"Pickle the boy, Can the fish, Mince the lion And pot the fowl,"

commanded the Queen

"Now that's what I'd call taking pot luck," chirped Nick, balancing himself edge bus

But the Prime Preserve replied, " preserve them whole royal museum ? "

While the Queen was considering this suggestion, Notta began feeling pockets under his disguise for paper and pencil, get conversation, but without result

"No use being polite ! Let's joke and run," puffed the clown, after an unsuccessful search Leaning over the edge bus, he tapped the Queen sharply jar Preserva dropped her pad and pencil and almost rolled throne Inside the jar, see her jellied figure bubbling with fright and indignation The Prime Preserve also trembled jar, then leaning down to read the last command of her Majesty, he ran off as fast as his crooked green legs would carry him

"Fetch the Imperial Squawmos," read the Cowardly Lion, with an amused twinkle yellow eyes as Notta tore off the page

" stay here plain pickled to death," scrawled the clown, "so we bid you fond but final farewell "

The Queen leaned forward, the better to read Notta's message and, while Nick, Bob Cowardly Lion fairly rocked with merriment at her discomfited expression, she suddenly unscrewed her lid "Help ! " screamed Preserva loudly, sticking her head jar "Help ! Help ! " Then back went her head and down went the lid, only the whole performance repeated the next second This she kept up at regular intervals until the whole party were simply convulsed But it wiser had they, instead of laughing, looked behind them, for presently terrible thump back sent all the scales on Notta's disguise to trembling It Imperial Squawmos, followed by all the Preserves city While dozen ran to calm the agitated Queen, who was still quivering in her jar, the rest surrounded the Flyaboutabus Most alarming of all, the Imperial Squawmos was not in jar She was, , huge and towering cookywitch with passion for preserving And cookywitch, I don't mind telling you, is next in wizardry to sorceress She had put up the inhabitants entire city and real ruler Preserve

"A fish ! " shrilled the Cookywitch, prodding Notta with fork as long as an umbrella "Ah, what an extreme pleasure canned cats, dogs and people, but never fish And boy," she chucked Bob familiarly under the chin "Spare the jar and spoil the child," she quoted with dreadful wink that sent Snorer circling air, where he flew uneasily over the heads luckless companions

"Off preserving kettles ! " shrilled the Squawmos, and Notta, in real alarm, made dash toward the buttons to start the bus, but the Cookywitch brought down heavy iron spoon, that she carried in one hand, and crushed the entire steering gear The clown, seeing that escape being was impossible, decided back to rule two and gain little time by politeness

"Imperial and Imperious Squawmos," began Notta, speaking somewhat stuffily fish head, "why so determined to preserve us against our wills, and why preserved these others ? "

The Squawmos immediately put down her fork, for she was terribly fond of conversation, and converse Preserves, whose language at best was an indistinct jargon

"Strangers," wheezed the Squawmos, "since the pleasure of putting you up I don't mind explaining my little system In jar, barring breaks, last for years, and needing neither food nor drink it quite unnecessary to work So , we put ourselves up here same reason most housewives preserve their fruit- from working "

"Put yourselves up from working," gasped Notta "But I love my work ! "

"Then very different from most people," observed the Squawmos, looking Cowardly Lion with great interest "But, never mind, soon be perfect Preserve And this lion- look perfectly handsome in jar Let me see, shall I put him up in vinegar or preserve him in spices ? "

The Cookywitch closed her eyes and Notta, winking warningly Cowardly Lion, who was about to spring Imperial monster, cautiously moved his hand toward the only button Flyaboutabus iron spoon smashed-the button that said "Up ! " The Prime Preserve saw him and made indistinct gurgles of protest under his lid, but before warn the Cookywitch or the Prime Preserva, Notta had pressed the button, Flyaboutabus, with jerk that sent hundreds jarmen crashing glass pavement and knocked Squawmos head over heels, rose air Snorer made flying leap and caught it wing, so , and in flash they were hurtling toward the sky Notta, jerking off his disguise, frantically felt for all the buttons, but they were hopelessly broken "This continual flying about makes me light-headed," groaned the lion, hanging on arms seat with both paws

"Where are we going, Notta ? " gasped Bob, edging close to Snorer and peering giddily over the edge bus

"Up as far as it takes us, and then-" Notta shuddered and clung dizzily wheel And up go, faster and faster, until they lost all track and place and even breath enough Then, with terrific crash, the Flyaboutabus ran into small day star, turned completely over and spilled out the whole company

There, caught by its feather wheel, it hung point star, while Notta, Bob, Nick Cowardly Lion fell head over heels air Nick caught himself first and, flying after Bob, edged himself around until the little boy was back Notta Cowardly Lion were falling together, first one and then the other on top, and Nick had to fly rapidly pace with their falling

"Oh, my quills and feathers ! " spluttered the faithful bird, "they'll be shattered to bits ! Oh, my tail and top knot ! What shall ? Bob save, but that beautiful clown broken to pieces ! " Though falling, as Notta explained afterward, did give one sinking sensation, not nearly so unpleasant as he had expected and, when he looked up and saw Bob safely on Snorer's back, he fell more calmly, trying side stroke and calling encouragement Cowardly Lion Earth as it came in view was not very encouraging and Snorer screamed with fright when the rocky nature country into which his friends were tumbling "Goodbye ! " roared the Cowardly Lion, looking up mournfully clown, who was minute little above him "I'll never forget you, are brave man of your disguises " The clown was too affected speech to answer and, when he glimpsed the jagged rocks below, he decided that soon disguised as pan cake So he merely waved others and closed his eyes

Like flash Nick darted down and set Bob on huge boulder Then, with wings spread, he flew up and down, intending, if possible, to break Notta's fall own feathery body But Notta Cowardly Lion never did finish their fall-for whizzed past tall, craggy rock, jutting out side of mountain, stone arm reached out and miraculously caught the rope that held them together

"Scrags and scrivets ! What kind of birds are these ? " cried grating voice, and down ledge stepped roughly hewn man of stone Swinging Notta Cowardly Lion easily in one hand, crunching toward Nick and Bob

CHAPTER 17 The Stone Man of Oz

BOB put his arm around Snorer's neck, and Nick, clapping his nose on its hook, prepared to fly new danger Dangling end rope, Notta sighed mournfully he disguised himself, Cowardly Lion, after one look stone hand that held them, closed his eyes and began to tremble violently The Stone Man was about three times the size of an ordinary man and carved out of huge block of granite His features, though rough hewn, unpleasant and Notta, after few false starts, ventured remark

" very kind of you to catch us," faltered the clown

"It wasn't kindness; curiosity," rasped the Stone Man frankly "I've been watching you fall for , and say you're the oddest looking creatures I've seen in stone age

As this, the Stone Man placed them on flat rock that was on level nose And as sit down, he leaned up against another rock and regarded them inquisitively

"Come on up here," gruffly to Snorer, "and bring that little fellow " Rather reluctantly, Nick flew up with Bob, four fallers tried to compose themselves and catch bit breath they had lost trip down The stone eyes Stone Man rested longest Cowardly Lion "I like you best," he remarked presently "You're better made than these others and not so likely to crumble They look too soft to last long " He poked his stone finger experimentally into Notta's ribs, and only the clown's disguises saved him from serious injury

"Don't ," growled the Cowardly Lion sharply

"What lovely voice," mused the Stone Man almost to himself "Tell me, you ? "

"I'm Cowardly Lion," roared the big beast huskily, "so don't frighten me, for I'll pound you to pebbles "

"I don't believe ," creaked the Stone Man, turning to Notta " ? "

"Well, he's terrible fighter," admitted the clown, with reassuring wink at Bob, "but let's not talk disagreeable things Since you were kind enough to catch us perhaps tell us who

"Crunch is my name," answered the Stone Man, picking up rock and crumbling it to powder hand

" we'd better be going," quavered Snorer tremulously "We're late " Nick had no desire Stone Man's clutches

"Don't go," begged Crunch "I haven't talked to anyone since excavated "

"How ? " asked Notta, scratching his ear

"Oh, several ages ago," replied the Stone Man carelessly "But I'm much older than that, for hacked out by primitive Oz man to decorate this cave But landslide caved cave and buried for several centuries "

"Who dug you up," roared the Cowardly Lion, "and how alive ? "