"Well, anything so strange ? " asked Pompa in hurt voice "I've got to marry her," he added, desperately appealing to Peg Amy And while Kabumpo stood sulkily swinging his trunk the Prince told Peg the whole story magic scroll

" you looked interesting," breathed Peg, as Pompa paused for breath "Did you hear that, Wag ? Unless he marries Proper Princess in proper time his whole Kingdom will disappear--his Kingdom and everyone ! "

"But how Ozma Proper Princess ? " asked Wag, chewing blade of grass "The scroll didn't say Ozma, did it ? "

"Kabumpo thinks Ozma Proper Princess," explained Pompadore, nodding toward the Elegant Elephant, "and he's usually right ! "

"Humph ! " sniffed Wag "Well, maybe Prince You're not really bad looking had some fur head," he remarked more amiably "What happened ? Somebody pull it out ? "

"Oh, Wag ! " murmured Peg Amy, in shocked voice

"Burned off," sighed Pompa, and proceeded fall Illumi Nation He even told them Soup Sea and meeting with Glinda, the Good

"Don't you care," said the big Wooden Doll, as Pompa mournfully rubbed his scorched head " soon grow again and I don't see how Ozma could help loving you-you're so tall, and so polite " This kind little speech affected Pompa so deeply that he dropped on one knee and raised Peg's wooden hand lips

"The creature has lot of sense," mumbled Kabumpo, mouth full of leaves

"Creature ! " exclaimed Wag, sitting up straight and opening his eyes wide "Her name is Peg Amy, Mr Nelegant Lelephant "

"Oh, all right," sniffed Kabumpo hastily "But you'll have to admit she's curious "

" ," said Wag complacently "That's why I like her She wasn't cut out beauty, but companionable, and 've known Peg as long as "-Wag paused impressively-"you'll be proud to carry her back, Mr Long Nose ! "

"I've only known her and I adore her ! " said Pompa heartily "Mistress Peg and I are good friends already " Peg curtseyed awkwardly "I've done this before," she reflected curiously to herself

"Shall we tell them about Ruggedo ? " Peg asked aloud, turning to Wag

"Yes, do ! " begged Pompa "Tell us something about yourselves I never saw so large rabbit in my life as Wag and as ! "-Pompa paused, for Wag was eyeing him resentfully-" the largest, most delightful doll ever met, the only alive one, say How did about Ozma's disappearance and how were you going to help her ? "

"Mixed Magic ! " whispered Wag, crossing his ears eyes "Mixed Magic ! "

"Magic ? " gulped Kabumpo, swallowing branch of sticky leaves whole " any magic ? "

"A whole box full," sighed Peg Amy, patting her pocket softly

" box magic that brought Peg to life ! " shrilled Wag, pointing trembling paw box magic that made us grow box magic that caused Ozma's castle to disappear- ! "

"Great Grump ! " whistled Kabumpo "How fortunate we fell in , Pompa " He held out his trunk " the box, my good girl, and you shall be fittingly rewarded when Pompa is King of Oz "

"That's to wait," chuckled Wag, tickled by Kabumpo's outrageous impudence "No, Peg just keep the box,

" ," said Prince Pompadore, frowning at Kabumpo "But both bound same errand, travel together Kabumpo and I are going to kill the giant who ran off castle "

The Prince held up his long sword "And , bottom heart " Pompa stretched out his hand impulsively

"Well, that's more like," said Wag, pulling his ear thoughtfully "And four heads are better than two ! "

" we'll ! " cried Peg Amy "The trouble is, we don't know ourselves how to open the magic box, but know that Ruggedo is in Ev and when we get there make him open the box and undo all this mischief "

"You mentioned him before," said Kabumpo, holding up his trunk " Ruggedo and what has he with Ozma ? "

"Ruggedo is wicked little gnome," explained Peg Amy gravely "He used King Gnomes but banished Kingdom and Ozma gave him little cottage Emerald City He pretended to live there, but instead he tunneled cave right underneath the palace Wag helped him dig " Peg waved her hand rabbit "And he stay Then Ruggedo stole me only small, unalive doll, belonging to Trot, little girl who lives with Ozma Ruggedo stole me just to shake," continued Peg shuddering

"That's why I'm going to pound his curly toes off ! " screamed Wag, beginning to hop about very thought of Ruggedo

"But how did you come so large and alive ? " asked Kabumpo, who was growing more interested

"Well, one night"-Peg dropped her voice to whisper-"One night Ruggedo found this box of Mixed Magic hidden cave and then-"

"Then," screamed Wag hoarsely, "in some way we don't understand, Peg and I grew big, Peg came alive, the top blew off the cave-and depend upon it, whatever's happened to Ozma and her palace happened from something box It's all Ruggedo's fault When I catch him"- Wag began to wiggle his nose and paw his whiskers-"my wocks and hoop soons ! I'll pound his curly toes off ! "

"And I'll ! " cried Kabumpo heartily help but admire such spirit "Come on-let's start ride on my back with Pompa care to," finished the Elegant Elephant with sidelong glance at Peg

"Oh, ," smiled the Wooden Doll, "but Wag will carry me

"I always carry Peg," said Wag jealously "I've known her the longest "

"Oh, all right," sniffed Kabumpo, lifting Pompa up, "but if she ever wants to ride on my back she may

"Humph ! " grunted Wag, Wooden Doll settled herself shoulders "Isn't he generous ! "

Peg pulled down one of Wag's long ears " kindly meant," whispered the Wooden Doll merrily

"Ready ? " puffed Kabumpo, backing Out road "We've no time to lose, for lose time we lose our Kingdom too Forward for Pumperdink ! "

"All right ! " cried Wag, giving great leap "Follow me " And off hopped the giant bunny so fast that Kabumpo had to stretch his legs even him in sight

CHAPTER 14

Terror in Ozma's Palace

Meanwhile strange things happening in Ozma's palace people inside it very mean time indeed During Ruggedo's run mountains of Ev, they had almost been shaken out wits and when he sat down mountain top not person nor piece of furniture standing whole palace Courtiers and servants who knocked senseless lay shaking in their beds or huddled in corners and under sofas and chairs, just had fallen first terrible crash lifted the palace air

Ozma's four poster bed had collapsed, pinning the little Fairy Princess under mass of silk hangings and curtain poles Being fairy, Ozma was unhurt, but not being able to move, nor to reach her Magic Belt or even make herself heard, she was forced to lie perfectly still and wait for help

In Dorothy's sitting room not sound but the ticking Copper Man's machinery Trot and Betsy Bobbin had knocked their heads together so smartly were unconscious Sir Hokus hurled violently against Tik Tok poor Knight had known nothing since Dorothy lay quietly beside him, an ugly bruise on her forehead, where the emerald clock had landed

"Scraps ! " called the Scarecrow, sometime rumble and tumble had ceased, " there ? "

"No, here ! " gasped the Patch Work Girl, sitting up cautiously She had bounced all around the room and finally rolled into corner quite close Scarecrow himself She put out her cotton hand as she spoke and touched him

"How fortunate unbreakable," said the Scarecrow, pressing her cotton fingers convulsively and trying to peer out intense blackness room "What happened ? "

"Earthquake ! " shivered Scraps "And maybe it's not over ! "

" knocked everybody silly," said the Scarecrow huskily

"Except us," giggled the Patch Work Girl "We couldn't be knocked silly 'cause we were silly first place "

"Now, don't make jokes, please," begged the Scarecrow " serious Besides, "

"All right," said Scraps cheerfully "I don't-but I'm going around if find the matches There used some candles mantel and-" As she spoke, Scraps fell headlong over Sir Hokus of Pokes and as luck it her cotton fingers closed over small gold match box Picking herself up carefully, Scraps struck match on Sir Hokus' armor and looked anxiously around the room

"They need water," said the Patch Work Girl, wrinkling up her patchwork forehead

"So don't blow out that match ! " cried the Scarecrow in alarm, for Scraps continued to hold the match till it burned very end He jumped up clumsily and puffed out the light just Scraps promptly lit another and as she did so the Scarecrow saw tall blue candle sticking waste basket

"Here," said the Straw Man nervously "Light this and stand it mantel there " flickering candle light the Scarecrow and Scraps tried to set Dorothy's room to rights They dragged the mattress bed-room and placed the little girls , side by side Sir Hokus was too heavy to move, so they merely loosened his armor and put sofa cushion under his head Then, just as Scraps was going for some water, the room began to tremble again

" you it wasn't over," cried Scraps, flinging both arms Scarecrow s neck And rocked to and fro she shouted merrily:

"Shaker ! Shaker ! Who art thee, To shake castle like tree ? Shaker ! Shaker ! Go away And come again some other day ! "

"Now, Scraps," begged the Scarecrow, steadying the Patch Work Girl with one hand and catching hold of table other, everything depends on us Do try your head ! "

"Keep my head ! " shrilled Scraps, room tilted over and slid all the furniture sideways "I'll be lucky if I keep my feet Whoopee ! Here we go ! " And go with rush farthest corner Slowly the room righted itself and everything grew quiet again

" what I'm going ," said the Scarecrow determinedly "Before anything else happens I'm going what has happened already "

"How ? " asked Scraps, bouncing to her feet