Oz 16: Kabumpo in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
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her wooden arms frantically ."Don't hit him . he's going to_be married . hit me, I'm only made of wood ! "

"Don't you dare hit her ! " shrilled Pompa, slicing off the branch head of_the nearest twig ." I_am a prince and she_is under my protection .Don't touch her ! "

by_this_time Kabumpo had cleared himself a space ahead and wag a space behind . every time Kabumpo's trunk flew out, a dozen of_the queer crackly Bushmen tumbled over forward and every time wag's heels flew out a dozen crumpled over backward .Pompa kept his sword whirling and, after several had lost top branches, the whole crowd fell back and began grumbling together .

" now then ! " puffed Kabumpo angrily, " let's make a dash for_it, wag . come on; we'll smash them to kindling wood ! "

" what's all this commotion ? " cried a loud voice . the Twigs fell back immediately and a bent and twisted old tree hobbled forward .

"Strangers, your Woodjesty," whispered a tall twig, waving a branch at Kabumpo .

" well, have_you pinched them ? " asked the king in a bored voice .

"A little," admitted the tall twig nervously, " but they object to_it, your Woodjesty ."

" well, what if they_do ? " rasped the king tartly ."Don't be gormish Faggots . you_know I detest gormishness . it seems to_me you_might allow my people a little innocent diversion," he grumbled, turning to Pompa, " they don't get much pleasure ! "

" pleasure ! " gasped the prince, while Kabumpo and wag were so astonished that_they forgot to fight .

" what does he mean by gormish ? " whispered Peg uneasily to wag . before he_could answer, the Twigs, who evidently had decided not to_be gormish, made a rush upon_the travelers . but Kabumpo was ready for_them with uplifted trunk . with a furious trumpet he charged straight into_the middle, wag at his heels, with_the result that_the Twigs went crackling and snapping to_the ground in heaps .

" all we_need is a match," grunted Kabumpo, pounding along unmindful of_the scratching and clawing ." they're good for nothing but kindling wood ."

"Don't be gormish," he screeched scornfully, as he flung the last twig out of_his way and wag and he never stopped till they had put a good mile between themselves and_the disagreeable pinchers .

" are_you hurt ? " asked Kabumpo, stopping at last and looking around at Pompa ." if_we keep on this_way you won't be fit to_be seen- much less to marry . let's have a look at you ." he lifted the prince down carefully and eyed him with consternation . the prince had seven long scratches on_his cheek and_his velvet cloak was torn to ribbons .

"I declare," spluttered the elegant elephant explosively, " you're a perfect fright .I declare, it's a grumpy shame ! "

" well, don't be gormish," said the prince, smiling faintly and wiping his cheek with_his handkerchief .

" let me help," begged Peg Amy, falling off wag's back ."Ozma won't mind a few scratches and what do clothes matter ? anyone would know he_was a prince," she added, taking Pompa's cloak and regarding it ruefully .

Pompa smiled at Peg's earnestness and made her his best bow but Kabumpo still looked anxious ." everyone's not so smart as_you, Peg," he sighed gloomily ." but come along . the main thing is to rescue Ozma and after_that perhaps she won't notice your scratches and torn cloak . she'll think you got them fighting the giant," he finished more hopefully .

with a few more of Kabumpo's jeweled pins Peg repaired Pompa's cloak . then, after tying up wag's ear, which_was badly torn, they started off again .

" what worries me," said wag, twitching his nose very fast, " what worries me is crossing the deadly desert . we're almost to_it, you_know ."

" never cross deserts till you come to 'em," grunted Kabumpo, with a wink at Peg Amy .

"Oh, all right," sniffed wag, " but don't be gormish . you_know how I detest gormishness ! "

while Pompa and Peg were laughing over these last remarks a most terrible rumble sounded behind them .

" now what ? " trumpeted Kabumpo, turning about .

"Sheverything's mixed hup ! " gulped wag, putting back his ears ." hold on to_me, Peg ! "

chapter 17

Meeting the Runaway country

everything was mixed up, indeed .Moving toward the little party of rescuers was a huge jagged piece of land, running along on ten tremendous feet and feeling its way with its long wiggly peninsula . the feet raised it several yards above the ground .

" if_we crouch down maybe it_will run over us," panted Pompa, sliding down Kabumpo's trunk .

"I don't want to_be run over," shrilled wag, beginning to hop in a frenzied circle .

" stop ! " cried the land in a loud voice, as wag and Kabumpo started to run .

" better stop," puffed Kabumpo, his eyes rolling wildly, " or it'll probably fall on us ." Trembling in_spite of themselves, they stood still and waited for_the land to approach .

"I've often heard of sailors hailing land with joy," gulped wag, " but this- well, how did it get this_way ? "

as_the Runaway country drew nearer, its peninsula fairly quivered with excitement and as it reached them it pulled up its front feet and tilted forward to_get a better view . its eyes were two small blue lakes and its mouth a broad bubbling river .

"I claim you by right of discovery," cried the land in its loud, river voice and before_they could make any objection it scooped them up neatly and tossed them on a little hill .

" this_is outrageous," spluttered the elegant elephant, picking Peg out of some bushes ." we've been kidnapped ! "

" let's jump off ! " cried wag, beginning to hop toward the edge .

"I wouldn't do_that," said the land calmly, " because I'd only run after you again . you_might as_well settle down and grow up with me .I'm not such a bad little country," it added quietly, " just a bit rough and uncultivated ."

" well, what's that got to_do with_us," demanded Kabumpo, staring the country right in its lake- eyes ." we're on an important mission and we haven't time for_this sort of thing at all ."

" it's a matter of saving a princess," cried Pompa impulsively ."Couldn't you, please-"

" let someone else save her," said the country indifferently, beginning to move off sideways like a crab ." you're the first savages I've found and I'm going to_keep you . not that you're what I'd pick out," it continued ungraciously ." that wooden girl looks uncommonly odd and you two beasts are even queerer . but I'm liberal, I_am, and_the boy looks all right so_far as I_can_see .

" but, look here," panted wag, twitching his nose very fast, " this_is all wrong . land is supposed to stand still, isn't it ? you've no right to discover us . we don't want to_be discovered . put us off at once- do_you hear ? "

" yes, I hear," said the Runaway country gruffly ." and I've heard about enough .Don't anger me," it shrilled warningly ." remember, I'm a wild, rough country ."

" you're the wildest country I ever saw, groaned the elegant elephant, falling up against a tree ." and of all ridiculous happenings this_is_the worst ! "

" never mind," whispered Peg Amy, standing on her tip toes to whisper in Kabumpo's huge ear, it's taking us in_the right direction, and maybe, if_we were very polite-- ? "

" go ahead and try it," wheezed Kabumpo, rolling his eyes ."I'm too upset ." he hugged the tree again .

so Peg climbed to_the top of_the little hill and, waving her wooden arms to attract the country's attention, called cheerfully:

"Yoho, Mr land ! where are_you going ? "

at first the land only blinked his blue lake- eyes sulkily but, as Peg paid no attention to_his ill temper and began making him pretty compliments on_his mountains and trees, he gradually cheered up .

"I'm going to_be an island," he announced finally ." that's where I'm going .I'm tired of being a hot, dry old undiscovered plateau and I don't intend to stop till I come to_the Nonestic ocean ."

"Oh ! " groaned wag, falling over backwards ." we're going to_be cast away on a desert island ."

Peg held up awarning finger ." what made you_want to run away and be an island ? " she asked faintly for, even to Peg, things looked serious .

" well," began the land, giving itself a hitch, "I lay patiently for years and years waiting to_be discovered . nobody came- not even one little missionary .I kept getting lonelier and lonelier . you_see how broken up I_am ! "

" yes, we_can_see that, all right," sniffed Kabumpo .

" and I'm ambitious," continued the country huskily ." i_want to_be cultivated and built up like other Kingdoms . so, one day I_made up my mind I wouldn't wait any longer but would run off myself and discover some settlers . as I_have ten mountains and each has a foot there seemed to_be no reason why I shouldn't run away, so I_did- and I_have ! "

the country rolled its lakes triumphantly at_the little party on_the hill ." I_have found some settlers and I'm looking to_you to develop me into a good, modern, up- to-Oz kingdom .I'm a progressive country and I expect you to improve and make something out of me," it continued earnestly ." there's gold to_be dug out of_my mountains, plenty of good farm land to_be planted and cities to_be built, and-"

" what do_you_think we_are ? " exploded Kabumpo indignantly ."Slaves ? "

" he'll get used to_it in_time," said the Runaway country, paying no attention to Kabumpo, " and he'll be useful for drawing logs . now you," he turned his watery eyes full on Peg Amy, " you seem_to_be the most sensible one in_the party, so i_think I_shall bestow myself upon you . of_course you're not at all handsome nor regular, but from now on you_may consider yourself a princess and me as_your kingdom ."

" thank_you ! thank_you very_much ! " said Peg Amy, hardly knowing what else to_say . cried wag, standing on_his head ."I always knew you were a princess, Peg my dear ."

"Oh, hush ! " whispered Pompa ." can't you_see it's getting more reasonable ? maybe Peg can persuade it to stop ."

" if_it doesn't stop soon I'll tear all its trees out by_the roots," grumbled Kabumpo under his breath ."Logging, indeed ! great Grump ! here's the deadly desert ! "

the air was now so hot and choking that Pompa flung himself face down on_the cool grass . the Runaway country did_not seem to notice the burning sands and pattered smoothly along on its ten mountain feet .

" something has to_be_done, quick," breathed Peg, clasping her hands, " for soon we'll be in Ev ."

Pompa, holding his silk handkerchief before his face, had come up beside her and_they both looked anxiously for_the first signs of_the country that held Ruggedo and_the giant who had run off with Ozma's palace .

"Oh, Mr land," called Peg suddenly .

" yes, princess," answered the country, without slackening its speed .

" have_you thought about feeding us ? " asked the wooden doll gently ."I don't see any fruit trees or vegetables or chickens and settlers must eat, you_know . we ought_to_have some seeds to plant and some building materials, oughtn't we, if_we're going to_make you into an up- to-Oz country ? "

"Pshaw ! " said the Runaway country, stopping with a jolt, "I never thought of_that . can't you eat grass and fish ? there's fine fish in my lakes ."

" well, I don't eat at all," explained Peg pleasantly, " but Pompa is a prince and a prince has to_have meat and vegetables and puddings on Sunday-"

" and I_have to_have lettuce and carrots and cabbages, or I won't work ! " cried wag, thumping with_his hind feet and winking at Kabumpo ."I'll not dig a single mountain ! "

" and I've got to_have my ton of hay a day, too ! " trumpeted the elegant elephant, " or I'll not lug a single log . pretty poor sort of a country you_are, expecting us to live on grass as_if we were donkeys and goats ."

the Runaway country rolled its lakes helplessly from one to_the other ." i_thought settlers always managed to_get aliving off the land," it murmured in a troubled voice .

" not us ! " rumbled Kabumpo ." not enough pie in pioneer to suit this party ! "

" has your highness anything to suggest ? " asked the country, looking anxiously at Peg .

" well," said the wooden doll slowly, " suppose we stop at_the first country we come to and stock up . we_could get a few chickens and seeds and saws and hammers and things ."

" you'd run away," said the Runaway country suspiciously ." not but what I trust you, princess," he added hastily, " but them ." he scowled darkly at Kabumpo and wag ."I'll not let them out of_my sight ."

" how our little floating island loves us, chuckled wag, nudging the elegant elephant .

" they won't run away, said Peg softly ." and if they_did you_could easily catch them again ."

" that's so; I'll stop wherever you say," sighed the country, starting on again .

" what_are you going to_do ? " whispered Pompa, catching Peg's arm .

"I don't know," said Peg honestly, " but perhaps if_we_can make it stop something will turn up . we're almost across the desert now and_that's a big help ."

" you're wonderful ! " cried Pompa, eyeing Peg gratefully ." how can I ever thank_you ? "

" better get your sword ready," said Peg practically, " for we_may run into that giant any minute now ." even Kabumpo and wag had stopped making jokes and were straining their eyes toward Ev .

" let's all stand together ! " gasped wag breathlessly . before Peg or Pompa had time to_plan, or Kabumpo to reply, the Runaway country stepped off the desert and swept over the border and into_the kingdom of Ev, making straight for a tall purple mountain .

" do you_see anything that looks like a giant, or a palace ? " asked Peg, leaning forward .

"Oh, help ! " screamed wag just then, while Kabumpo gave an ear-splitting trumpet . Peg grasped Pompa and Pompa clutched Peg and no wonder ! directly in front of_them were the legs and feet of_the most terrible and tremendous giant they had ever imagined . he_was sitting on_the mountain itself and only a part of him was visible, for_his head and shoulders were lost

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