"Does it help ? " asked the Cowardly Lion in an interested voice Bob Up looked thoughtful, but clown nodded emphatically, nothing It seemed to Bob that Notta always picked the wrong disguise, but the clown was so confident and cheerful bear to discourage him So he listened politely while Notta explained his rules of disguise, politeness, joke and run When he had finished the Cowardly Lion shook his head

"I suppose, said he, half closing his eyes, "that help your disguises any more than help my cowardice "

"It isn't that afraid," explained Notta hastily, "but fight better when I'm not looking like myself When I look like myself funny and when funny, 't fight "

"Well, with me," said the Cowardly Lion, who like most of us enjoyed talking about himself, "the funnier I look, the harder I fight So don't frighten me, I beg of you, for when I'm frightened I fight terrifically "

"I'll remember what you say," said Notta, turning somersault, and wondering uneasily what the Cowardly Lion would do when he tried to capture him But the thought of being captured never entered the lion's head rather the two strangers turn up It postponed that disagreeable business of eating brave man , should run across one journey, well enough, but first his plain duty to conduct this clown and little boy safely Emerald City

Notta was so cheerful and jolly and made fun out of everything Cowardly Lion felt repaid for any trouble taking and Bob Up so happy since they had fallen bewildering country Toward noon, sun grew rather hot, the Cowardly Lion turned into small inviting wood which was short cut yellow brick road But very first tree, large sign made them pause The sign said, "Twenty trees to U "

"I never heard of any country called U" mumbled the Cowardly Lion, blinking up sign in surprise

" one just like this road we came down yesterday," said Notta "Bob and I wondered what it stood for "

"Well, I don't know," mused the lion "That's the queer thing about Oz Even old residents like myself are often amazed new countries and peoples where we never expected them According maps only scattered farms between here Emerald City But as wood, see what U stands for "

Bob first to discover that every the trees were numbered and, following them order numbers, took them deeper and deeper forest reached the tree numbered nine-teen, they were alarmed to note that all the other numbers that had guided them had disappeared The wood had meanwhile grown so dense that hardly push on and, when Notta suggested go back, they found they had lost the way entirely The Cowardly Lion was full of stickers and thorns and, while Bob picked them out woolly mane, the clown climbed the nineteenth tree little survey country

With shout scrambling down "There's clearing just beyond, and out twenty tree center," puffed Notta "Come on ! " The clown was growing more interested strange country hardly wait going to happen next

"Let me go first My hide doesn't tear as easily as yours," said the Cowardly Lion, and he began pushing heavy thicket direction pointed out by Notta Holding up their arms to protect their faces, the others followed and in almost no time had come out on small clearing looked the clown clutched Bob, while the Cowardly Lion blinked with astonishment The twentieth tree was knitting furiously, holding in its long fingers nearly hundred gleaming needles, and bending its witchy head every once in while to examine the great, cloudy net that flowed all around it For some moments they watched in puzzled silence Then Bob screamed, the Cowardly Lion roared and Notta gasped with alarm net suddenly swooped down and scooped them up like school of fish The tree gave disagreeable little laugh, quickly knitted the top net together and, lifting all its branches at once, tossed the luckless travelers high over its head

Miraculously, as it struck the air, the big porous bag filled out like balloon and went sailing upward at terrible rate-the Cowardly Lion, Bob Up and Notta rolling over and over bottom and bumping and banging together in most painful and unpleasant fashion

CHAPTER 10 Isle of Un

just stop trembling," puffed the clown, trying Cowardly Lion's way, " it would help "

"But how can I stop trembling when so frightened," complained the lion, clutching the swaying net with all four paws

"I'm frightened too ! " wailed Bob, who was rolling and bouncing first against one, then against the other

"It seems you're shaking about lot yourself," said the Cowardly Lion reproachfully, as Notta dove suddenly into his ribs " you trying ? "

"My disguise ! " panted the clown, clutching at his chest "If only put on my disguise "

"Aho ! " mumbled the Cowardly Lion, and stopped trembling long enough to grin But just then the balloon calmed down, and changing its course sailed gently and levelly sky, so three huddled together bottom were fairly comfortable

"I guess U stands for Up You surely bobbed up , didn't you ? " Notta winked merrily little orphan, and then peered curiously holes net "This reminds me of balloon trip I once made circus Wonder where we'll land ? "

"Are we to land at all ? " sighed the Cowardly Lion unhappily Two legs had slipped through holes net and feeling uneasy and uncomfortable "Climb on me, Bob, my boy little softer 've been in Oz as long as , you'll take nothing for granted " He looked mournfully clown who moment below him

"Then I'll just take it Oz is," laughed Notta "Why, here's land now ! And we're slowing down " So they were, down down down, until they were over rocky island net was almost resting on little green hill, it turned completely and suddenly upside down, and shook them out violence rolled all the way bottom The Cowardly Lion jumped up first and hurriedly placed himself in front of Bob Though trembling even more than usual, that better fighter than these helpless mortals there fighting reasonably sure, for great crowd was coming noisily toward them

Notta nervously jerked Bob feet and stood beside the Cowardly Lion no time for disguising "We'll just start with rule two," panted the clown, running his finger hurriedly 'round his collar "Let's be ex-tre-eemly polite That's the way to meet strangers "

"All right," agreed the Cowardly Lion in rather choked voice, "you meet 'em with politeness, and fails, I'll meet 'em with something else " He gnashed his teeth them from chattering first company reached the foot hill Bob gave little scream, but Notta calmly stepped forward

"Ladies and gentlemen ! " began the clown best circus manner, "Let me introduce you most famous lion , the Cowardly Lion of Oz, as brave as cowardly; allow me Bob Up, the brightest little boy United States, and myself, harmless clown whose tricks have astonished the crowned heads of two continents Ladies and gentlemen, let-"

"Two creatures and beast," called the leader company, interrupting Notta middle of sentence "Two creatures and beast," repeated the others, staring dully newcomers The Cowardly Lion growled threateningly and Notta began running over all the jokes that As for Bob, too amazed anything but stare, were certainly the most curious beings he had ever seen life

with, they had feathers instead of hair These feathers were small and fine and grew smoothly back from their foreheads, becoming longer back and curling softly behind the ears Their eyes were perfectly round and their noses almost like bird beaks Otherwise they were the same as regular folks, except in their manner of walking, for their feet turned in had to hop, putting one foot down and then hopping over it Before Notta could start joke, the leader singular creatures motioned to two behind him They immediately stepped forward, unfurling so large banner

"Unwelcome to Un," said the banner in crooked yellow letters

"No use being polite then," rumbled the Cowardly Lion and, taking matters into his own paws, such thundering roar very ground trembled

"Ginger poppa ! " gasped the clown, almost as frightened Featherheads The effect crowd was simply breath-taking Beginning back necks, their feathers slowly rose straight on end until each head looked like huge and quivering feather duster The Cowardly Lion tried to roar again, but the best that manage was chuckle Notta took one look, then fell up against tree and laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks Even Bob giggled "Try 'em again," wheezed the Cowardly Lion " they'll listen now " Wiping his eyes sleeve, Notta stepped forward and addressed the leader

"Could you tell us little interesting country of yours, quickest way out of it ? " he inquired politely Slowly the feathers heads crowd began to settle

"'Taint country, it's skyle," answered the Featherhead, blinking rapidly

"A skyle ? " repeated the clown, glancing doubtfully Cowardly Lion, who appeared as puzzled as " skyle ? " asked Notta curiously