"How terribly upsetting," coughed the Cowardly Lion

" say ! " Dorothy crawled indignantly hat box and began wiping the butter from her nose "You've simply ruined the supper ! "

" my heart," explained the Cowardly Lion sorrowfully "It jumped so hard upset me, but climb on my back again, and I'll run very fast to some place of shelter "

"But where ? " Dorothy asked in real alarm, had grown absolutely dark

"Here," quavered the Cowardly Lion, and guided by his voice, Dorothy stumbled over to him and climbed again back One crash of thunder followed another, and at each crash the Cowardly Lion leapt forward bit faster until they fairly flew dark

"It won't take us long to reach the Emerald City rate ! " called Dorothy, but the wind tossed the words far behind her, and seeing that conversation was impossible, she clung fast lion's mane and began thinking Scarecrow The thunder continued at frequent intervals, but no rain, and after they running for what seemed to Dorothy hours and hours, sudden terrific bump sent her flying over the lion's head into bush Too breathless , she felt herself carefully all over Then, finding that she was still in one piece, she called Cowardly Lion hear him moaning and muttering about his heart

"Any bones broken ? " she asked anxiously

"Only my head," groaned the lion dismally Just then the darkness lifted as suddenly as it had fallen, and Dorothy saw him leaning against tree eyes closed big bump head With little cry of sympathy, Dorothy hurried toward him, when all at once something strange about their surroundings struck her

"Why, where are we ? " cried the little girl, stopping short The lion's eyes flew open, and forgetting all about his bump, he looked around in dismay No sign Emerald City anywhere Indeed, they were in great, dim forest, and considering the number of trees, wonder run into one

" run the wrong way," faltered the Cowardly Lion in distressed voice

"You couldn't help that; anyone would lose his way dark," said Dorothy generously "But we hadn't fallen sandwiches I'm hungry ! "

"So am I anyone lives forest, Dorothy ? "

Dorothy answer, for just then she caught sight of big sign nailed to trees

"Turn right," directed the sign

"Oh, come on ! " cried Dorothy, cheering up immediately "I believe we're going another adventure "

"I'd rather have some supper," sighed the Cowardly Lion wistfully, "but unless the night here, move along I'm fed up on adventure, I suppose "

"Turn left," advised the next sign, two turned obediently and hurried on, trying straight course trees In Fairyland like Oz, where no trains or trolleys or even horses for traveling ('cepting Ozma's sawhorse), bound unexplored portions And though Dorothy at or another in almost every part of Oz, the country through which they were now passing was totally unfamiliar to her Night was coming on, and growing so dark that hardly read the third sign presently came upon it

"Don't sing," directed the sign sternly

"Sing ! " snapped Dorothy indignantly, "Who wants to sing ? "

" keep left," said the Cowardly Lion in resigned voice, walked along for in silence The trees were thinning out, and came edge forest, another sign confronted them

"Slow down," read Dorothy with great difficulty "What nonsense ! slow down, how shall we ever get anywhere ? "

"Wait minute," mused the Cowardly Lion, half closing his eyes "Aren't there two roads just ahead, one going up and one going down ? We're to down road, I suppose 'Slow down,' isn't that what it says ? "

Slow down it surely was, road was so steep and full of stones that Dorothy Cowardly Lion had to pick their way with utmost care But even bad roads must end somewhere, and coming suddenly edge woods, they saw great city lying just below dim light burned over the main gate, and toward this the Cowardly Lion and Dorothy hurried as fast as not very fast, for an unaccountable drowsiness was stealing over them

Slowly and more slowly, the tired little girl and her great four-footed companion advanced toward the dimly lighted gate They were so drowsy had ceased But they dragged on

"Hah, hoh, hum ! " yawned the Cowardly Lion "What makes my feet so heavy ? "

He stopped short and examined each four feet sleepily

Dorothy swallowed yawn and tried to run, but walk was all manage

"Hah, hoh, hum ! " she gaped, stumbling along with her eyes closed

they had reached the gate, they were yawning so hard Cowardly Lion had nearly dislocated his jaw, and Dorothy was perfectly breathless Holding lion's mane to steady herself, Dorothy blinked up uncertainly sign over the gate

"Hah -- here -- Hoh ! " She held her hand wearily before her mouth

Then, with great effort, she read the words sign

"Um -- Great -- Grand and Mighty Slow Kingdom of Pokes ! Uh-hah -- Pokes ! hear ? Hah, hoh, hu, uum ! "

Dorothy looked about in alarm, despite her sleepiness

" hear ? " she repeated anxiously as no answer came gloom

The Cowardly Lion hear He had fallen down and was fast asleep, and so in another minute was Dorothy, her head pillowed against his kind, comfortable, cowardly heart Fast asleep gates of strange gray city !

CHAPTER 5

SIR HOKUS OF POKES

long past sunup before Dorothy awoke She rubbed her eyes, yawned , and then shook the Cowardly Lion The gates city were open, and although it looked even grayer daytime than it looked at night, the travelers were too hungry particular large placard was posted just inside:

POKES ! DON'T RUN ! DON'T SING ! TALK SLOWLY ! DON'T WHISTLE ! Order Chief Poker

read Dorothy "How cheerful ! Hah, hoh, hum-mm ! "

"Don't ! " begged the Cowardly Lion with tears eyes "If I yawn again, I'll swallow my tail, and if I don't have something to eat soon, I'll anyway Let's hurry ! There's something queer place, Dorothy ! Ah, hah, hoh, hum-mm ! "

Stifling their yawns, the two started down the long, narrow street The houses were of gray stone, tall and stiff with tiny barred windows absolutely quiet, and not person was in sight But turned the corner, they saw crowd of queer-looking people creeping toward them These singular individuals stopped between each step and stood perfectly still, and Dorothy was so surprised at their unusual appearance that she laughed right middle of yawn

first place, they never lifted their feet, but pushed them along like skates The women were dressed in gray polka-dot dresses with huge poke bonnets that almost hid their fat, sleepy, wide-mouthed faces Most had pet snails on strings, and so slowly did they move looked the snails were tugging them along

The men were dressed like party of congressmen, but instead of high hats wore large red nightcaps, were all as solemn as owls It seemed impossible both eyes open same time, and at first Dorothy thought they were winking at her But whole company continued to stare fixedly with one open eye, she burst out laughing unexpected sound (for no one had ever laughed in Pokes before), the women picked up their snails in great fright, men clapped their fingers ears or places where their ears were under the red nightcaps

"These the Slow Pokes," giggled Dorothy, nudging the Cowardly Lion "Let's go to meet them, for they'll never rate coming ! "

"There's something wrong with my feet," rumbled the Cowardly Lion without looking up "Hah, hoh, hum ! What's the use of hurrying ? " The fact matter was couldn't hurry tried Indeed, hardly lift their feet at all

" the Scarecrow were ," sighed the Cowardly Lion, shuffling along unhappily "He never grows sleepy, and he always knows what "

"No use wishing," yawned Dorothy "I only hope he's not as lost "

By struggling hard, they just managed moving, and they came up Slow Pokes, they were completely worn out cross-looking Poke held up his arm threateningly, and Dorothy Cowardly Lion stopped

"You --" said the Poke; then closed his mouth and stood staring vacantly for whole minute

"Are --" He brought out the word with perfectly enormous yawn, and Dorothy began fanning the Cowardly Lion with her hat, for he showed signs of falling asleep again

"What ? " she asked crossly

"Under --" sighed the Poke after long pause, and Dorothy, seeing that no hurrying him, began counting to herself Just as she reached sixty, the Poke pushed back his red nightcap and shouted:

"Arrest ! "

"Arrest ! " shouted all the other Pokes so loud Cowardly Lion roused himself with start, pet snails stuck out their heads "A rest ? rest what ! breakfast ! " growled the lion irritably and started to roar, but yawn spoiled it (One simply cannot look fierce by yawning )

"You --" began the Poke But Dorothy stand hearing the same slow speech again Putting her fingers in her ears, she shouted back:

"What for ? "

The Pokes regarded her sternly Some even opened both eyes Then the one who had first addressed the, covering terrific gape with one hand, pointed other to sign on large post corner street

"Speed limit 1/4 mile an hour" said the sign

"We're arrested for speeding ! " shouted Dorothy Cowardly Lion's ear

"Did you say feeding ? " asked the poor lion, waking up with start "If I go to sleep again before I'm fed, I'll starve to death ! "

"Then keep awake," yawned Dorothy , the Pokes had surrounded them and were waving them imperiously ahead They looked so threatening that Dorothy Cowardly Lion began to creep direction of gloomy, gray castle journey neither remembered thing, for gaping and yawning Pokes almost impossible awake But walked in their sleep, next thing Dorothy knew, harsh voice called slowly:

"Poke -- him ! "