Percy, who was washing his face in nearby brook, nodded so vigorously water splashed in every direction

" say ! -April, May ! " gaily

"Why put in April May ? " asked Dorothy, running over to splash her own hands brook

" in practice," puffed the Forgetful Poet " plain-aeroplane ? clear-summer's here ? I'm always afraid run out of rhymes," confided Percy, drying his face yellow silk handkerchief "So when I'm talking in prose, I usually add line under my breath "

"Oh ! " said Dorothy, and lowered her head so Forgetful Poet see her smile "You'll like Scraps," observed Dorothy presently "She's poet too " And walked fragrant forest, Dorothy told him all Patch Work Girl, who lives Emerald City Scraps, as most of , is famous characters in Oz, being entirely made from patch work quilt and magically brought to life

"Does she make better verses than ? " asked Percy jealously

"No," answered Dorothy, shaking her head, "not any better, and yours are such fun to finish " This speech so tickled Percy Vere that he recited verse spot, waving his arms so ferociously that Toto hid under rock The little dog peered out hiding place to hear the strange young poet deliver this jingle-which his little doggie head comprehend slightest:

"As out of Snoozleburg, I met melon collie; He wept because So terribly unjolly ! "I patted him head; He bit me shin-Which goes to show just what horrid temper -was-"

"In," giggled Dorothy, "and did he really ? "

"No, unreally," chuckled the Forgetful Poet, leaning down Toto's ear an afectionate little tweak "Unreally ! Unreally ! Unreally ! As unreally breakfast we had Dorothy, my dear, I'm as weak as tea ! "

"Well, you don't look it," laughed the little girl mischievously "But hut between those two pines Perhaps someone lives there "

"Tut tut ! hut; Let's hasten ! door is shut I'll jump right- ? "

"All right ! " said Dorothy merrily "C'mon ! "

The door was shut but Forgetful Poet turned the knob it opened easily found themselves in small, simply furnished cabin no one home, but there were eggs, coffee, bacon and bread cupboard, so Percy made fire little stove and Dorothy quickly prepared an appetizing breakfast

"It must belong to woodcutter," said Dorothy sat down cozily together, "and I don't believe he'll mind "

"I'll leave poem ," said Percy loftily

"And I'll leave my ring," added Dorothy She was little afraid the woodcutter appreciate Percy's poem

While Dorothy washed up the dishes Percy scribbled away busily on some sheets of paper he had found table and, after corrections, he pinned the following verse up wall:

"We've eaten up little bacon And eggs and such and now are takin' Our leave Accept our thanks, and feel little honored entertained with humble fare really celebrated pair-A Princess and Poet, who Wish you good-luck, good-day, a-"

Dorothy took the pencil and added large dieu to Percy's last line Then, leaving her gold ring table, she skipped Forgetful Poet and Toto, who were already out of doors and anxious off

" shall we go ? " Dorothy paused moment " the Emerald City is direction," she decided at last, facing toward the West

"Well, so," sighed Percy Vere, "for otherwise never find the Princess I'd flung that prophet window-so ! " the young poet was getting discouraged

"But even had, there still the monster about," Dorothy reminded him "And if she's lost , she's lost monster, too ! "

"That's so," said the Forgetful Poet, cheering up immediately " of everything, don't you I'm going to write book of verse about you when I get back to Perhaps City "

"That'll be nice," smiled Dorothy "But let's hurry up how far by noon-time " And hurry up it certainly was, path Dorothy had chosen grew steeper and steeper It wound in and out trees and was so rough and full of stones had to stop every once in while to rest

"It's mountain-go fountain ! " panted Percy Vere, after they had toiled steadily upward for more than an hour

"Never mind," puffed Dorothy, tucking Toto under her arm- poor bow-bow was completely worn out-"when we reach the top we'll know where

The trees had thinned out and clouds of vapor hid the top mountain from view, but Dorothy Forgetful Poet kept climbing upward on and on and up

"It's dreadful blue mountain," said Dorothy at last, leaning against rock

"It's blue as blueing," groaned Percy Vere, shaking stone out shoe "What's this ? "

"What's that ? " cried Dorothy, same breath Now this-as it happened-was clothes horse, full of petticoats and pajamas-and two travellers stared at it in disbelief it kicked up its pegs and dashed off at gallop, its petticoats and pajamas snapping breeze was wash woman-a wild, wild wash woman, her hair dragged up on top of her head and held in place by couple of clothes pins She had clothes prop in one hand and cake of soap other Hurling both with all her might at Percy Vere, she turned and scrambled up the mountain, screaming in dozen different keys as she scrambled The clothes prop missed, but the great cake of soap caught Percy squarely stomach

"Ugh ! " grunted the Forgetful Poet, sitting down shock:

"How rude, how rough, how awfully wasteful-The lady's manners are dis dis- ? "

"Gusting," panted Dorothy-who was too frightened rhyme

" fight ? " she asked breathlessly, helping Percy feet " there's going fight Look ! "

Percy snatched up the cake of soap that had felled him and turned coming clouds of steam that hung over the mountain top there suddenly burst terrible company

Toto hid his head in Dorothy's blouse Forgetful Poet could think of no verse to express his feelings No wonder ! charge of wild wash women is enough to frighten the bravest traveller is exactly coming An army of wash women armed with long bars of soap, bottles of blueing, clothes props, wash boards, tubs and baskets They were huge and fat, with rolled-up sleeves and cross, red faces, faster they ran the crosser they grew, crosser they grew the faster they ran

"Doesn't seem polite to fight the ladies, but-Percy raised his arm and flung the cake with all his might head advancing army It struck her smartly nose and, with howl of rage, she dropped her wash tub and rushed two helpless adventurers

"Wash their faces ! Iron their hands and wring their necks ! " she roared hoarsely

" you doing here you-you-scutter-mullions ! "

Before either could answer, and Percy was racking his brains of word to rhyme with scutter-mullions, she had Dorothy by one arm Forgetful Poet other, shaking them until they couldn't have spoken had they tried-while the others pressed so close (as Dorothy told Ozma afterwards) it's wonder they weren't smothered spot But at last, weary of shaking them, the wild wash woman flung them down upon rock

"You're disgrace to our mountain ! " she panted angrily "Look at your clothes ! " ( quite truthful Dorothy Forgetful Poet were looking shabby and dusty extreme )

" his coat ! her dress ! Snatch off their socks ! " screamed the other wash women, making little snatches two rock

Percy put his arms protectingly around Dorothy and Toto showed all his teeth and began to growl so terribly that even the head wash women stepped back

" you doing on Monday Mountain ? " she demanded indignantly

"Monday Mountain ? " gasped Percy Vere "Did you hear that, Dorothy ? We're on Monday Mountain ! Great blueing, black and blueing ! " finished Percy, with groan

"Stop mumbling and speak up ! " shouted the wash woman threateningly

"Stop shouting and shut up ! " barked Toto unexpectedly

"We're searching for Princess," explained Dorothy, surprised silence that followed Toto's remark

"A Princess ! Oh, mother ! "

Out dreadful group sprang perfectly enormous wash girl

"Tell them, tell them ! " She gave the leader tribe playful push "Oh, mother, may him ? "

"My daughter is Princess," announced the wash woman grandly, "Princess Tubbies, and yellow bird pleases her remain "

"And marry me ? ' exulted the Princess of Monday Mountain, clasping her fat hands in glee

"Marry you ! " shouted Percy Vere, springing feet "Never ! Absolutely no-domi-no ! Dorothy, Dorothy, hear what saying ? "

Dorothy , for she had both hands over her ears The shouts and screams Tubbies, at Percy's refusal to marry their Princess, were so shrill and piercing that she thought her head would split racket

" wash tubs ! " screamed the Queen furiously "Wash their faces, wring their necks, hang them dry ! "

And, seizing luckless pair, the wild wash women bore them struggling and kicking top of Monday Mountain-Toto dashing after- herds of clothes horses that graze mountain side scattering in every direction passed

CHAPTER 15

The Finding of Fumbo's Head !

F OR AN HOUR the three crows and Invisi-Bill flew steadily over the Nonestic Ocean, and flying was so unusual and pleasant sensation were too interested Besides, Grampa had warned them beginning all their strength for flying, for no telling how long remain crows and it extremely dangerous back while up air and over the ocean So, except occasional calls of Bill to let them know , they crossed the great ocean in silence

"Land ! " screamed the weather cock, rocky shores of Ev came into view

"Well, that's over ! " cawed Grampa, alighting thankfully on rough cliff "Now cross this country sandy desert Anybody tired ? "

Urtha and Tatters shook their heads and no one what Bill did, so after ' rest they rose air again and flew swiftly Over Ev- on and on until they reached the great desert that entirely surrounds the magic Kingdom of Oz