"Have we ? " yawned the Elegant Elephant, opening one eye You don't say ? Hah, Hoh, Hum ! " with tremendous yawn he opened the other eye and began to chuckle and shake all over

"We stole march on 'em, Pompa I'd like the King's face when he finds us gone Old Pumper Oyezing all over the palace He'll think we've disappeared by magic "

"Well, didn't we ? " asked Pompadore in amazement

"Not unless you call me magic I carried you off night Did you suppose old Kabumpo was going to stand quietly by while they married you to fagotty old fairy like Faleero ? Not much," wheezed the Elegant Elephant " other plans , little one ! "

"But terrible ! " cried the Prince, catching hold of tree "Here left my poor old father, my lovely mother, whole Kingdom of Pumperdink to disappear We'll have right straight back--right straight back to Pumperdink hear ? "

"Do have little sense ! " Kabumpo shook himself crossly " 't save them by going back The thing is forward, find the Proper Princess and marry her No scroll magic takes effect for seven days, anyway ! "

"How ? " asked Pompa anxiously

"Read it in witch book," answered Kabumpo promptly "Now, that gives us plenty Emerald City and present ourselves lovely ruler of OZ There's Proper Princess , Pompa ! "

"But suppose she refuses me," said the Prince uncertainly

"You're very handsome, Pompa, my boy " The Elegant Elephant gave the Prince playful poke trunk "I've brought all my jewels as gifts magic mirror and door knob If she refuses you worst comes worst"-- Kabumpo cleared his throat gravely--"well--just leave it ! "

After bit more coaxing and after eating the breakfast Kabumpo had thoughtfully brought along, Pompa allowed the Elegant Elephant to lift him head and off they set at Kabumpo's best speed Emerald City of Oz

Neither the Prince nor the Elegant Elephant had ever been out of Pumperdink, but Kabumpo had found an old map of Oz palace library According map, the Emerald City lay directly South own country "So all is going South," chuckled Kabumpo softly Pompadore nodded, but trying to recall the exact words mysterious scroll:

"Know Ye, that unless ye Prince of ye ancient and honorable Kingdom of Pumperdink shall wed ye Proper Fairy Princess in ye proper span ye Kingdom of Pumperdink shall disappear forever and even longer from ye Gilliken Country of Oz J G "

Pompadore repeated the words solemnly; then fell a-thinking of all he had heard of Ozma of Oz, the loveliest little fairy imaginable

"She wouldn't want one of her Kingdom to disappear," reflected Pompadore sagely Now, as it happened, Ozma even know existence of Pumperdink Oz is so large and inhabited by strange and singular peoples that although fourteen books of history written only half the story told no Oz railway or steamship lines and traveling is tedious and slow, owing magic nature land itself, its many mountains and fairy forests, Pumperdink, like small Kingdoms outskirts of Oz, has never been explored by Ozma

Oz itself is huge oblong country divided into four parts, the North being the purple Gilliken country, the East the blue Munchkins country, the South the red lands Quadlings, West the pleasant yellow country Winkies very center of Oz, as almost every boy and girl knows, wonderful Emerald City, and in its gorgeous green palace lives Ozma, the lovely little Fairy Princess, whom Kabumpo wanted Pompadore to marry

" ," mused the Prince, after they had traveled dim forest, "I believe that gold mirror has lot with all this I believe put cake to help me find the Proper Princess "

"Where would you find more Proper Princess than Ozma ? " puffed Kabumpo Indignantly "Ozma one--depend upon it ! "

"Just the same," said Pompa firmly, "I'm going every Princess we meet ! "

" expect 'em running wild woods ? " snorted Kabumpo, who didn't like contradicted

"You never can tell " The Prince of Pumperdink settled back comfortably Now were really started, finding traveling extremely interesting " done this ," murmured the Prince to himself "Every Prince should go on journey of adventure "

"How long will it take us to reach the Emerald City ? " he asked presently

"Two days, if nothing happens," answered Kabumpo "Say--what's that ? " He stopped short and spread his ears till they looked like sails The underbrush right was crackling springs of some large animal, and next minute hoarse voice roared:

" The which and what, The where and how and why ? curious, luxurious Old Cottabus am I !

the When and who, The whatfor and whyso, Sir ! So please attend, no end To things , Sir ! "

"Aha ! " exulted the voice triumphantly "There ! " And great round head was thrust out, almost in Kabumpo's face "Oh ! I'm going to enjoy this Don't move ! "

Kabumpo was too astonished to move, next instant the Cottabus had flounced bushes and settled itself directly in front two travelers large as pony, but shaped like great overfed cat Its eyes bulged unpleasantly end tail ended in large fan

"Well," grunted Kabumpo strange creature had regarded them for full minute without blinking

"Well," what ? " it asked, beginning to fan itself sulkily "You act as had never seen Cottabus before "

"We never have," admitted Pompa, peering over Kabumpo's head and secretly wishing he had brought along his jeweled sword

"Why haven't you ? " asked the Cottabus, rolling up its eyes "How frightfully ignorant ! " It closed its fan tail with snap and looked up at them disapprovingly " kindly tell me who , where you came from, came, what going for, how going it, why going and what going do get it ! "

"I don't see why tell you all that," grumbled Kabumpo "It's none of your affair "

"Wrong ! " shrieked the creature hysterically " business of Cottabus out everything I live on other people's affairs, and unless"--here it paused, took large handkerchief out of pocket in its fur and began to wipe its eyes--"unless Cottabus asks fifty questions day it curls up in its porch rocker and d-d-dies, and my fifth questionless day "

"Curl up and die, then," said Kabumpo gruffly But the kind-hearted Prince felt sorry foolish creature

" answer your questions, answer ours ? "

"I'll try," sniffed the Curious Cottabus, and leaning over it dragged rocking chair bushes and seated itself comfortably

"Well, then," began Pompa, " Elegant Elephant and Prince We came from Pumperdink because our Kingdom was threatened with disappearance unless I marry Proper Princess "

"Yes," murmured the Cottabus, rocking violently "Yes, yes ! "

"And going Emerald City to ask princess Ozma for her hand," continued the Prince

"How the one ? When did this happen ? Who brought the message ? you going if Ozma refuses you ? " asked the Cottabus, leaning forward breathlessly

" going to stand talking ridiculous creature all day ? " grumbled Kabumpo But Pompadore, perhaps because so young, felt flattered that even curious old Cottabus should take such an interest affairs So beginning very beginning the whole story birthday party

"Yes, yes," gulped the Cottabus wildly the Prince paused for breath "Yes, yes," fluttering its fan excitedly When Pompadore had finished the Cottabus leaned back, closed its eyes and put both paws arms rocker "I never heard anything more curious in my life," said the curious one " keep me amused for three days ! "

" --that's what we're here for--to amuse you ! " said Kabumpo scornfully "Let's be going, Pompa ! "

"Perhaps the Curious Cottabus can tell us something country ahead Are there any Princesses living 'round here ? " the Prince asked eagerly

"Never heard of any," said the Cottabus, opening its eyes " multiply--add--divide and subtract ? good at fractions, Prince ? "

"Not very," admitted Pompadore, looking mystified

"Then you won't make much headway," sighed the Cottabus, shaking its head solemnly "Now, don't ask me why," it added lugubriously, dragging its rocker back brush, and while Kabumpo and Pompa stared in amazement it wriggled away bushes

"Come on," cried Kabumpo with contemptuous grunt, but he had only gone few steps Curious Cottabus stuck its head out of an opening trees just ahead "When coming back ? " it asked, twitching its nose anxiously

"Never ! " trumpeted Kabumpo, increasing his speed Again the Cottabus disappeared, only to reappear first turn road

"Did you say the door knob hit you head ? " it asked pleadingly

Kabumpo gave snort of anger and rushed along so fast that Pompa had to hang on for dear life

"Guess we've left him behind ," spluttered the Elegant Elephant, after he had run almost mile

But minute wheeze underbrush head Cottabus was thrust out Its tongue was hanging out and panting with exhaustion "How old ? " it gasped, rolling its eyes pitifully "Who was your grandfather father's side, and was he bald ? "

"Kerumberty Bumpus ! " raged the Elegant Elephant, flouncing other side road

"But why door knob cake ? " gulped the Cottabus, two tears trickling off its nose

"How should ," said Pompa coldly

"Then just tell me the date of your birth," wailed the Cottabus, two tears trickling off its nose

"No ! No ! " screamed Kabumpo, and he ran so fast tearful voice Cottabus became fainter and fainter and finally died away altogether

"Provokingest creature I've ever met," grumbled the Elegant Elephant, and Pompa agreed

"Isn't it almost lunch time ? " asked the Prince beginning terribly hungry

"And aren't there any villages or cities between here Emerald City ? " Pompa spoke again

"Don't know," wheezed Kabumpo, swinging ahead

"Oh ! There's flag ! " cried Pompa suddenly "It's flying above the tree tops just ahead "