Oz 16: Kabumpo in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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robin ! " she called gaily, as a bird flew to a low bush beside her ." are your children quite well ? "

the robin swung backward and forward on_his swaying branch; then burst into his best morning song .

"Oh ! " cried Peg Amy, clasping her wooden hands ."I've heard that before ! but how could I ? " she reasoned, "I'm only a wooden doll and this_is_the first morning I_have_been alive . but then, how did I_know it_was a robin ? "

Peg rubbed her wooden forehead in perplexity, for it_was all very puzzling indeed . below their little hill stretched the lovely land of_the Winkies, with its great green forests and little yellow villages . the wind sent the leaves dancing above Peg's head and_the early sun-beams made lovely patterns on_the grass .

"I've seen it before ! " gasped the wooden doll breathlessly ." the trees, the birds, the houses and everything ! " Springing to her feet she ran awkwardly from bush to tree, touching the leaves and bending over the flowers as if_they were old friends . had it not been for_the squeaking of her wooden joints, Peg would almost have forgotten she was a wooden doll, for at_the sight of_the lovely green growing things something warm and sunny seemed to waken in her stiff wooden breast ."I've been alive before," said Peg Amy over and over .

suddenly, through_the still morning air, came a loud, shrill laugh . Peg, who had_been standing with her cheek pressed closely against a small tree, swung around quickly- so quickly in_fact that she fell over and lay in a ridiculously bent double position before_the new-comers .

it_was Kabumpo and_the prince of Pumper-dink .Traveling by_the same road wag had chosen but much more rapidly, the elegant elephant had come at sunrise to_the little hill . he had_been watching Peg for some_time, and when he_saw her dance awkwardly over to_the tree, he_could no longer restrain himself .

" get out your mirror ! " roared Kabumpo, shaking all over with mirth ." here_is your proper princess, Pompa, my boy- as royal a maiden as_the country boasts .Ho, ho ! Ker-umph ! "

"Don't be ridiculous," snapped Pompa, looking down curiously at_the comical figure of Peg Amy .

" but she's so funny ! " gasped Kabumpo, the tears rolling down his big cheeks .

" who's funny ? " demanded an angry voice and wag, who had_been awakened by Kabumpo's loud roars, hopped up, his ears quivering with rage .

"I'll pull your long nose for_you ! " cried wag, advancing threateningly ."Don't you dare make fun of Peg . what_are you, anyway ? "

" great Grump ! " choked Kabumpo, without answering wag's inquiry ." what kind of a rabbit is_this ? "

"A clawing, chawing, scratching kind- as_you'll soon find out ! " wag drew himself up into a ball and prepared to launch himself at Kabumpo's head, when Peg straightened up and caught him by_the ear .

"Don't, wag, please," she begged ." he couldn't help laughing . I_am funny . you_know I_am ! " she sighed a bit ruefully .

" you're not funny to_me," blustered wag, still glaring at Kabumpo ." who does he think he_is ? "

"I ? " sniffed Kabumpo, spreading out his ears complacently, " I_am the elegant elephant of Pumperdink . notice my pearls; gaze upon my robe ."

" you don't look very elegant to_me," snorted wag ." you look more like a tramp . says he's alelegant nelephant from Dumperpink," he whispered scornfully to Peg .

" and what's that you've got on_your back ? " he_called, with a wave of_his paw at Pompa ."A dunce ? "

" dunce ! " screamed Kabumpo furiously ." this_is_the prince of Pumperdink, you good- for- nothing lettuce- eater ! what do_you_mean by laughing at royalty ? "

" royalty ! Oh, ha, ha, ha ! " roared wag, rolling over and over in_the grass ." but he's so funny ! " he paused to_take another look at_the prince . at_this Kabumpo lunged forward, his eyes snapping angrily .

" stop ! " begged the prince, tugging Kabumpo by_the ear ." you were rude to_his friend that-er- doll, so you_must expect him to_be rude to_me . it's all your fault," he added reproachfully .

" are_you a prince ? " asked Peg Amy, staring up at Pompa with her round, painted eyes .

" of_course he's a prince .Didn't I_say so before ? who is_that hoppy creature ? "

" that's wag- such a dear fellow ." Peg smiled confidently at Kabumpo and he_was suddenly ashamed of himself for laughing at her .

" well, he needn't get waggish with me," grumbled the elegant elephant in a lower voice .

"Oh, don't quarrel ! " begged Peg ." it's such a lovely morning and you both look so interesting ."

Kabumpo eyed the big wooden doll attentively . it_was smart of her to_think him interesting . he cleared his throat gruffly ." you're not as funny as_you look," he admitted grandly, which_was the nearest to an apology he had ever come ." but what_are you doing here and why are_you alive ? "

"I don't know," explained Peg apologetically ." it just happened last night ."

" it did ? well, where are_you going ? " wag still looked cross and_his nose was twitching violently, but Peg politely answered Kabumpo's question .

" we're on_our way to Ev to_try to help Ozma," said the wooden doll, folding her hands quaintly .

" why so are we ! " cried Pompa, sliding down Kabumpo's trunk in a hurry .

" how do_you expect to help her ? " grunted Kabumpo, looking at wag and Peg contemptuously .

"Don't mind him," begged Pompa, running up_to Peg Amy ." tell me everything you_know about Ozma . is she pretty ? "

" beautiful," breathed Peg, looking up at_the sky ." beautiful and lovely and good . that's why i_want to help her ."

" then I sha'n't mind marrying her at all," said Pompa, with a great sigh of relief .

"Gooch ! " roared Kabumpo angrily-"Telling everything you_know ! "

" do_you_mean to_say you_think Ozma would marry you ? " gasped wag, sitting up with a jerk ."Oh, my wocks and hoop soons ! " his ears crossed and uncrossed and with a final gurgle of disbelief wag fell back on_the grass .

" well, is_there anything so strange in_that ? " asked Pompa in a hurt voice ."I've got to marry her," he added, desperately appealing to Peg Amy . and while Kabumpo stood sulkily swinging his trunk the prince told Peg the whole story of_the magic scroll .

" I_said you looked interesting," breathed Peg, as Pompa paused for breath ." did you hear that, wag ? unless he marries a proper princess in a proper time his whole kingdom will disappear-- his kingdom and everyone in_it ! "

" but how do_you_know Ozma is_the proper princess ? " asked wag, chewing a blade of grass ." the scroll didn't say Ozma, did it ? "

"Kabumpo thinks Ozma is_the proper princess," explained Pompadore, nodding toward the elegant elephant, " and he's usually right ! "

"Humph ! " sniffed wag ." well, maybe you_are a prince . you're not really bad looking if_you had some fur on_your head," he remarked more amiably ." what happened ? somebody pull it out ? "

"Oh, wag ! " murmured Peg Amy, in a shocked voice .

" burned off," sighed Pompa, and proceeded to_tell of_their fall into_the Illumi nation . he even told them about_the soup sea and of_their meeting with Glinda, the good .

"Don't you care," said the big wooden doll, as Pompa mournfully rubbed his scorched head ." it_will soon grow again and I don't see how Ozma could help loving you- you're so tall, and so polite ." this kind little speech affected Pompa so deeply that he dropped on one knee and raised Peg's wooden hand to_his lips .

" the creature has alot of sense," mumbled Kabumpo, with_his mouth full of leaves .

" creature ! " exclaimed wag, sitting up straight and opening his eyes wide ." her name is Peg Amy, Mr Nelegant Lelephant ."

"Oh, all right," sniffed Kabumpo hastily ." but you'll have to admit she's curious ."

" of_course she_is," said wag complacently ." that's why I like her . she wasn't cut out to_be a beauty, but to_be companionable, and she_is . when_you've known Peg as long as I_have"- wag paused impressively-" you'll be proud to carry her on_your back, Mr long nose ! "

"I've only known her a few_minutes and I adore her ! " said Pompa heartily ." mistress Peg and I are good friends already ." Peg curtseyed awkwardly ."I've done this before," she reflected curiously to herself .

" shall we tell them about Ruggedo ? " Peg asked aloud, turning to wag .

" yes, do ! " begged Pompa ." tell us something about yourselves .I never saw so large a rabbit in my life as wag and as for_you ! "-Pompa paused, for wag was eyeing him resentfully-" you_are the largest, most delightful doll I_have ever met, the only alive one, I_might say . how did you_know about Ozma's disappearance and how were you going to help her ? "

" mixed magic ! " whispered wag, crossing his ears and_his eyes as_well ." mixed magic ! "

" magic ? " gulped Kabumpo, swallowing a branch of sticky leaves whole ." have_you any magic ? "

"A whole box full," sighed Peg Amy, patting her pocket softly .

" in_that box is_the magic that brought Peg to life ! " shrilled wag, pointing atrembling paw . in_that box is_the magic that made us grow . in_that box is_the magic that caused Ozma's castle to disappear- ! "

" great Grump ! " whistled Kabumpo ." how fortunate we fell in with_them, Pompa ." he held out his trunk ." give_me the box, my good girl, and you shall be fittingly rewarded when Pompa is king of Oz ."

" that's a long_time to wait," chuckled wag, tickled by Kabumpo's outrageous impudence ." no, Peg and_I_will just keep the box, thank_you .

" of_course you_will," said prince Pompadore, frowning at Kabumpo ." but as_we_are both bound on_the same errand, let_us travel together .Kabumpo and I are going to kill the giant who ran off with_the castle ."

the prince held up his long sword ." and if_you_can help_us, I_shall thank_you from_the bottom of_my heart ." Pompa stretched out his hand impulsively .

" well, that's more like," said wag, pulling his ear thoughtfully ." and four heads are better than two ! "

" of_course we'll help_you ! " cried Peg Amy ." the trouble is, we don't know ourselves how to open the magic box, but we_do know that Ruggedo is in Ev and when we get there we_will make him open the box and undo all this mischief ."

" you mentioned him before," said Kabumpo, holding up his trunk ." who_is Ruggedo and what has he to_do with Ozma ? "

"Ruggedo is a wicked little gnome," explained Peg Amy gravely ." he used to_be king of_the Gnomes but he_was banished from_his kingdom and Ozma gave him a little cottage in_the emerald city . he pretended to live there, but instead he tunneled a cave right underneath the palace . wag helped him dig ." Peg waved her hand at_the rabbit ." and he was_the only_one who_would stay with_him . then Ruggedo stole me . i_was only a small, unalive doll, belonging to trot, a little girl who lives with Ozma .Ruggedo stole me just to shake," continued Peg shuddering .

" that's why I'm going to pound his curly toes off ! " screamed wag, beginning to hop about at_the very thought of Ruggedo .

" but how did you come to_be so large and alive ? " asked Kabumpo, who was growing more interested .

" well, one night"- Peg dropped her voice to a whisper-" one night Ruggedo found this box of mixed magic hidden in_the cave and then-"

" then," screamed wag hoarsely, " in some way we don't understand, Peg and I grew big, Peg came alive, the top blew off the cave- and depend upon it, whatever's happened to Ozma and her palace happened from something in_that box . it's all Ruggedo's fault . when I catch him"- wag began to wiggle his nose and paw his whiskers-" my wocks and hoop soons ! I'll pound his curly toes off ! "

" and I'll help_you ! " cried Kabumpo heartily . he_could_not help but admire such spirit ." come on- let's start . you_may ride on my back with Pompa if_you care to," finished the elegant elephant with a sidelong glance at Peg .

"Oh, thank_you," smiled the wooden doll, " but wag will carry me .

"I always carry Peg," said wag jealously ."I've known her the longest ."

"Oh, all right," sniffed Kabumpo, lifting Pompa up, " but if she ever wants to ride on my back she may .

"Humph ! " grunted wag, as_the wooden doll settled herself on_his shoulders ."Isn't he generous ! "

Peg pulled down one of wag's long ears ." it_was kindly meant," whispered the wooden doll merrily .

" ready ? " puffed Kabumpo, backing out into_the road ." we've no time to lose, for if_we lose time we lose our kingdom too . forward for Pumperdink ! "

" all right ! " cried wag, giving a great leap ." follow me ." and off hopped the giant bunny so fast that Kabumpo had to stretch his legs even to_keep him in sight .

chapter 14

terror in Ozma's palace

meanwhile strange things had_been happening in Ozma's palace . for_the people inside it had_been a very mean time indeed . during Ruggedo's run to_the mountains of Ev, they had almost been shaken out of_their wits and when he sat down upon_the mountain top there_was not a person nor piece of furniture standing in_the whole palace .Courtiers and servants who were_not knocked senseless lay shaking in their beds or huddled in corners and under sofas and chairs, just as_they had fallen when_the first terrible crash lifted the palace into_the air .

Ozma's four poster bed had collapsed, pinning the little fairy princess under a mass of silk hangings and curtain poles . being a fairy, Ozma was unhurt, but not being able to move, nor to reach her magic belt or even make herself heard, she was forced to lie perfectly still and wait for help .

in Dorothy's sitting room there_was not a sound but the ticking of_the copper man's machinery . trot and Betsy bobbin had knocked their heads together so smartly that_they were unconscious . sir Hokus had_been hurled violently against Tik Tok and_the poor knight had known nothing since . Dorothy lay quietly beside him, an ugly bruise on her forehead, where the emerald clock had landed .

"Scraps ! " called the Scarecrow, sometime after_the rumble and tumble had ceased, " are_you there ? "

" no, here ! " gasped the patch work

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