"Why, there's Kabumpo ! " cried Ozma and then, catching her first glimpse tailor without ears, she sank limply into chair and began to fan herself with doily "Everything, everything's so queer," murmured the little Queen, looking appealingly at Betsy and Trot

"Fetch the Green Book of Magic library," ordered the Wizard, giving Sir Hokus push "Fetch the book put an end nonsense ! "

Sir Hokus made haste to obey and, before Dorothy could explain all that had happened or introduce her friends the Knight came back green book

"Here, my ears," cried the tailor, who had missed most excitement Snatching them from Humpy, he clapped them quickly in place and turned toward the Wizard The Wizard looked slightly cross-eyed from astonishment, but swallowing quickly and, determined not to delay the King's restoration another minute, began to flip over the leaves book

" it, Incantation No 980 ! " panted the little man joyfully "Two eaten before seven

"That's not an incantation, that's Humpy's number," cried Dorothy, pulling out the white tag dummy's collar

"Why, that's what Mombi tried," put in Snip anxiously "Look out ! Something else awful will happen ! "

But the Wizard waved them impatiently aside and, throwing the royal robe he had carried all the way from Morrow about Humpy's shoulders, pushed him down throne

"All but seven leave the room," he ordered crisply and after short delay the order was carried out The seven who remained watched tensely Wizard approached the stuffed King Popping two small crackers into his mouth, he gazed fixedly dummy "I command you to assume your natural shape," choked the Wizard, throwing up his arms impressively

'The King's himself ! Long live the King ! " shrieked Pajuka, falling flat upon his bill

Everyone crowded forward what happened to Humpy-but the dummy remained as

"Why he's not changed at all," cried Scraps scornfully, Patch Work Girl was perfectly right Except for slight slump left, Humpy even changed his position

"Two eaten before seven ! Two eaten before seven ! " muttered the Wizard, beginning to pace anxiously up and down

"Two what ? " asked Snip " sure you've eaten the right thing ? Mombi swallowed buttons "

"Well, I'm no ostrich foot note says two of anything," answered the little man, keeping his place book forefinger and gazing dummy in exasperation

CHAPTER 20

The Lost King Is Found

THE Wizard of Oz was puzzled and mortified His magic seemed no magic at all The little man was silent think of nothing but his failure

"Let's all sit down in circle and think," proposed the Scarecrow, taking Ozma's hand, for he the little fairy was ready to cry with disappointment "The goose feather said the King was castle, so here," he insisted cheerfully "Let Dorothy tell her story and we'll tell ours and then perhaps find out what's wrong magic "

"Now you're talking sense," approved Scraps, plumping down beside the straw man "Have Dorothy explain this old goose, this button-button-who's-got-the-button boy fellow fluttering ears "

"I guess best," sighed Dorothy So in wink that whole strange company, with Humpy center, dropped down in circle floor Kabumpo, holding Mombi fast trunk, stood just behind Dorothy, putting in word or giving Mombi shake when she objected to any part story

Ozma and her friends could scarcely repress their astonishment and surprise as Dorothy recounted her wonderful adventures dummy and told of Snip's exciting journey goose old witch Indeed, story proceeded, they began to regard Snip and Pajuka with growing admiration and respect, for certainly these two had played an unforgetable part history of Oz

When Dorothy told how Snip had raised the castle with Mombi's baking powder, the company burst into such loud cheers and cries of approval little button boy tried to hide behind the tailor Tora, himself, came in for goodly share interest too, and he smiled pleasantly as Dorothy explained his singular ears and described his escape Blanks When Dorothy had finished, Ozma quickly related all that had happened Emerald City and in Morrow She told deserted castle mysterious messages, Scarecrow gravely passed around the golden quill

"I seem to remember this," puffed Pajuka when it had come to him "Ah, ! magic quill the King on my last birthday castle It always warned one or the other when either was in danger and I had it in my pocket when Mombi turned me to goose

"And I pulled it out when I fell down the well ! " cried Snip excitedly

"And it returned spot where the old castle had stood," put Wizard, leaning forward sagely

"Well, that explains the feather, but explain the King ? " demanded the Scarecrow, looking dummy head on one side

"I'm about tired of being explained," mumbled Humpy sulkily " don't pretty soon decide something, I'll go back to America I've fallen and I've risen and now to sit still "

"Perhaps," suggested the tired tailor timidly, for shy presence of celebrities, "perhaps Humpy the lost King at all ! The feather said the King was palace, but it say the dummy was King "

"Bless me," cried the scarecrow tossing up his hat, "his brain works as fast as his ears an idea ! " It occurred to any that Humpy the King, but now they began to look at one another questioningly

"But he's the image of Pastoria ! " insisted Pajuka "Don't you suppose my own sovereign ? Ozma my dear, dummy not like your father ? "

Ozma nodded "But it wouldn't do any harm to look around," she added thoughtfully

"Come on," cried the Scarecrow waving his hat, "we'll hunt from cellar to garret ! "

"Keep trunk witch ! " called Scraps Elegant Elephant, all jumped up and started the Scarecrow room

"But wait ! " exclaimed the tired tailor, catching hold straw man's arm "How do know the King yourself ? "

"Me the King ! " ejaculated the Scarecrow falling back against pillar

"Well, Mombi could easily have changed you to Scarecrow," mused Tora, but Dorothy hastily shook her head, Scarecrow's past was well known and though he proved an Emperor of Silver Island, she felt be the lost King of Oz

"Well, somebody castle is King," insisted Tora positively

"But how shall ? " gasped Dorothy, while the others looked equally puzzled

"Find the man who fits the King's robe," cried Tora, waving his tape measure "Try him," he finished, indicating Sir Hokus of Pokes

"How did you ever think ? " asked the Wizard admiringly "Find the man who fits the robe ! Why it's as simple as arithmetic But how did you ever think of it ? "

"Well, being tailor, it occurred at once," answered Tora modestly "The robe fits the dummy perfectly, so at first the King, but magic failed to work I concluded that he wasn't "

Mombi sniffed scornfully Knight stepped forward but Dorothy and Ozma, remembering Sir Hokus's strange history, felt that he might easily be the lost King of Oz

Again all but seven left the throne room, tailor placed the King's robes carefully Knight's shoulders Then the Wizard, taking two more crackers, gravely repeated the magic formula

Ozma kept her eyes fixed intently on Sir Hokus She rather hoped turn out her father, for she was very fond blustery Knight But nothing at all happened Wizard's incantation and Sir Hokus stepped down throne with real relief

"Odds buckles and bonnets, my dear, like your father but not your King," sighed the Knight "I prefer fighting to governing any day "

The Wizard cast his eye about for another candidate of proper size and shape to fit the robe, but no one room seemed to qualify

"You're wasting time," grunted Kabumpo irritably "This person," he waved loftily old tailor, "this person had better have kept out of it What does tailor know of magic ? "

Dorothy looked reprovingly Elegant Elephant and just then, catching glimpse Soldier Green Whiskers doorway, rushed over and pulled him room The Soldier Green Whiskers entire army of Oz and, while not noted bravery, is great favorite Emerald City the disappearance of Ozma, he hiding castle cellar, terribly frightened by its fall and rise Finally he had screwed up enough courage to venture forth and investigate Too astonished to move, he had listened proceedings throne room and watched the Wizard's magic experiments

"Try him ! " puffed Dorothy, hurrying him toward the throne tailor carefully adjusted the robe, everyone gasped fit and becomingness green garment It quite transformed the timid old soldier and, complacently stroking his beard, he waited Wizard's formula effect But again, nothing at all happened and, dashing the green book of magic into corner, the Wizard rushed room At last he had had an idea own look magic picture and discover at once who missing King

Meanwhile Tora, looking very apologetic, had taken the cloak grand army's shoulders " wrong," sighed the tailor shaking his head sorrowfully, "and now no one else "

Everyone joined tailor's sigh, afternoon had lengthened into evening were still as far as ever from solving the mystery At each disappointment Pajuka had grown more gloomy and now, waddling Mombi, he cried angrily, "Woman, what done king ? Speak ! Speak, or I'll peck off your nose ! "

"Yes, say something ! " shrilled Kabumpo, shaking her violently

"I remember nothing ! I remember nothing ! Let me go ! " wailed the old witch, howling dismally

Mombi's screams, Pajuka's threats and Kabumpo's trumpeting almost drowned out another voice that had risen triumphantly above the confusion Snip Jumping feet and running across the room, the little button boy flung his arms 'round the old tailor

"You never tried it on yourself ! You never tried it on yourself ! " panted Snip, trembling with impatience "Here, give it ! "

While Kabumpo sniffed others watched half heartedly, the little boy wrapped the King's robe around the tired tailor, popped two sugar lumps into his mouth and shouted hoarsely, "Two eaten before seven ! I command you to resume your natural shape ! "

For as long as count ten absolute silence Then deep voice, very rough and husky, called wildly, "The King ! Long live the King ! "

"Pajuka ! " cried the tired tailor Rushing joyously down the steps throne, he threw both arms 'round fat, jolly old gentleman The tired tailor, did ? But no ! He tired tailor no longer ! The rounded shoulders had straightened up under the velvet robe, the tired eyes sparkled with pleasure and kindliness Tora, the tailor, no longer, but Pastoria, the King, stood embracing his prime minister, same green formula that had restored his majesty had also released Pajuka weary enchantment

"I remember ! I remember ! I turned him to tailor and flung him down well ! " squealed Mombi, but excitement no one even heard her The suddenness King's restoration had taken even Snip by surprise, but recovering quickly they all pressed forward

Humpy first to reach the throne "Glad you got the job," grinned the dummy cheerfully "But let me be your double, old fellow I'll fall or die " Making his word good at once, Humpy tripped over the King's foot and fell flat upon his nose

"Why your double," gasped Dorothy eagerly "The very image of you "

"King, King, double King,

never get him back again ! "