"And flying is such fun," chuckled Urtha, circling close old soldier "I don't care how long crow But, oh Mr Grampa, there's gun sticking through your feathers "

"What ? " croaked the old soldier in alarm

" heavy," spluttered Tatters suddenly, and looking young Prince, Grampa saw that waist down Tatters and waist up he still was crow

"Down ! Everybody down ! Down as fast fly," ordered the old soldier in panic He himself could feel his feathers turning to clothes wings seemed too light to hold up his body Half flying and half falling, half people and half crows, the little company shot downward, and mighty lucky they started down did As , they turned back to themselves and landed at one same minute, landing was so hard that, for moment, no one spoke at all The old soldier broke the silence

"Why, there's Bill," cried Grampa, who was sitting calmly middle of yellow rose bush He had grown somewhat used to falling about "How feel, Bill ? " asked the old soldier, extracting several thorns person

"How do I look ? " asked the weather cock anxiously

"Handsome as ever," said Grampa, eying him closely "Being invisible hasn't hurt you at all, and how are the rest old cronies ? "

"I'm all right," smiled Urtha, jumping up lightly The little flower maiden was looking as beautiful as ever

"So am I," said Tatters, "but I'd like how we happened crow, and whether it's going to happen often , Grampa, it mighty inconvenient turning backwards and forwards any minute it very unpleasant "

"Well, it helped us over couple of bad places," mused the old soldier "The mischief, boys ! I've lost my pipe ! " Grampa clapped one hand pocket other chin

"You dropped it were crow, Tatters reminded him Grampa answer, for out pocket he had drawn the blue tobacco pouch of Vaga, the bandit excitement following Bill's disappearance all the tobacco had spilled out, but the pouch Grampa had thrust into his pocket just before he turned crow Here, at any rate, , and flap this amazing sentence: " people to crows, smoke this tobacco One puff will keep company of captives crows hour, two puffs, two hours, three puffs for three hours, and so on

" 's the reason there were crows blue forest ! " shouted Grampa indignantly " 's why we turned to crows It's three hours minute," he puffed, pulling out his watch

" you talking about ? " asked Tatters crossly

"Us," chuckled Grampa "It bandit's tobacco that did the trick " Showing them the blue pouch, he explained how he had smoked the magic tobacco instead own and how just three puffs had kept them crows for three hours "A couple more puffs and we'd all the way Emerald City," sighed the old soldier regretfully "How-some-ever, marching is more to my taste "

"What about eating ? That's more to mine " Tatters yawned-for flying had made him quite hungry

"All right," agreed Grampa, and, unfastening his knapsack, out dried bear steaks and busied himself with making fire Fortunately they had lost none possessions by turning to crows- nothing except Grampa's pipe

"I love this country," said Urtha, sitting solemnly beside the old soldier "I believe I like Oz better wizard's garden "

"It's the top world," boasted Grampa, dropping the steak into his campaign frying pan Tatters, meanwhile, had found pink plum tree and came back cap full of plums, he and Grampa had most satisfying luncheon Bill, as usual, was searching fortune and, while they were eating, Urtha merrily skipped rope with long spray of honeysuckle

"Cheer up, boy," said the old soldier, Prince was looking rather thoughtful "We're right track now and only day's march capitol "

"Storm coming ! Storm coming ! " shrilled the weather cock, dropping down suddenly beside the fire "Wind ! Thunder and possible showers ! "

"Oh, g'wan ! " scoffed Grampa, gathering up his tin camp dishes "You g'wan, Bill "

"I don't want on," said the weather cock stubbornly "There's storm coming, I tell you " And sure enough, minute, great gust of wind scattered the camp fire, blew off Grampa's hat and sent cloud of leaves scurrying over the meadows Tatters reached red umbrella, never far side and Urtha, her flowery skirts flying out like ribbons on May pole, came hurrying back

"I've thought of something ! " screamed Bill He had to scream himself heard, wind had risen to perfect gale " King's head was lost in storm, why wouldn't it be found in storm ! "

"Snuff and nonsense ! " shouted the old soldier, picking up his hat and jamming it over his ears Then, first spatter of rain came pelting down, he dashed under the big red umbrella Tatters had all do to hold it steady and the wind nearly jerked him air So Grampa seized the handle with both hands and Urtha, also, took hold But no use The gale was and had time to let go, the red umbrella whirled up like balloon, carrying them all along

"Here I come name of Bill ! " shrieked the weather cock and, flinging himself aloft, he scrambled on top King's umbrella But even Bill's weight bring it down

"Why this, " laughed the little flower fairy, umbrella soared up toward the clouds, " better than flying ! "

"Better hold on," advised Grampa grimly, "there's nothing and earth, but air " The wind rose higher and higher, the rain swirled all around them and tossed them about like rag dolls The three clung desperately umbrella but in ten minutes they had risen above the storm area and were sailing straight toward great patch of pink skyland About halfway over, the umbrella drifted slowly downward and Grampa and Tatters, rather uncertainly, stood up pink clouds

"Will we drop through ? " asked the Prince doubtfully, still keeping hold umbrella After few steps they found it quite as secure real earth

"How soft it feels," murmured Urtha and, letting go umbrella, she began skipping over the fluffy cloud meadows, posies springing up wherever she stepped, just had on Isa Poso And so fresh and beautiful did the little flower girl appear against the pink clouds that Grampa and Tatters simply gasped and little sky shepherdess, who resting on cloud bank, picked up her crook and came running over to touch Urtha

" fairy ? " asked the little shepherdess breathlessly

" Princess ? " demanded Bill, flut-tering down in front little sky lady before Urtha had time at all Bill never allowed anything to interfere with business

"Oh, no ! " The cunning little lady swung her moon bonnet and fluffed out her skirts, which were all embroidered with stars "Oh, no, I'm only shepherdess ! " she answered modestly

"Well, we're looking for head, Princess and fortune," rasped Bill impatiently

"What shepherd ? " asked the old soldier, pushing Bill hurriedly aside "I didn't know there were any sheep sky "

"Not sheep," cried the little maiden, throwing back her head and laughing heartily, "not sheep, but stars ! I tend all the baby stars and keep them from falling Milky Way," she finished, smiling shyly at Tatters

" ," marvelled the Prince of Ragbad, "well, where are they now and what call yourself ? "

"I never call myself, but the stars call me Maribella," answered the little shepherdess, with demure bow "They're asleep now really looking for Princess ? "

Tatters nodded and Urtha, slipping her arms around Maribella's waist, kissed her on both cheeks

" you were the Princess," sighed Urtha, stepping back to look wistfully little sky maiden

"Why ? " asked Maribella curiously

"Because you're the we've seen lovely enough to marry the Prince," said Urtha Tatters looked mightily embarrassed at Urtha's speech and Grampa, drawing Maribella aside told her the whole story adventures

"Well," mused the little sky maiden as he finished, "there aren't any Princesses or for-tunes sky, but lots of heads here clouds "

" ! " roared Grampa in astonishment Maribella nodded

"Didn't' many earth people have their heads clouds ? " she asked seriously "Why there's whole company other side very hill "

"Forward, march ! " cried the old soldier excitedly "Urtha, Tatters, Bill, fall in ! " So fall in , and Maribella was right, for other side cloud hill were nearly hundred heads, resting lightly pink clouds Some were smoking, some stared straight ahead and others were carrying on lively conversation between themselves

"Father ! " screamed the Prince of Ragbad, for King Fumbo's head was almost the first they spied Fumbo was talking quietly head of an inventor of market baskets with legs and he turned in some surprise at Tatters' call

"The head ! The head ! found the head ! " crowed Bill exultantly, and burst into such hurrah of cock-a-doodle-doos that several smokers dropped their pipes and King Fumbo looked positively frightened

"Your Majesty," said Grampa reproachfully, as Bill finally subsided, "how could you leave us like this ? We've been through earth, air, fire and water you "

"Well, I guess the jig's up," sighed Fumbo sorrowfully, "but it's been great treat, Grampa, getting off like this How's everybody ? "

"Everybody was well enough when I left," said Grampa bit stiffly, for he couldn't help feeling that Fumbo got home if he had wanted to "Everybody's well enough, except your own body looks mighty silly doughnut given it "

"So they dough head ! Well, won't ? " asked the King fretfully old soldier

"Oh, father, please come back," begged Tatters, falling knees King's head

" certainly resume your body," declared the old soldier sternly "How did you get up here first place ? "

"It storm," began Fumbo, rolling his eyes from one other "My head never was on very tight, "