"Your what ? " cried Peg Amy, clutching him fur "Now Wag, dear, you're all mixed up Perhaps it's 'cause your ears are crossed There, now, do stop wiggling your whiskers and turn out your toes ! "

But Wag continued to wiggle his whiskers and turn toes and roar urple sool wocks

"Stop ! " screamed Peg at last, with both hands over her wooden ears " what you mean ! Your purple wool socks ! "

"Yes," sobbed the rabbit, slumping down on rock and holding his head in both paws

"Well, don't "-the Wooden Doll shook her head jerkily-"Don't it's just ? Ruggedo stole all those things and you wouldn't want stolen soup spoons, now would you ? "

Wag took long breath and regarded Peg uncertainly Then something in her pleasant wooden face seemed to brace him up

"No ! " he sighed solemnly-"I 'spose not I left Rug

"But then you couldn't have helped me, said Peg brightly "Let's don't think any more You've been awfully good , Wag "

"Have I ? " said Wag more cheerfully "Well, you're good sort, Peg-a regular Princess ! " he finished, puffing out his chest, "and anything you say goes

"Princess ? " laughed the Wooden Doll, pleased nevertheless "I'm funny Princess, old dress Did you ever hear of wooden Princess, Wag ? "

"You look like Princess ," said the rabbit stoutly "Dresses don't matter "

This speech so tickled the Wooden Doll that she gave Wag good hug and began dancing again "Being alive is such fun ! " she called gaily over her shoulder, "and so wonderful ! "

Wag's chest expanded three inches whiskers trembled with emotion "Hop on my back Peg and I'll take you anywhere ," he puffed magnificently

But the Wooden Doll had suddenly grown sober "Wherever castle ? " she cried anxiously She remembered exactly where it had stood when she was an unalive doll and now not tower or turret castle was seen "Oh ! " groaned Peg Amy, "Ruggedo something dreadful Mixed Magic ! "

Wag rubbed his eyes and looked all around "Why, it's gone ! " he cried, waving his paws "What shall ? If only we weren't so small ! "

"We've got the magic box," said Peg hopefully, "and somehow I don't feel as small as I used ; ? "

"Well, pretty queer, myself," said the rabbit, twitching his nose "Maybe it's because I'm hungry There's kitchen garden over there near the royal stables and if I had some carrots I'd feel better "

" ! " cried Peg, jumping up; "I forgot you had to eat " So, very cautiously they stole royal cook's garden Wag had often helped himself to carrots garden before, but now sitting haunches he stared around in dazed surprise

"Everything's different ! " wailed the rabbit dismally "You're the same and I'm the same but everything else is all mixed up Look carrot Why, it's no bigger than blade of grass " Wag held up carrot in disgust "Why, take fifty even taste lettuce-look at it ! Everything's shrunk, even the houses ! " cried the big funny bunny, looking around "My wocks and hoop soons, sheverything's hunk ! "

Peg Amy had followed Wag's gaze and now she jumped up in great excitement " it now ! " cried Peg "It's us, Wag Everything's the same but different Mixed Magic us grow We're bigger and everything else same as tall little girl who used to play with me and even bigger and I'm glad, because now help find the castle and Ruggedo and try everything right again "

Peg clasped her wooden hands "Aren't you glad too, Wag ? "

The rabbit shook his head "It's going an awful lot me up," doubtfully "I'll have to eat about six times as I used to "

"Well, you're six times as large; isn't that any comfort ? "

"My head doesn't feel right," insisted Wag " I talk fast the words all come wrong

"Maybe it didn't grow as fast rest of you," laughed the Wooden Doll "But don't you care, Wag what you mean and you're just splendid ! Now hurry and finish your carrots so decide what

"If Mixed Magic caused all this trouble," added Peg half to herself, "Mixed Magic's got to fix it I'm going to look box " Wag, nibbling industriously, heard Peg's last speech or doubtless have taken heels

Sitting unconcernedly in cabbage bed, the Wooden Doll took the gold box from her pocket Fortunately she snapped the magic snap and it opened quite easily Her fingers were stiff and clumsy moon only light she had by, but it take Peg Amy long to realize the importance of Glegg's magic

"I wonder if he rubbed this castle," she murmured, holding up the bottle of Vanishing Cream "And how would one bring it back ? Let me see, now One other, she took out the bottles and boxes tiny tea set The Re-animating Rays she passed over, without realizing they were responsible for bringing her to life, but the Question Box, Peg pounced upon with eager curiosity

"Oh, only would answer questions ! " fluttered Peg Then, holding the box close to her mouth, she whispered, "Where is Ruggedo ? "

"Who talking to ? " asked Wag, looking up in alarm "Now don't you get mixed up, Peg ! "

"It's Question Box," said the Wooden Doll,"but it's not working " She shook it vigorously and held it up so light streaming down stable window fell directly In silver letters lid box was one word-Ev !

"Ev-Ruggedo's in Ev ! " cried Peg Amy, rushing over rabbit " take me to Ev, Wag dear ? "

" ," said Wag, nibbling faster and faster at his carrots "I'll take you anywhere, Peg "

"Then it's going all right; it," chuckled the Wooden Doll, and putting all the magic appliances back box she closed the lid with snap And the magic catch caught

" far to Ev ? " asked Peg Amy, looking thoughtfully place where the castle had once been

"Quite long journey," said Wag, "but we'll go hopping Ev is near Ruggedo's old home and it's across the Deadly Desert, but we'll get there somehow Trust me And when ! " spluttered Wag, thumping his hind feet determinedly, "I'll pound his curly toes off-the wicked little monster ! "

"Did you Question Box where the castle was ? " he inquired hastily, for Peg was going him not pound Ruggedo

"Why, no ! How silly of me ! " Peg felt in her pocket and brought out the gold box She tried to open it as she had done before but no use She pulled and tugged and shook it Then Wag tried

"There's secret ," puffed the rabbit at last "Took Rug whole night and day to discover it, Can't you remember how you opened it before, Peg ? "

The Wooden Doll shook her head sadly

"Well, never mind," said Wag comfortingly "Once Ruggedo make him tell We'd better start right off, because if any people around here saw us try to capture us and put us in circus rather unusual, " The rabbit regarded Peg Amy complacently "One doesn't see six-foot rabbits and live dolls every day, even in Oz "

"No," agreed Peg Amy slowly, "I s'pose not ! " The moon, looking down strange pair, ducked behind cloud to hide her smile, giant funny bunny, strutting about pompously, and old-fashioned wooden Peg, in her torn frock, were enough anyone smile

" of everything," sighed Peg, looking affectionately at Wag

"Who wouldn't for girl like you ? You're Princess, Peg-a regular Princess " The rabbit said it with conviction and again Peg happily smoothed her dress

"Hop on," chuckled Wag, "and then I'll hop off "

Seating herself back and holding tight to one long ears, Peg announced herself ready Then away night shot the giant bunny-away toward the western country Winkies-and each hop carried him twelve feet forward, and sent up great spurts of dust behind

CHAPTER 11

The King Illumi Nation

WHILE Ruggedo was working all this mischief Emerald City, Pompadore Elegant Elephant had fallen into strange company Prince's disappearance, Kabumpo stared long and anxiously white marble stone with its mysterious inscription, "Knock fall in "

What would happen if he knocked, sign directed ? Something upsetting, the Elegant Elephant was sure, else why had Pompa called for help ?

Kabumpo groaned, for luxurious beast and hated discomfort of any sort As for falling in-the very thought of it made him shudder in every pound But selfish and luxurious though , the Elegant Elephant loved Pompa with all his heart After all, he had run off Prince and was responsible safety If Pompa had fallen in fall in too With resigned sigh, Kabumpo felt pocket that his treasures were safe, straightened his robe and, taking one last long breath, rapped sharply marble stone trunk Without sound, the stone swung inward, and as Kabumpo was standing he shot headlong into great black opening terrific rush of air slab swung back, catching as it did so the fluttering edge Elegant Elephant's robe of state This halted his fall for about second and then with spluttering tear the silk fringe ripped loose and down plunged the Elegant Elephant, trunk over heels

third somersault, Kabumpo, right side up, fortunately, struck soft inclined slide, down which he shot like scenic railway train

"Great Grump ! " coughed Kabumpo, holding his jeweled headpiece trunk "Great-" Before he reached the second grump, his head struck the top passage with terrific force, last he remembered about his fall How long he lay in an unconscious state the Elegant Elephant never knew After what seemed several ages he became aware of confused murmur Footsteps seemed pattering all around him, but still too stunned curious

"Nothing will make me get up," thought Kabumpo dully "I'm going to lie here forever and-ever-and ever-and-" Just as he reached this drowsy conclusion, something red hot fell down his neck and voice louder than all the rest shouted ear " you ? "

"Ouch ! " screamed Kabumpo, now thoroughly aroused He opened one eye and rolled over side tall, curious creature was bending over him Its head was on fire and as Kabumpo blinked angrily another red hot shower spattered into his ear With trumpet of rage Kabumpo lunged feet The hot-headed person fell over backwards and crowd of similar creatures pattered off corner and regarded Kabumpo uneasily They were as tall as Pompa but very thin and tube-like in shape and their heads appeared mass of flickering flames