The foot-path jiggled so frightfully while he wrote 'tis wonder it could understand the directions as all, but as he let the pencil drop, it turned sharply in its tracks and started racing opposite direction, tripping and stumbling in its eagerness ahead they reached the Quilty Kingdom, the three travel-lers were so shaken up and down they tumbled off the path in perfect heap of exhaustion Even Scraps, in her imprisoning bag, had nothing at all Not satisfied with shaking them nearly to bits, the foot-path gave Piecer playful kick with its forty-ninth foot and then, jumping over green cotton patch, gaily took its departure Now, morning, the Patch-workers anxiously awaiting the return ministers and, two exhausted sovereign seekers rolled gates, great crowd of Quilties came hurrying to meet them

"What bagged ? our ruler ? Show us the Imperial Potentate," they cried, clattering their shears and shaking their sewing boxes Seeing that nothing would satisfy them but an immediate sight Queen, Scrapper scrambled wearily feet and began fumbling strings bag

"Will your Imperial Highness deign to step out ? " suggested Scrapper, sticking his head cautiously bag

"Out ! " shrilled Scraps, and bouncing up like Jill box, gave Scrapper resounding smack ear "You villain ragman Take me back How dare you hurl Me in sack ? " she cried furiously and, whirling upon Piecer, boxed his ears as soundly as she had boxed Scrapper's the delight Quilties knew no bounds They began to cheer and stamp with approval

"What fine temper ! What marvelous beauty ! She's the Queen " And raising their shears they shouted altogether, "Hurrah Queen Quilties ! "

"Try to act like Queen, can't you ? " puffed Scrapper, seizing the agitated Patchwork Girl arm

"You're making great hit ! " whispered Piecer persuasively " , maiden, so announce it to your subjects " Scraps had recovered enough to look around and what she saw interested her greatly The gaudy Quilty Kingdom, with its gay cotton patches, the Quilties themselves, in their oddly patched clothes, seemed as beautiful to Scraps as she seemed

"What ? Am I Queen ? " she demanded, rolling her suspender button eyes from side to side The Prime Ministers of Patch nodded and, , two Quilties, with huge patchwork arm chair on wheels, pushed their way crowd

"Quick, now, ," begged Piecer When Scraps, in an excited whisper, imparted the information, he cried in loud voice: "Hats off to Her Patchesty ! Three cheers for Queen Scraps of Patch ! "

The cheers were given with will and, as Piecer grandly handed the Patchwork Girl royal rolling chair, the excited Quilties fairly pelted her with patches, tomato pin-cushions and hard spools of cotton Luckily Scraps is stuffed person, with no feeling at all, otherwise she hurt flying missiles As , she sat back grandly, bowing now left, now right and feeling more important than she had ever felt in her whole cotton career reached the patched palace, two Quilty boys were waiting steps, one coronet other crown jewels and, amid the further cheers populace, Scraps was crowned Queen Kingdom and led triumphantly into her castle The crown was round sewing basket, the crown jewels string of old spools, but scarcely noticing the odd character of her royal regalia, Scraps strutted proudly up and down the shabby hall palace, rehearsing grand speeches and queenly gestures As for Scrapper and Piecer-too weary to bother about supper or bed-they immediately locked all the windows and doors and fell into heavy slumber on hall bench

CHAPTER 3

Duties Quilty Queen

HUNGRY from their long fast, for they had eaten nothing the day before, and wearied by their long quest, the two Quilty statesmen arose early next morning "High time to instruct her Highness duties of her office," yawned Scrapper, ruffling up his hair

" she has breakfast ready," muttered Piecer, groaning little as he straightened his knees and stretched out his arms "And this Queen lasts , Scrapper, for another day like yesterday the end of me Come on, let's see what she's doing "

Not requiring any sleep, Scraps had spent the first half night wondering how she had come Queen Then, giving it up, she spent the other half dancing and singing and composing long speeches to deliver to her subjects As Piecer and Scrapper stepped main hall palace, she was arranging her yarn hair before long mirror Catching sight glass, she spun gaily round and clapping her crown on sideways cried haughtily: "Vassals, fetch my rolling chair Your Queen desires to air ! "

"Stuff and Nonsense ! " sputtered Scrapper, amazed Patchwork Girl's audacious verse "Don't the coronation is over and it's time to work ? "

"Work ? " shrilled Scraps, catching hold of patched portiere to steady herself "Queens supposed to work Where are the servants ? "

" no servants," answered Scrapper calmly "The Queen does all the work here Just read off the list of her Majesty's duties, Piecer, old fellow "

Putting specs, Piecer drew long sheet of paper patched pocket and began: "The Queen of Patch, on arising, shall prepare the breakfast of her two chief advisers (meaning us)," explained Piecer, looking severely Patchwork Girl over his spectacles "She shall beds," he continued complacently, his voice growing higher with each item, "sweep the floors, dust the furniture, scrub the steps, wash the windows, sort the patches, count the cotton spools, separate the old clothes for mending, feed the Scissor Bird, help pick tomato pin-cushions, scold the Patch-workers-and-"

"Stop ! " commanded Scraps, flinging up her arm imperiously

"But I'm not nearly finished," objected Piecer, rattling the paper impatiently

"Well, ! " The Patchwork Girl's suspender buttons glittered angrily behind the steel spectacles "Get someone else your sovereign," she cried "You don't want Queen, cook, housekeeper and Grandma ! " Snatching the work basket from her head, she dashed it floor and jumping with both feet shouted defiantly: "Eeejee, weejee, squeejee, squb ! sweep, scrub ! scrub ! dust ! So let those dust and scrub ! "

"Better save your strength for your work," advised Piecer, stepping back few paces "You're Chief Scrapper," he whispered hurriedly companion "You settle her while I fetch the Scissor Bird "

door slammed upon Piecer, the Chief Scrapper faced the Patchwork Girl "Go on, get as mad please," he urged cheerfully "The madder the better we like you The crosser you grow the better queen you'll make for Patch, our Queens good scolders," he chuckled, rubbing his hands gleefully together

"I'm not your queen," screamed Scraps, stamping one foot and then the other "Take me back Emerald City, you miserable ragamuffin free subject of Ozma of Oz "

"Oh, no ! You're Queen of Patch, now, corrected Scrapper, picking up the waste basket and jamming it down upon her cotton forehead "You were chosen royal Spool of Succession our ruler ! "

While Scraps listened in amazement, he explained how the former queen had gone to pieces and how the golden spool had led them Emerald City

"And , just because your silly spool tagged me, that I'm going to stay and do all your work ? " exclaimed Scraps, snapping her cotton fingers under Scrapper's nose "Kazupp-kazick, you make me sick ! " Rushing door, she jerked it open, bumped against Piecer, way in, and sat down with thud

"What pretty creature," chirped the Scissor Bird, who had flown over Piecer's head " the new Queen ? "

Scrapper nodded

"She knows almost cross words last one," he chuckled admiringly "But she refuses to work "

"Oh, she'll work now," smiled Piecer With significant wink at his companion, he thrust broom into Scrap's hands and, turning Scissor Bird, said quietly: "If her Majesty refuses to clean the castle, just cut off her head ! "

"Nothing would more pleasure," chortled the bird, and snapping his scissor bill hungrily, he swooped down upon Scraps and snipped an inch off her yarn hair

"Help ! " screamed the Patchwork Girl "Help ! Help ! " But no one to help her and, Scissor Bird took another snip at her yarn, she seized the broom and fell to sweeping for dear life

" finish sweeping, wash the windows," said the Chief Scrapper and, taking the arm Prime Piecer, passed pompously out garden All day, pursued relentlessly Scissor Bird, Scraps flew from one task to another Being made of cotton she grow tired, but as she had never in her whole life done anything she wish , imagine how furiously angry she became

"Wait till Ozma hears ! " she raged, shaking her scrubbing brush under the Scissor Bird's bill "Just wait ! "

"I'll wait ! " yawned the Scissor Bird, "but you'll have to wait too, and while we're waiting suppose you go on scrubbing "

Poor Scraps, she wept with anger, but she constructed for crying and having not tear in her cotton constitution was forced to express her indignation in groans, shouts and threatening verses the Scissor Bird paid no attention whatsoever and by night-fall Scraps even energy enough verses After complaining bitterly about their dinner, and it confessed that Scraps, having had no experience, proved poor cook, the two Quiltie Ministers locked her securely palace sitting-room and went off their fellow townsmen Emerald City They took the Scissor Bird and, left to her own devices at last, the Patchwork Girl sank into broken chair and began to rock to and fro

"No wonder the Queens go to pieces so fast," groaned Scraps, anxiously examining rip in her cotton finger She had caught it on nail while scrubbing the castle steps "Kazupp Kazoo, what shall ? Stay here and go to pieces, too ? Never ! "

Springing up, she took the candle the Quilties had placed center table and ran from one window other But the windows were all locked and barred and, after rattling the door knobs and pounding wall, she sat dejectedly down rocking chair again nothing room to amuse her All the books bookcase were needle-books, all the cushioms were pin-cushions wall was simply covered with cross stitched mottoes

"A stitch saves nine ! " sniffed Scraps, scornfully reading the one nearest her "Well, who wants to save nine ? Why should nine be saved any more than six or seven ? "

no one to argue it with, so after little silence she murmured: "I wonder what's chest ? " Except for few rickety chairs sewing-table, the chest only other piece of furniture room Taking the candle, Scraps walked over chest, and dropping on her knees, cautiously lifted the lid At first she thought empty, but, as three or four drops of hot candle grease dripped inside, low growl rumbled darkness In some alarm Scraps jumped back

"Go away ! " roared gruff voice "Do your own scolding, I'm sleepy ! Shut that lid, I tell you ! "

"Shut it yourself ! " cried the Patchwork Girl, who was extremely tired of being ordered about Besides she was little frightened , short pause, followed by surprised grunt, and presently rumpled head appeared above the edge chest small brown bear Blinking at Scraps, it grumbled crossly, "Where's the Queen ? Who in scratch ? "

"I'm the Queen, who in Patch ? " answered the Patchwork Girl saucily The bear regarded her attentively for before he answered Then putting his head on one side he explained calmly, "Why, I'm pet late Queen Cross Patch Has she gone to pieces ? "

Scraps nodded "I don't see why she wanted bear for pet," she added frankly