all going so easy and amusing that Ruggedo felt he had plenty to examine the rest bottles and boxes He rubbed Vanishing Cream on sofa cushion and it instantly disappeared The box of Re-animating Rays, guaranteed to reawaken anyone from enchantment, interested the old gnome immensely, but how could he try them when no bewitched person about- none that of ? Then his eye fell Box try that ? So, "How shall I use the Re-animating Rays ? " asked Ruggedo, shaking the box three times Nothing happened at first Then, light emerald lamp, the gnome saw sentence forming lid

"Try them on Peg," said the box shortly Without thinking of consequences or wondering what the Question Box meant by suggesting Peg, the curious gnome opened the box of rays and held it over the huge wooden doll For as long as it would take to count ten Peg lay perfectly still Then, with creak and jerk, she sprang to her feet

"How perfectly pomiferous ! " cried Peg Amy, with an awkward jump "I'm alive ! Why, I'm alive all over ! " She moved one arm, then the other and turned her head stiffly from side to side " walk ! " cried Peg " walk; skip; run ! " Here Peg began running around the cave, her joints squeaking merrily at every step

At Peg's first move Ruggedo had jumped back of rock, his every spike standing on end Too late he realized his mistake This huge wooden creature clattering around the cave was positively dangerous Why, she might easily pound him to bits Why on earth had he meddled magic rays and why under the earth should wooden doll come to life ? He waited till Peg had run farthest end cave; then he dashed magic casket and scrambled the bottles, the Trick Tea Set flasks back into place and started door that led secret passage as fast as his crooked little legs would carry him

But not fast enough, for Peg heard and in flash was after him

"Stop ! Go away ! " screamed Ruggedo

"Why, it's the old gnome ! " cried the Wooden Doll in surprise "The wicked old gnome who used to shake me all the time Why, how small ! pick him up with one hand ! " She made snatch at Ruggedo

"Go away ! " shrieked Ruggedo, ducking behind rock "Go away-there's dear girl," he added coaxingly "I didn't shake you much-not , ! "

Peg Amy put wooden finger to her forehead and regarded him attentively

"I remember," she murmured thoughtfully "You found magic box, and you're going to harm Ozma and try to conquer Oz get that box ! "

Reaching around the rock she seized Ruggedo arm

In panic, he jerked away "Help ! Help ! " cried the gnome King, darting off toward the other end cave "Help ! Help ! "

little rock room Wag stirred uneasily Then, as Ruggedo's cries grew louder, he bounced erect and almost cracked his skull low ceiling Hardly knowing what doing he rushed door only to knock himself almost senseless against the top, for realize he had expanded into giant rabbit But cries other room became louder and louder he got up and rubbing his head in dazed fashion he somehow crowded himself door and hopped cave When Peg Amy chasing Ruggedo, Wag fell back against the wall

"My wocks and hoop soons ! " stuttered the rabbit " alive ! And he's shrunk ! "

Wag's voice rose triumphantly "I'm going to pound his curly toes off ! " he shouted he joined merrily chase

"I'll catch him ! " , "I'll catch him, Peg, my dear, and make him pay for all the shakings he you I'll pound his curly toes off ! "

"Oh, Wag ! Don't ," cried the Wooden Doll, stopping short "I didn't mind the shakings and gnomes don't know any better ! "

"Neither do rabbits ! " cried Wag stubbornly, bounding after Ruggedo "I'll pound his curly toes off, I tell you ! "

The old gnome was sputtering like fire-cracker What chance had he now with two after him ? Then suddenly he had an idea Without stopping, he fumbled box which he still clutched under one arm and pulled out the bottle of Expanding Fluid Uncorking the bottle he poured its contents over his head-every single drop !

what happened: First he shot out sideways, till Peg and Wag were almost crushed against the wall With hoarse scream Wag dragged Peg Amy back into his room, now barely large enough to hold them They were just , for Ruggedo was still spreading Soon not an inch of space left to expand in Then he shot up and grew up and grew and grew and groaned and grew till there wasn't any more room to grow in So, he burst top cave, with noise like fifty boilers exploding

No wonder Dorothy thought cyclone ! For top cave but the royal palace of Oz ? The next instant impaled fast spikes of Ruggedo's giant head and shooting up toward the clouds wretched gnome never stopped growing till three-quarters of mile high !

people palace were frightened, Ruggedo was more frightened still Being giant was new experience for him and having castle jammed head was worse still The first thing he tried , when he stopped growing, was to lift the castle off, but his spikes were driven fast foundations and it fitted closer than his scalp

In panic Ruggedo began to run, and when giant runs he gets somewhere Each step carried him half mile and shook the country below like an earthquake and rattled the people castle above like pennies in Christmas bank Shaking with terror and hardly knowing why, the gnome made old Kingdom, and in an hour had reached the little country of Oogaboo, very northwestern corner of Oz, opposite his old dominions

The Deadly Desert is so narrow point that with one jump Ruggedo was across and, puffing like volcano about to erupt, he sank down highest mountain in Ev Fortunately he stepped on any cities flight, although he had crushed several forests and about hundred fences "Oh, Oh, My head ! " groaned Ruggedo, rocking to and fro forgotten all about conquering Oz full of twinges and growing pains Ozma's castle was giving him thundering headache, and there he sat, fearsome figure bright moonlight, moaning and groaning instead of conquering

The Book of Records right indeed when it stated that Ruggedo had something mind Ozma's castle itself sat squarely upon that mischievous mind-and every moment it seemed to grow heavier

No wonder there confusion castle ! Every time Ruggedo shook his aching head Ozma and her guests were tossed about like leaves in storm Mixed magic had made mischief indeed

,,,,,,,,,,,,,, CHAPTER 10

Peg and Wag Rescue

terrific bang following Ruggedo's final expansion, Wag and Peg Amy too stunned to even move Crowded together little rock room, they lay perfectly breathless

"Umpthing sappened," quavered the rabbit at last

"That sounds rather queer, but what you mean," said Peg, sitting up cautiously

"Something has happened Ruggedo's been blown up, I guess "

"Mixed Magic ! " groaned Wag gloomily " it would explode Say, Peg, what makes this room so small ? "

"I don't know," sighed the doll in puzzled voice, for neither Peg nor Wag realized they had grown "But let's go above ground what has become of Ruggedo " One and with great difficulty they got door

"Why, the stars ! " cried Peg Amy, clasping her wooden hands rapturously "Real stars ! " The top cave had gone off old gnome King two stood looking up lovely skies of Oz

"It doesn't seem so high as it used to," said the rabbit, looking walls "Why, I believe jump out if good run and carry you, too Come ashort, Peg ! "

"Aren't you mixed, Wag dear ? Don't you mean come along ? " asked Peg, smoothing down her torn dress

"Well, now that you mention it, my head does feel queer," admitted the rabbit, twitching his nose, "bort of sackwards ! "

"Sort of backwards," corrected Peg gently "Well, never mind what you mean Peg and Wag Rescue But do let's try that awful box of magic

Ruggedo brought me to life, Wag, with something box ! "

"Only good thing he ever did," said Wag, shaking his head "But you were alive before," he added solemnly "You always seemed alive

" so, too," whispered Peg excitedly " 't remember just how, or where, but Oh ! Wag ! I've been alive before I remember dancing "

Peg took few awkward steps and Wag looked on dubiously, too polite to criticize her efforts He didn't even laugh when Peg Amy fell down Peg laughed herself, however, as merrily as possible "It's going such fun being alive," she said, picking herself up gaily, "such fun, Wag dear Why, there's Glegg's box ! " She pounced little shining gold casket "Ruggedo didn't take it after all ! "

" shut ? " asked Wag, clapping both paws ears "Look out for explosions, say I "

"No, but I'll soon close it," said Peg and, shutting Glegg's box, she slipped it into pocket of her dress about half the size book reading and as Peg's pockets were big and old fashioned, it fitted quite nicely

"Come ashort," said Wag again, looking uneasily, for anxious gnome's cave So Peg seated herself carefully back and clasped her wooden arms around his neck Then Wag ran back few steps, gave great jump and sailed up, up and cave

"Ten penny tea cups ! " shrieked the Soldier Green Whiskers, falling over backwards "What next ? " For Wag with Peg back had leaped straight over his head

Picking himself up, and with every whisker beard prickling straight on end, the Grand Army of Oz backed toward the royal stable When he had backed half the distance he turned and ran life But he need not afraid

"What funny little man," chuckled Wag "Why, he's no bigger than He's n-- ! " Then suddenly Wag clutched his ears "Oh ! " he screamed, beginning to hop up and down, "I forgot all my treasures-my olden goop soons Oh ! Oh ! My urple sool wocks ! I've forgotten my urple sool wocks ! "