"There He calmly dropped two large buttons doorman's plate "Just lead us to her Majesty at once

"Someone's been jam again," quavered the doorman without looking buttons "Oh, the Queen's in fury-a fury-a fury ! "

At each fury little hop

"You said that before," observed Notta, looking around curiously

"A fury ! fury ! fury ! " persisted the doorman, continuing to hop, and as each hop carried him farther away soon out of sight

"Wait ! " cried Notta, lumbering after him, disguise made him clumsy

"Wait ! " cried Bob Up, running after Notta Down the long hall they both ran, and, turning suddenly, found themselves in large, impressive throne room The entire wall space was taken up doors of every size and shape imaginable and before each door stood doorman similar one they had already seen center room were two magnificent thrones first sat large, handsome Queen and second small nervous King The King's crown was entirely made of china door knobs, mounted on gold bars, while the Queen's of many gold door keys The Queen was looking buttons as Bob and Notta entered

"Buttons ! " hissed her Majesty contemptuously "What do buttons stand for ? "

"Us, your Highness ! " replied Notta, bowing as low as his disguise would permit, and drawing Bob forward

The King twiddled his thumbs and recited:

"B stands for buttons And B stands for bears, B stands for buttons and boy-Bring two chairs ! "

"Nonsense ! " thundered the Queen The doormen hastily brought two chairs and Bob and Notta sat down

" he'll appreciate rule two," whispered the clown "He's quite polite himself "

"Theodore," said the Queen, her face beginning to work curiously, "Theodore, I believe they stole the jam Bears and little boys are always stealing jam And what right have they here without titles ? Where are their titles ? "

"Adorable Queen," said the clown, half rising and pointing paw buttons, "those are the badges order We belong, your Highness, ancient and honorable Order of Bachelors, at present lords of all we survey "

" believe that ? " The Queen turned and squarely faced the King

"No ! " said Theodore emphatically, turning to squarely face the Queen "How could I, when no such place Where All-we-survey ? " he asked sternly " in Oz ? "

Notta was so surprised sudden turn the conversation had taken that he sat down with thump

"He's dorm ! " screeched the Queen, her voice rising higher and higher "He's dorm-that's what ! "

"What's dorm ? " gasped Bob, so surprised that he forgot frightened

"A dorm is an animal that lies dormant in cold weather, like bear or 'possum, my dear Buttons," explained the King, shaking his finger at Bob, "but he's got no business here now

" it all," panted the Queen beginning to wave her arms "He didn't come here to sleep but to steal ! Theodore, he has stolen the jam ! "

The King wagged his head from side to side as he repeated this verse:

"He's come without reason And quite out of season; I agree , Ma'am, He has stolen the jam ! "

"Put out your tongue ! " commanded the Queen, waving bunch of keys at Notta This Notta was unable , bear head had no tongue

" ! " shrilled the Queen triumphantly, " afraid out his tongue Slammer," she called, turning to huge doorman, who stood behind the throne, " the punishment for door jam stealing ? "

The doorman whisked little book pocket and, after flipping over number of pages, read in high nasal voice, " caught stealing the Queen's door jam his knob twisted and every door kingdom slammed on him besides "

"How fearfully unhealthy," muttered Notta, rising to protest his innocence But the Queen waved him back, and banging her keys arm of her throne called loudly, "Slammer, carry out the sentence ! "

Slammer immediately blew sharp whistle and every doorman room sprang toward the trembling Notta

"Stop ! " cried Bob, doubling up his fists "He didn't steal your old jam 'Tisn't bear at all, it's Notta ! "

"Notta ? " gasped the King, rubbing his watery blue eyes, and leaning forward

"Not bear ! " puffed the clown, hastily snatching off his bear head, just first doormen grasped him shoulders

CHAPTER 7 The Escape From Doorways

"What by standing there and telling us you're not bear ? " puffed the King, he had got his breath

" mistake, that now," said the clown, hastily stepping out disguise "If your Highness will overlook it this once, never occur again

"Shall we overlook it ? " asked the King, turning to squarely face the Queen Adora was staring in amazement clown, and being very curious Queen she decided not the intruder slammed till she found out all about him " overlook it ," she answered haughtily, waving the doormen back places

The King smiled and chanted this couplet:

"She'll overlook it ; Be seated, please, and both look pleasant ! "

Bob sat down with sigh of relief What queer beings this King and Queen were ! Everything was queer, but for some reason or other Bob rather enjoyed it King Theodore was not nearly so fierce as Mustafa, singular habit of breaking into verse simply fascinated the little boy "This brings us to rule three," confided Notta in hoarse whisper "Joke and run, ! "

"When is door not door ? " asked the Queen, pointing her finger suddenly clown

"When it's adorable, like your Majesty," replied Notta with grin "Or when it's jar of door jam, like the one your Highness has just lost ! "

Before Adora had recovered from her surprise, Notta pointed his finger King and shouted, "Why is tomato like book ? "

"Because it grows on vine," answered King Theodore sulkily, "and you needn't scream at me like that ! "

"Wrong ! " said Notta triumphantly "A tomato's like book because it's red through "

" believe that ? " asked the King, turning to squarely face the Queen

"No ! " said her Majesty shortly, "I don't "

"But book couldn't grow on vine," objected Bob Up mildly

"My books do," insisted Theodore, pursing up his lips

"Where were you brought up ? " asked the Queen, staring at Bob severely

"You needn't answer don't want to," whispered the King, as Bob squirmed uneasily around chair "The main thing is, what brought you up here ?

" 's story, rise and speak What ? Whom seek ? "

" story," said Notta, springing up quickly, and glad opportunity their strange adventures and to ask few questions Emerald City "A long story, your Highness," continued Notta In as few words as possible former life circus, flight to Mudge, of Mustafa's determination them capture the Cowardly Lion

As Notta paused for breath, the King said, "Shall we let them pass through Doorways, my love ? " Instead of answering the Queen leaned over and whispered in Theodore's ear

"Her Highness wishes amused," announced the King, straightening up "You said circus your business people laugh Well, if us laugh continue your journey begin now and three trials "

The King folded his hands stomach and leaned back vastly pleased with himself Notta's forehead wrinkled anxiously, for Queen Adora looked she had never laughed in her life But with wink at Bob the clown began First he let out an ear splitting screech that so alarmed the King his crown fell off Then he turned complete somersault, chair and all, ran across the room hands and cartwheeled back so fast one have told whether person or pinwheel Next he bent double, seized his ankles hands and jumped singular position entirely over Bob, finishing with neat bow Queen's throne

" that's funny ? " puffed the Queen, turning to squarely face the King, who was mopping his brow with silk handkerchief

"No-no ! " stuttered Theodore, in slightly cracked voice "It quite upset me, my love Slammer, where's my crown ? " Slammer recovered the King's crown and then both their Majesties stared solemnly at Notta The clown stared back, puzzled expression round jolly face Then, dragging huge handkerchief pocket, he whirled it over his hand and instantly it tied itself into foolish rag baby, which the clown clasped bosom, crooning:

"I love my baby, 'deed , Indeed, indeed ! He has no hair upon his head, But neither, Sir, !

"But his will grow, , , big, But yours will never grow-and so You'd better buy wig ! "

"Wh- at ! " screamed King Theodore furiously, and Notta, dropping the handkerchief baby, noticed first time King's head was entirely bald Bob Up was holding himself together and smiling into his collar

"Shocking ! " coughed Adora, looking clown through her eye glasses

" singing about Slammer," gulped Notta, noting in an instant chief doorman was bald too "Now just let me tell you little joke once triangular pig, dance triangular jig, and-"

" believe that ? " shrilled King Theodore, again turning his Queen

"No," snapped the Queen, shutting her lips very tight "How could I ? "

"Then, clouds rolled away, would they be mist ? " roared Notta, could continue their disagreeing He bounced four feet air and pointed playfully King

"I wouldn't miss 'em," replied the King sullenly " that's funny ? " Again he turned Queen, who shook her head emphatically

"Well, it's funny ! " said Bob, jumping out chair He looked indignantly King Queen

"Then why don't you laugh ? " asked the King accusingly Poor Bob couldn't explain that laughing was hard matter for an orphan, so he sat down rather suddenly, while Notta began looking all around he were hunting something He searched on each step King's throne, then he looked into his Majesty's lap and, finally, running around back peered under Theodore's collar

"What's the matter ? " asked his Majesty irritably " you looking for now ? "

"My joke," sighed the clown, "I'm looking poor little joke lost on you When I asked, ' clouds rolled away, would they be mist,' said it's according way you spell 'em-see ? "

"No," said Theodore, sternly, "I don't,

"I only see dunce; You haven't made us laugh, not once ! "

The Queen nodded emphatically and, glaring scornfully two intruders, swept throne room