"Yoo hoo ! Don't it's time Dorothy was back ? " called Betsy, two came nearer

"High time ! High time ! " answered the Scarecrow, waving his old blue hat up clock tallest tower castle "And we'll have high time when she does come," he smiled gaily "I've thought up dozen new games and . . What's that ? " cried the Scarecrow, interrupting himself suddenly and blinking his painted eyes so fast that Betsy bounded out of her chair

"What's that ? " echoed the little Queen of Oz, springing up in alarm Something gold and brilliant had flashed air and fallen walk

"A feather ! " puffed Sir Hokus "Odds goblins and hoblins, feather ! " He stooped creakily to pick it up, but as the golden quill righted itself and began to move rapidly across the marble walk

"It's writing ! " gasped Trot, clutching the Scarecrow arm, and in dazed fascination - they watched the feather tracing sentence When it had set down five words, it made little gold dot and fell lifelessly at Ozma's feet

"Danger-- Go to Morrow today ! " stuttered the Scarecrow, reading the golden message aloud

"How now," thundered Sir Hokus, letting his visor fall with crash, "what means this message ? "

"Go tomorrow ! " gulped the Scarecrow, clapping hat and squinting down golden legend walk

"Not tomorrow, today," corrected Betsy Bobbin breathlessly

"But go today, how can we go tomorrow ? " asked Ozma, growing more bewildered

"Danger ! " shuddered Trot, pointing trembling finger first word

"What's all the excitement ? " demanded Scraps, dancing up on one toe Then, seeing they were all staring down marble, she bent over and read the message aloud herself

"Go to-morrow to-day It can never !

Just of it gives me pain bun "

screamed the Patch Work Girl, clapping her hand to her cotton forehead

"Hush, Scraps ! " begged Ozma " serious ! "

"Someone is delirious, or they'd never write such nonsense, declared Scraps defiantly " you going ? "

"Think ! " mumbled the Scarecrow, dropping down on gold garden bench

"Send Wizard ! " advised Betsy Bobbin, jumping up and down in her excitement "Wait ! I'll get him ! "

"It's goose quill," announced Sir Hokus, as Betsy ran off toward the palace He had picked up the golden feather and was examining it carefully

"A goose quill ? " gasped Ozma "Why what can that mean ? Oh dear, wish Dorothy were back "

"My gooseness ! " giggled Scraps "No wonder it's silly message any geese ? "

"None but you ! " sniffed Trot, putting her arms about Ozma

"Silence, wench ! " commanded Sir Hokus, pushing Scraps aside and seating himself beside the Scarecrow "Methinks dark deeds are brewing here Hast thought of anything friend ? "

"Not yet," sighed the Scarecrow, rubbing his forehead sadly wobbly finger "Let me think some more

All were silent until Betsy Bobbin came hurrying back, bringing with her the Wizard of Oz and Tik Tok As everyone in Oz knows, Tik Tok is another great celebrity, machine man of burnished copper talk, walk and even think when properly wound Betsy was winding up his thick key, as she ran along, for Tik Tok's brains, wheels, worked quite Scarecrow's, and there certainly was lot of thinking

"You say golden goose feather ? " panted the little Wizard of Oz, quickening his steps "A goose feather ! Humph ! " Next instant bending over the strange inscription walk, while Ozma and Trot breathlessly explained just how and when it had all happened

"To-morrow to-day ! " murmured the Wizard, mopping his bald head green hanky "Why that's impossible, there's some trick "

The Wizard drew small green book pocket It book of magic messages little company waited anxiously while he flipped over the pages But although kind of message was touched upon, nothing at all about goose feathers With sigh, the Wizard returned the book pocket, and dropping upon his knees began to examine the letters through his smallifying glass

Tik Tok, except chug and whirr machinery, perfectly quiet Now, leaning over he nearly tumbled copper nose, he began to read the message aloud

"Go-to-morrow-to-day ! Go-o-morrow-to-day ! " rasped Tik Tok, harsh rasping voice, over and over and over, until Ozma and Betsy clapped hands ears and Trot begged him to stop "That's funny-," ticked the copper man at last "It tells us when -but not-where Too and-no-place, Go-to-mor--

Whirr-click ! Tik Tok's voice ran down sentence stopped in mid air

"Thank goodness ! " cried Betsy Bobbin fervently

"Well, you'd better thank Tik Tok," spluttered the Scarecrow, leaping off the golden bench "Hurrah ! it now One's time and one's place Kingdom called Morrow anywhere in Oz, my dear ? "

"Morrow ! " exclaimed Ozma, "Why, that does sound familiar, somehow Morrow ? Yes, "

"Get map," ordered the Scarecrow in great excitement, and all but the Wizard sat down and smiled cleverness wise straw man

CHAPTER 9

Castle of Morrow

THE Wizard of Oz knew the geography of Ozma's wonderful land by heart and he remembered the Kingdom of Morrow perfectly bit jealous Scarecrow was about to solve the mystery without his help and so he popped small wishing pill into his mouth and began speaking rapidly in magic

Now magic is language which profess to understand, but the results Wizard's speech were instantaneous and astonishing So swiftly hair three little girls was nearly jerked from their heads, so swiftly that Sir Hokus lost his sword and Ozma her crown, they were all hurled air and dashed down in very short time steps of an ancient and gloomy castle

Its once splendid garden was choked up with weeds Vines had run up and over the entire structure, covering even the windows and chimneys with waving curtain of green Owls hooted dismally towers scurry and scamper of frightened feet told that many little forested animals had made themselves at home within

"Mercy," gasped Betsy Bobbin, examining anxiously long scratch on her knee, "how did we get here ? "

"Where are we ? " inquired Sir Hokus, blinkmg very fast seat upon stone lion, where he had landed little too suddenly and emphatically for complete comfort

" in Morrow," replied the Wizard, rising last step castle and dusting off his green trousers "In Morrow, by my express wish and Dr Nikidik's wishing pills "

"Well, you told us we were coming," said Trot bit crossly, beginning to look around for her side comb

"Morrow ! " murmured Ozma, walking dreamily up the castle steps "Why I've been here before, dozens and dozens of times "

"Got another pill, Wizard ? " asked Scraps grimly

"Ahem ! No, I don't believe ," coughed the little man nervously "Why ? "

"I wanna go home," shuddered the Patch Work Girl, looking fearfully dismal forest surrounding the castle and flock of black birds circling ominously overhead "I wanna go home ! "

" think wish, old fellow," gulped the Scarecrow weakly "Betsy, my dear, shake All straw has fallen into my left boot And where's Tik Tok, pray ? "

" he'd better stay home," replied the Wizard, looking around uneasily Now were really in Morrow, he began to doubt the wisdom quick wish Why had he not thought to bring his magic bag or another wishing pill of danger ?

"A rare and imposing old edifice ! " observed Sir Hokus, dismounting stiffly stone lion, and looking up curiously castle

"Well, now that here, look around," puffed the Scarecrow, more cheerful since Betsy had shaken him up and smoothed out his stuffing "Come along ! "

Ozma was already standing dull golden doors, the only portion castle not overgrown with vines Stepping up behind her, Sir Hokus lifted the huge knocker and let it fall with great clank against the tarnished metal

"What ho, within ! " roared the good Knight lustily But only hollow echo derisive hoot of an owl came shivering out

"What makes Ho ? " chattered Scraps nervously

" you'd never wished us here

This castle's full of spooks, ! "

finished the Patch Work Girl, shaking her finger reproachfully Wizard

"Fear nothing," boomed Sir Hokus grandly, " protect you " Putting his mailed shoulder doors, he pressed with all his might The bolts had evidently not been drawn and three little girls Wizard added their strength , the doors flew open so suddenly they all tumbled through together Three jack rabbits and tiny fawn leaped through broken window pane doors crashed open and several bats, shaken from their hold beamed ceiling jar, began to circle round and round, screeching dismally The hall had once been furnished with great splendor and magnificence, but now everything was covered with cobwebs, dust and decay The dim green light filtering in vine covered windows made everything seem more ghastly still

"I wanna go home ! " whispered Scraps plaintively

"Oh ! " wailed Betsy Bobbin, hiding her face Scarecrow's coat, "I don't like this "

"Shoo ! " couched the Scarecrow, stamping his foot at flock of mice that came scurrying across the floor and whirling his hat about his head off the bats "Shoo, I tell you ! "

"What s'pose anyone wanted us here for ? " groaned Trot, clinging nervously to Scraps

"Well, some reason," answered Ozma thoughtfully "I seem to remember this castle " Disregarding the grime and dust, the lovely little Queen walked slowly across the hall and sat down on golden chest beside the long table Sir Hokus, finding nothing better to fight than mice and bats, began briskly to clear the room pests, while Trot, Betsy Patch Work Girl tiptoed here and there talking in tense whispers, for silence deserted castle their words echoed and re-echoed unpleasantly Having assured themselves that nothing of interest great hall, Sir Hokus, the Wizard Scarecrow went bravely off to examine the rest castle

" they'd come back," whispered Trot, after they'd been gone about five minutes "Oooh, what's that ? "

"The wind," quavered Betsy doubtfully

"I don't believe it," shuddered Scraps, tripping over the fire irons and sprawling hearth "It's spook I wanna go home ! Just look at me ! " Betsy and Trot giggled nervously, for Scraps, covered with grime and soot from her fall, was enough anyone laugh