well ? Ruggedo stole all those things and you wouldn't want stolen soup spoons, now would you ? "

wag took a long breath and regarded Peg uncertainly . then something in her pleasant wooden face seemed to brace him up .

" no ! " he sighed solemnly-"I 'spose not .I ought_to_have left Rug long_ago .

" but then you couldn't have helped me, said Peg brightly ." let's don't think about_it any more . you've been awfully good to_me, wag ."

" have I ? " said wag more cheerfully ." well, you're a good sort, Peg-a regular princess ! " he finished, puffing out his chest, " and anything you say goes .

" princess ? " laughed the wooden doll, pleased nevertheless ."I'm a funny princess, in_this old dress . did you ever hear of a wooden princess, wag ? "

" you look like a princess to_me," said the rabbit stoutly ."Dresses don't matter ."

this speech so tickled the wooden doll that she gave wag a good hug and began dancing again ." being alive is such fun ! " she called gaily over her shoulder, " and you_are so wonderful ! "

wag's chest expanded at_least three inches and_his whiskers trembled with emotion ."Hop on my back Peg and I'll take you anywhere you_want to_go," he puffed magnificently .

but the wooden doll had suddenly grown sober ." wherever is_the castle ? " she cried anxiously . she remembered exactly where it had stood when she was an unalive doll and now not atower or turret of_the castle was to_be seen ."Oh ! " groaned Peg Amy, "Ruggedo has_done something dreadful with_his mixed magic ! "

wag rubbed his eyes and looked all around ." why, it's gone ! " he cried, waving his paws ." what shall we_do ? if only we weren't so small ! "

" we've got the magic box," said Peg hopefully, " and somehow I don't feel as small as I used to_feel; do_you ? "

" well, I_feel pretty queer, myself," said the rabbit, twitching his nose ." maybe it's because I'm hungry . there's a kitchen garden over there near the royal stables and i_think if I had some carrots I'd feel better ."

" of_course you_would ! " cried Peg, jumping up; "I forgot you had to eat ." so, very cautiously they stole into_the royal cook's garden . wag had often helped himself to carrots from_this garden before, but now sitting on_his haunches he stared around in dazed surprise .

" everything's different ! " wailed the rabbit dismally ." you're the same and I'm the same but everything else is all mixed up . look at_this carrot . why, it's no bigger than a blade of grass ." wag held up a carrot in disgust ." why, it_will take fifty of_these to_give_me even a taste and_the lettuce- look at it ! everything's shrunk, even the houses ! " cried the big funny bunny, looking around ." my wocks and hoop soons, sheverything's hunk ! "

Peg Amy had followed wag's gaze and now she jumped up in great excitement ." I_see it now ! " cried Peg ." it's us, wag . everything's the same but we_are different . some_of_that mixed magic has_made us grow . we're bigger and everything else is_the same . I_am as tall as_the little girl who used to play with me and you_are even bigger and I'm glad, because now we_can help find the castle and Ruggedo and try to_make everything right again ."

Peg clasped her wooden hands ."Aren't you glad too, wag ? "

the rabbit shook his head ." it's going to_take an awful lot to_fill me up," he_said doubtfully ."I'll have to eat about six times as_much as I used to ."

" well, you're six times as large; isn't that any comfort ? "

" my head doesn't feel right," insisted wag ." as_soon_as I talk fast the words all come wrong .

" maybe it didn't grow as fast as_the rest of you," laughed the wooden doll ." but don't you care, wag . I_know what you mean and i_think you're just splendid ! now hurry and finish your carrots so we_can decide what to_do .

" if mixed magic caused all this trouble," added Peg half to herself, " mixed magic's got to fix it .I'm going to look at_that box ." wag, nibbling industriously, had_not heard Peg's last speech or he_would doubtless have taken to_his heels .

Sitting unconcernedly in a cabbage bed, the wooden doll took the gold box from her pocket .Fortunately she had_not snapped the magic snap and it opened quite easily . her fingers were stiff and clumsy and_the moon was_the only light she had to_see by, but it did_not take Peg Amy long to realize the importance of Glegg's magic .

"I wonder if he rubbed this on_the castle," she murmured, holding up the bottle of Vanishing cream ." and how would one bring it back ? let me see, now . one after_the other, she took out the bottles and boxes and_the tiny tea set . the Re-animating Rays she passed over, without realizing they were responsible for bringing her to life, but the question box, Peg pounced upon with eager curiosity .

"Oh, if_it only would answer questions ! " fluttered Peg . then, holding the box close to her mouth, she whispered, " where is Ruggedo ? "

" who_are you talking to ? " asked wag, looking up in alarm ." now don't you get mixed up, Peg ! "

" it's a question box," said the wooden doll," but it's not working very_well ." she shook it vigorously and held it up so that_the light streaming down from_the stable window fell directly on_it . in silver letters on_the lid of_the box was one word-Ev !

"Ev-Ruggedo's in Ev ! " cried Peg Amy, rushing over to_the rabbit ." can_you take me to Ev, wag dear ? "

" of_course," said wag, nibbling faster and faster at his carrots ."I'll take you anywhere, Peg ."

" then it's going to_be all right; I_know it," chuckled the wooden doll, and putting all the magic appliances back into_the box she closed the lid with a snap . and this_time the magic catch caught .

" is_it far to Ev ? " asked Peg Amy, looking thoughtfully at_the place where the castle had once been .

" quite a long journey," said wag, " but we'll go ahopping .Ev is near Ruggedo's old home and it's across the deadly desert, but we'll get there somehow . trust me . and when I_do ! " spluttered wag, thumping his hind feet determinedly, "I'll pound his curly toes off- the wicked little monster ! "

" did you ask_the question box where the castle was ? " he inquired hastily, for he_saw Peg was going to_tell him he_must not pound Ruggedo .

" why, no ! how silly of me ! " Peg felt in her pocket and brought out the gold box . she tried to open it as she had done before but it_was no use . she pulled and tugged and shook it . then wag tried .

" there's a secret to_it," puffed the rabbit at last ." took Rug a whole night and day to discover it, can't you remember how you opened it before, Peg ? "

the wooden doll shook her head sadly .

" well, never mind," said wag comfortingly ." once we_find Ruggedo we_can make him tell . we'd better start right off, because if any of_the people around here saw us they_might try to capture us and put us in a circus . we_are rather unusual, you_know ." the rabbit regarded Peg Amy complacently ." one doesn't see six- foot rabbits and live dolls every day, even in Oz ."

" no," agreed Peg Amy slowly, "I s' pose not ! " the moon, looking down on_the strange pair, ducked behind a cloud to hide her smile, for_the giant funny bunny, strutting about pompously, and old- fashioned wooden Peg, in her torn frock, were enough to_make anyone smile .

" you_think of everything," sighed Peg, looking affectionately at wag .

" who wouldn't for a girl like you ? you're a princess, Peg-a regular princess ." the rabbit said it with conviction and again Peg happily smoothed her dress .

"Hop on," chuckled wag, " and then I'll hop off ."

Seating herself on_his back and holding tight to one of_his long ears, Peg announced herself ready . then away through_the night shot the giant bunny- away toward the western country of_the Winkies- and each hop carried him twelve feet forward, and sent up great spurts of dust behind .

chapter 11

the king of_the Illumi nation

while Ruggedo was working all this mischief in_the emerald city, Pompadore and_the elegant elephant had fallen into strange company . after_the prince's disappearance, Kabumpo stared long and anxiously at_the white marble stone with its mysterious inscription, " knock before_you fall in ."

what would happen if he knocked, as_the sign directed ? something upsetting, the elegant elephant was sure, else why had Pompa called for help ?

Kabumpo groaned, for he_was a luxurious beast and hated discomfort of any sort . as for falling in- the very thought of it made him shudder in every pound . but selfish and luxurious though he_was, the elegant elephant loved Pompa with all his heart . after all, he had run off with_the prince and was responsible for_his safety . if Pompa had fallen in he_must fall in too . with a resigned sigh, Kabumpo felt in_his pocket to_see that his treasures were safe, straightened his robe and, taking one last long breath, rapped sharply on_the marble stone with_his trunk . without a sound, the stone swung inward, and as Kabumpo was standing on_it he shot headlong into a great black opening . there_was a terrific rush of air and_the slab swung back, catching as it did so the fluttering edge of_the elegant elephant's robe of state . this halted his fall for about a second and then with aspluttering tear the silk fringe ripped loose and down plunged the elegant elephant, trunk over heels .

after_the third somersault, Kabumpo, right side up, fortunately, struck a soft inclined slide, down which he shot like a scenic railway train .

" great Grump ! " coughed Kabumpo, holding his jeweled headpiece with_his trunk ." great-" before he reached the second grump, his head struck the top of_the passage with terrific force, and_that was_the last he remembered about his fall . how long he lay in an unconscious state the elegant elephant never knew . after what seemed several ages he became aware of a confused murmur .Footsteps seemed to_be pattering all around him, but he_was

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