And so -- huge, flapping black flag covered with hundreds of figures and signs

"Hurry up, Kabumpo," urged the Prince "This looks interesting "

Chapter 5 City Figure Heads

"It reminds me of something disagreeable," answered Kabumpo, as he eyed the flag Nevertheless he quickened his steps and in moment they came to clearing forest, surrounded by tall black picket fence visible above the fence strange black flag, and forest on either side was too dense to penetrate and there seemed no way around, Kabumpo thumped loudly center gate

flung open at once, so suddenly that Kabumpo, who had his head pressed against the bars fell knees and shot Pompadore clear over his head Altogether very undignified entrance

"Oh ! Oh ! Now some fun ! " screamed high, thin voice, and immediately the cry was taken up by hundreds of other voices perfect swarm of strange creatures surrounded the two travelers The Elegant Elephant took one look, put back his ears and snatched Pompa paving stones

"Stop that ! " he rumbled threateningly "Who anyway ? " The crowd paid no attention elegant Elephant's question, but continued to dance up and down and scream with glee Clutching Kabumpo's ear, Pompa peered down with many misgivings They were entirely surrounded by thin, spry little people, who had figures instead of heads, fours, eighths, sevens and ciphers hobbling up and down made it terribly confusing

"Let's go ! " said Pompa, who was growing dizzier But the Figure heads were wedged so closely around them Kabumpo move were shouting so lustily Elegant Elephant's voice was drowned hubbub finally, Kabumpo's eyes began to snap angrily and, taking deep breath, he threw up his trunk and trumpeted like fifty ferry-boat whistles The effect was immediate and astonishing Half Figure Heads fell on their faces, other half fell on their backs and stared vacantly up sky

"Conduct us to your Ruler ! " roared Kabumpo dead silence that followed "How'd we had Ruler ? " asked Seven, getting cautiously to its feet "Most countries have," said the Elegant Elephant shortly "He's got no right to order us around," said Six, sitting up and jerking its thumb at Kabumpo

"Yes--but ! " Seven frowned at Six and put his hands over his ears " ," gruffly, and Kabumpo, stepping carefully, for Figure Heads were still on their backs, followed Seven

inhabitants strange city were queer, their city was even more so The air was dry and choky houses were dull, oblong affairs, set in rows and rows with never garden in sight Each street had large signpost corner, but they at all like the signs one usually sees in cities were plus and minus signs with here and there long division sign

"I suppose everything street's divided up," mumbled Pompadore, looking up at division sign curiously

"Hope they don't subtract any belongings," whispered Kabumpo, turned into Minus Alley "Look, Pompa, houses Ever see anything like 'em before ? "

"They remind me of something disagreeable," mused the Prince "Why, they're books, Kabumpo, great big arithmetic books ! " Pompa pointed at one

"You mean shaped like books," said the Elegant Elephant "I never saw books with windows and doors ! "

"A lot ! " said Seven, looking back scornfully, but Kabumpo was too interested to care windows big book houses leaped hundreds little Figure Heads, laughed and jeered at Pompa and Kabumpo "Ho ! Ho ! " yelled one, leaning out it nearly fell on its Eight "Wait till the Count sees 'em He'll make an example of 'em ! "

"What an awful country," whispered Pompadore, ducking just , as Four snatched at his hair from an open window But just then they turned corner and entered large gloomy court Sitting on square and solid wood throne, surrounded by guard of Figure Heads, sat the Giant Ruler strange city "What got there, seven ? " roared the Ruler

" the Elegant Elephant and Prince of Pumperdink," announced Kabumpo before Seven could answer Pompadore, him-self, nothing for he had never before been addressed by wooden ruler life is exactly what the King Figure heads was--an ordinary school ruler, twice as large as man, with arms and legs and great square head set atop thin flat body

"I don't care rap who what ? " said the Ruler " travelers," spoke up Pompa, swallowing hard-"travelers in search of Proper Princess "

"Well, you won't find any here," grunted the Ruler shortly "We don't believe in 'em ! "

"Would you mind telling me the name of your Kingdom," asked Pompa, somewhat cast down words

" no heads," announced the Ruler calmly, "or known Rith Metic I," he hammered himself wooden chest-- " its Ruler and every inch King-King Figure Heads," he added, glancing around he expected someone to contradict him "All right ! All right ! " wheezed Kabumpo, bowing his head twice " twelve inches made foot rule, but I never knew they made King Rule But could you some luncheon and allow us peaceably through your Kingdom ? "

"Pass through ! " exclaimed the King, standing up indignantly "We don't pass anyone through here You've got to work your way through Pass through, indeed ! And 've worked your way through we'll put you in problem and make an example of you "

"They'll make example, your Majesty," said tall thin individual standing next Ruler He eyed the two cunningly

"If thin Prince sets out on fat elephant Proper Princess, yards of fringe will the elephant lose robe and how bald will the Prince be end journey ? I don't believe anyone could figure "It done by subtraction," said the King, looking two critically

"Great hay stacks ! " rumbled Kabumpo, glaring over his shoulder if he had lost any fringe "What have we gotten into ? "

"Bald ! " gulped Pompa, rubbing his head " you take poor innocent travelers and make them into arithmetic problems ? "

" ? " said the thin one, who looked exactly like giant lead pencil "And please address me as Count, -Count It Up is my name What's the matter with living in problem, my boy ? Life is problem, after all, and get used I'll try to assign you to comfortable book and you'll find book-keeping lot more simple than house-keeping , please ! "

"Please go," yawned the Ruler, waving his hand "The Count will take you in charge now " And so dazed Elegant Elephant by all this strange reasoning that he tamely followed the lead pencil person

"Good-bye ! " shouted the Ruler hoarsely "Start them on simple additions," moved off

The street ahead was filled with Figure Heads and as Kabumpo paused they began forming themselves into sums The first row sat down, the next knelt behind them, the third stood up, the fourth nimbly leaped shoulders third, and so on, until long addition confronted the travelers

"Now," said Count It Up blunt way, haven't figures for heads, heads for figures " Kabumpo pushed back his pearl headdress and drops of perspiration began to run down his trunk Prince Pompa, lying flat on Kabumpo's head, started to add up the first line of figures "Eighty-three," he announced anxiously

"Say three and eight to carry, snapped Count It Up "Here, Three ! " Three stepped crowd and placed itself under the line "I've got carried ! " cried Eight, looking sulkily at Pompa

"Carried ! " snorted Kabumpo, snatching Eight air "Well, I'll attend the adding, Pompa, and I'll carrying "

He landed the Eight head down bottom line of Figure Heads and swung his trunk carelessly while he waited next victim So, slowly and painfully, Pompa counted up the long lines and Kabumpo carried and made the slightest mistake the Figure Heads shouted with scorn and danced about till the confusion was terrible When an example was finished, the Figure Heads marched away but another would immediately form lines ahead so took them whole hour two blocks

"Oh ! " groaned Pompa at last, "We'll never get , Kabumpo Look at those awful fractions ahead ! Can't I skip fractions ? " he asked looking pleadingly at Count It Up

"Certainly not ! " said the pencilly man stroking his shiny hair, straight and black and grew up into sharp point "You shall skip nothing ! "

"That gives me an idea," whispered Kabumpo huskily "Why shouldn't we skip altogether ? We're bigger than Why-"

"How getting on ? " sound hoarse, familiar voice both the Prince and Kabumpo jumped

"You don't mind me asking, ? " Clinging high picket fence and looking anxiously bars Curious Cottabus

" found the Greatest Common Divisor yet ? "

"Who's he ? " asked the Elegant Elephant suspiciously

"Isn't there out of Rith Metic but this ? " wailed Pompa, looking Cottabus pleadingly too tired to mind being questioned

The curious beast was delighted this new opportunity travelers

" answer few questions if I tell you ? " asked the Cottabus, raising itself with great difficulty and looking over the palings

"Yes-yes-anything," promised Pompa

" care for strawberry tarts ? " asked the Cottabus, twitching its nose very rapidly

" ," said the Prince "Oh ! Do hurry Count It Up back in moment ! " He had run ahead to arrange new problem rest Figure Heads paid no attention queer creature clinging palings

" going to invite the Scarecrow to your wedding ? " gulped the Cottabus

"I don't know any scarecrow," said Pompa, "so how could I ? "

" fond old elephant ? " The Cottabus waved at Kabumpo, who stamped first one foot then another and fairly snorted with rage

"All right," sighed the Curious Cottabus, "that makes my fifty questions "

Hanging on fence with one paw it waved the other backward and forward as it chanted:

" tics in Rith Metic ? Tell me that and tell me quick ! But 't it's not my fault, So simply turn wintersault ! "

The head Cottabus disappeared

"Now isn't that provoking," gulped the Prince "After it promised to , too ! "