Sir Hokus first to burst tall hedge enclosing the royal residence He paused, brushed his mailed fist across his eyes and then fell with crash jewelled walk The Scarecrow, close behind, promptly fell on top of him and Scraps, the Wizard little girls, bumping two, stopped short in their tracks For where the castle had stood, nothing at all excepting stretch of lawn, little greener, perhaps, than in other parts garden, but so smooth, no one suspected that castle ever had stood there !

"The King is castle, but where castle ? " groaned the Scarecrow, raising his head and peering over the Knight's shoulder

"Gone ! " wailed the little Queen, rushing forward in dismay "Everything's gone ! " And overcome fatigues and disappointments day, Ozma threw herself down grass and wept her heart would break Betsy and Trot did their best to comfort her, but what could they say ? What could anyone say face of so amazing calamity ?

"Come out you villain King and thief !

Bring back our home, you robber Chief ! "

screamed Scraps, making little dashes backward and forward Scraps expect the King out but, in answer to her call, shudder and rumble below

The rumbling continued, grew worse and worse and finally, with an explosion like forty-nine roman candles going off at once, the towers, turrets and gleaming roof castle burst earth and, impaling the frightened company upon its spires, carried them kicking and struggling air Up, up, and up shot the castle, till the entire structure was standing on its proper foundations The flag pole had caught Sir Hokus between his mailed shirt armor Knight was spinning around like weather cock in gale Ozma little girls had fortunately been carried aloft on rounded domes and while their position was extremely precarious comfortable Scraps hung limply over filigreed balcony, the Wizard beside her, Scarecrow dangled from spire

"Wait ! Don't move any of you," coughed the strawman "Wait, I'll fall down and get ladder ! "

And down he plunged !

CHAPTER 19

The Wizard Takes Hand

THE people clinging roof palace were no more puzzled and alarmed ones rattling around beneath the roof To understand all strange and confusing events, go back to Mombi's incantation Mombi, , had used the magic formula without the King's robe Indeed, Mombi had forgotten that part transformation entirely, and in consequence the great disaster predicted Fairy Queen Lurline had occurred

palace had sunk so suddenly earth, Dorothy and her companions too startled to even move But when it finally settled down and things grew quiet again, Dorothy, feeling her way cautiously, pressed small radio button wall Fortunately the lighting system thrown out of order and, emerald lamps flooded the throne room with their reassuring glow, everyone gave sigh of relief

Kabumpo had wound his trunk around palace pillars and closed his eyes Now he let go and looked fearfully around him Mombi had rolled into corner and Pajuka lay flat back feet air Tora's ears had flown off shock, carrying his spectacles , poor tailor was uncertainly groping his way toward the door Snip, who suffered nothing worse than bump over the eye, ran hastily assistance, leading him gently to large arm chair Sinking into its comfortable depths, Tora pulled out red handkerchief and began mopping first his cheeks and then his brow and muttering unintelligibly to himself

Humpy was sprawled floor, his crown jammed down over his nose head resting last step dais As Dorothy ran to help him up, feeble gesture of protest

"The kingdom has fallen," puffed the dummy indignantly, " lets me out If way you treat your sovereigns, I'm through I resign ! I abdicate Let me be the bell boy, or the furnace man Why even movies never been treated like this It's crime It's an outrage ! " coughed Humpy, struggling to sitting position and trying to pry his crown upward

"Now Humpy," began Dorothy reprovingly, you re talking like dummy instead of King Just wait--

" dummy," insisted the poor fellow, feeling of himself sure " old wretch changed me one hair's breadth by her villainous magic ? Oh, sunk so low ! "

"She's fraud," hissed Pajuka, who had also picked himself up "Woman, how dare you sink the castle shocking and informal manner ? Where are we and Majesty ? "

"Look out, she's trying away," warned Snip The little button boy was right, for at each question Mombi was creeping nearer door

"No you don't ! " shrilled Kabumpo, snatching her back trunk "I'll teach you to sink elephants like ship and play such tricks King ! " He began shaking her backward and forward till her very bones rattled

"Undo this mischief at once back my own shape Restore the King ! " screamed Pajuka, flapping his wings in Mombi's face

"Raise up this castle or I'll step on you ! " promised Kabumpo furiously

Mombi looked pleadingly at Dorothy and Snip, but the little boy and girl felt now that any punishment was too good old witch

" time," muttered Mombi, casting uneasy glances from one other "The formula restored the King, but something went wrong more time "

"Here, take it " Stumbling across the room, Ilumpy pressed dollar watch old witch's hands "Here's all the time ," said the dummy dolefully, "but don't ask me King again Let Kabumpo sit throne how he likes it "

Turning his back company, Humpy began to run after Tora's ears Fastened together tailor's spectacles, they were flapping wildly around the apartment Pajuka groaned and covered his eyes wing, honest goose bear his old master conducting himself so foolishly

"Well, what shall with her ? " Kabumpo shook Mombi again and snapped his eyes angrily at Dorothy

"She got us trouble and now get us out," decided the little girl wisely " ? "

The old witch nodded and, at sign from Dorothy, Kabumpo let her go, same time keeping close guard upon her Mombi, it confessed, was as surprised fall castle as anyone else, nor could she account failure magic formula Hemmed in corner gigantic Kabumpo, she began mumbling in magic and making queer passes air just to gain time

Dorothy watched anxiously, but Snip, who had already had an idea own, tiptoed across the room and picked up Mombi's basket In sudden flash Snip recalled the skyward flight cats in Catty Corners Was there any more marvelous baking powder ? Tumbling everything basket, Snip fumbled hurriedly among its contents and with little cry of triumph found what looking for-a small purple can magical powder And, better still, printed in Mombi's crooked writing, were the directions for its use what Snip read:

"To raise hair-one drop in water

"To raise the roof-one pinch down the chimney

"To raise the rent-five teaspoon's full in vinegar

"To raise castle or city empty entire contents of can on spot desired Sprinkle with water and count ten "

Seizing flower vase from nearby stand, Snip dumped out the powder and moistened it vase Then, hardly daring what would happen, the little button boy began to count

With roar as sudden and frightful as when it had fallen, the castle shot upward, gaining speed as it went, up, up, up, till the dark earth was left far below massive structure stood on its rightful foundations again

How Ozma and her friends were caught upon its roof, we already know, for Snip had set off the powder, just Little Queen flung herself grass to weep

While the Scarecrow, with long ladder garden, was helping those roof down, Snip was hurrying around the throne room helping those inside up, final jar castle settled had knocked everyone over-even Kabumpo

" exciting enough ? " asked Dorothy, crawling out from beneath sofa The Elegant Elephant groaned, but made no attempt to arise, and Dorothy, rushing over to Mombi, dragged her hurriedly to her feet

"Now that you've raised the castle," puffed the little girl determinedly,"suppose you transform the King and Pajuka ! "

"Mombi didn't raise the castle, it myself ! " cried Snip delightedly

" ! " gasped Kabumpo, rolling over in astonishment "How ? "

Snip held up the empty can and, while Mombi glowered angrily, he explained his use marvelous baking powder Tora's ears were still off so the poor tailor was as bewildered as ever, but Snip nodded to him encouragingly and had just finished his recital door hall burst open and Ozma, in perfect flutter of excitement, swept throne room-Ozma and everyone who had accompanied her to Morrow

"The King ! " gasped Ozma faintly, for she was rather short of breath "Where King ? " Her glance travelled in alarm from Mombi to Pajuka The goose was waddling after Humpy Paying no attention rise castle, the dummy was mounted on chair in last effort to capture Tora's ears

"Dorothy," wailed the sorely tried and tired little fairy, "where is my father ? "

"Here ! Here ! " honked Pajuka, doing his best Humpy turn 'round " King of Oz ! "

Dorothy, astonished though she was by Ozma's sudden entry, hastened to break the shock of her disappointment " remember," she explained hastily, " quite himself ! "

"He's bewitched-we're all bewitched ! " groaned the goose, flapping his wings despairingly

"Well, who hit me castle ? " demanded Scraps, staring around indignantly " you the King was dunce ! "

The little girls, Sir Hokus Wizard were regarding the stuffed man's actions with horror and dismay

" my father ? " faltered Ozma, approaching the dummy timidly "Why, where been all these years ? "

" pictures," answered Humpy in matter-of-fact voice With final snatch he had captured the tailor's ears and was more interested than daughter "I double stars, my dear I fall and die and all that sort of thing Ask Dorothy, she knows all about me "

"He's been leading double life," murmured the Scarecrow, looking solemnly at Sir Hokus of Pokes Then, facing the King, he asked frankly, " dub or double ? "