"Great Grandfathers ! " choked the clown "Fancy being alive for centuries and not knowing what Why, hundreds of things to interest you, especially in magic country like Oz

travel, and help other folks not so strong as yourself offer your services Queen, or even build city ! "

"Could I ? " gasped Crunch He stared off into space himself doing all these things, idea was almost too amazing Then, bringing his stone heels together with click, he announced determinedly, "I'll ! I'll travel, I'll help people, I'll see the Queen and build city ! "

"Hurrah ! " cried Notta "That's the way And since traveling, join us ? " Crunch, he decided, might prove useful in battle

"Can I walk beside him ? " asked the Stone Man, pointing Cowardly Lion

" 're steady pins," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, "and promise not on me

"Where does the Queen country live ? " asked Crunch, after he had promised not Cowardly Lion

" Emerald City," piped up Bob, who listening Stone Man's conversation with deep interest

"Oh, be over there," said Crunch, waving toward the east, "for often at night, when I've climbed Stone Mountain, I've seen bright green lights twinkling darkness "

"Why, ," roared the Cowardly Lion in great excitement, "though why never gone over out imagine ! "

"That's because you were never stone man," sighed Crunch solemnly

"Then we'll soon see Dorothy Scarecrow ! " cried Bob, clapping his hands "Come on, let's go Emerald City right away

Nick flew off top mountain to investigate for himself

"You forget Mustafa's enchantment," sighed Notta, pointing sadly rope that still bound him Cowardly Lion "I daresay took step toward the Emerald City, Mustafa would ring us up again "

" Mustafa and why has he enchanted you ? " demanded Crunch, rubbing his stone forehead noisily Notta explained story as he thought the Stone Man would understand, and when he had finished Crunch gave little spring that almost knocked them ledge "Why, as clear as cobbles," he roared, bringing down his fist upon rock and splintering it to fragments " weaker than I and, as fully determined to help someone, let me Where Mustafa of Mudge ? Take me to him pound him to powder and disperse him winds "

Before Notta could answer Nick came flying back to assure them that he had really seen the Emerald City mountain top it lay scarcely half day's journey away "Then it seems ," said Notta, who doing some quick thinking, " time to separate Bob, Nick hasten Emerald City and appeal to Ozma, Dorothy Wizard of Oz Meanwhile the Cowardly Lion can start toward Mudge and thus Mustafa's ring will not betray us But before he reaches there found way to help him "

" go Cowardly Lion," declared Crunch promptly, "for rather help him than else "

"Hurrah ! " cried Bob Up, and so all decided Then Notta sat Cowardly Lion's back and he sprang down ledge Next Snorer flew down with Bob, clown untied the rope that tied him lion Immediately he and Bob turned blue, but Cowardly Lion took few steps south, the blue quickly faded out Notta was so relieved free that he turned six somersaults, stood head, and ran several paces hands, while Bob and Nick shouted with glee

"Crush and crumble me ! " rasped the Stone Man, eyeing the clown in alarm, "is way men get about nowdays ? The men I watched stone age never did that and I simply manage it, "

"Don't try," begged Notta, and Nick hastened to assure him that most men walked usual fashion one foot other

"Mudge exactly southwest from here, so come on, old Cave Man, let's be moving Together we'll conquer the whole tribe of Mudgers," said the lion

"You won't have to," cried Notta, giving the Cowardly Lion an affectionate hug, " Wizard of Oz is as clever as he's said "

Crunch waited impatiently while Nick and Bob bade the Cowardly Lion goodbye Having stood around for seven centuries, bear to waste another second, and Cowardly Lion at last declared himself ready he tramped off joyfully, each step shaking the ground like small earthquake and enveloping the poor lion in cloud of dust

"Goodbye ! " called Bob Up shrilly, turned into narrow rocky path and disappeared behind small mountain

"Goodbye ! " roared the Cowardly Lion, bravely waving his tail in farewell had happened since their flight from Un that Notta had forgotten all of day, but when he started up the mountain, he grew so faint, he had to sit down on rock Bob, too, looked pale and weary, and every few hops Nick would close his eyes and indulge in tremulous snore

"Great Elephants ! " puffed Notta at last, squinting up sun "It nearly five o'clock and we've had nothing to eat since morning still got those eggs, Bob Up ? " Bob felt hurriedly blouse and, with triumphant smile, produced the eggs they had picked travelers' tree They were somewhat squashed, but shells removed they tasted delicious famished travelers Washed down with some water from little spring, the food renewed their strength and courage journey ahead

" nothing happens Cowardly Lion," said Bob, started up the mountain again, "for I love him "

"So do I," croaked the Snorer, who was flying little ahead, "and miss him when we go to America our fortune But, leave that beautiful person " He rolled his eyes proudly at Notta, clown quite unconsciously sighed Life in circus would seem terribly tame marvelous trip through Oz

"We home tomorrow, if everything works out," he remarked soberly, with an anxious glance at Bob word "home" the little boy shivered slightly, for home to him meant great, dreary institution where little boys whom nobody wanted were grudgingly sheltered and eternally shaken heart he hoped the magic Wizard of Oz strong enough to back Notta was wondering to himself whether the managers home would trust little boy's future to clown and resolving darkly that, wouldn't, he'd take him anyhow But nothing to Bob Up, and presently broke into such comical song Bob forgot all about going back the song:

"A goblin's ears are very long, goblin's nose goes wobble, But what I'd really like Is what makes goblins gobble ? Perhaps they gobble 'cause they're imps-And dreadfully imp-olite ! Pshaw, all is squabble hobble, Gobble night ! "

"Speaking of night," chuckled Snorer, balancing branch of low tree, "we'll probably have it forest below, would hardly be safe to travel dark and it'll be dark we're down this mountain

"Well," laughed Notta, "it wouldn't be the first time Bob and slept in forest, and your snores ought to scare off any wild animals "

"That's so," sighed Nick, adjusting his nose, and quite satisfied he flew on ahead The path was rough and uneven and, though Notta and Bob frequently slipped and slid, in another hour they were safely down the mountain dusk stepped strange forest, and Bob fancied the trees were peering down at him kindly They were so tired Notta paused under an immense maple tree and Nick leaned up against the trunk and fell instantly to snoring and stamping, while Notta began gathering branches and leaves for beds The clown spread his old lion disguise over Bob's pile little boy, stretching out comfortably, gazed up first star twinkling merrily evening sky and thought how strange his narrow bed home would seem The wind sighed tree tops with gentle and soothing sound, and even Nick's snoring seemed comforting and pleasant to Bob Up

"Bob," said Notta, as he dropped down beside him, " friendliest forest ever in Bob nodded, and little rustle went rippling forest as trees had actually heard him, and same instant each tree quietly opened its trunk and drew forth fiddle

Before Notta and Bob had recovered from their surprise wave of music swept wood, now soft, now loud, but more entrancing than any they had ever heard trees, swaying and bending dim starlight, plied their bows with more skill than any orchestra mortal world For Bob and Notta, , had come Fiddlestick Forest of Oz

CHAPTER 18 Notta's Last Disguise

OF all his adventures, Bob remembered this strange concert longest The fairylike music, that even made the Moon bend down to listen, the drumlike accompaniment of Nick's snores misty faces trees themselves, bending down dim starlight, all added enchantment Bob remember falling asleep, for all through his dreams marched the music fiddles-but slept, for opening his eyes suddenly, the sun out and shining merrily He looked around to ask Notta whether he had dreamed fiddles or really heard them, but Notta was nowhere seen Nick, too, had vanished

Rather alarmed, Bob jumped up As so large green leaf with white lines traced fluttered ground