by Ruth Plumly Thompson

CHAPTER 1

PROFESSOR WOGGLEBUG'S GREAT IDEA

"The very thing ! " exclaimed Professor Wogglebug, bounding air and upsetting his gold inkwell "The very next idea ! "

"Who -- me ? " round-faced little Munchkin boy stuck his head door and regarded Professor Wogglebug solemnly working his way Professor's Athletic college, and one duties was to wait eminent educator of Oz

"Certainly not ! " snapped Professor Wogglebug "You're nobody or nothing Stop gaping and fetch me my hat I'm off Emerald City And mind the pupils take their history pills regularly while I'm gone," he added, clapping his tall hat Zif held out to him back head

"Yes, sir ! " said the little Munchkin respectfully

"Don't hurry back, sir ! " This last remark the Professor hear, for already half way down the college steps

"Ozma delighted idea How clever ! " he murmured, twirling his antennae and walking rapidly down the pleasant blue lane

The Professor, whose College of Art and Athletic Perfection is southwestern part Munchkin country, biggest bug in Oz, or in anyplace else, matter He education painless by substituting school pills for books His students take Latin, history and spelling pills; they swallow knowledge of every kind with ease and pleasure and spend the rest time in sport No wonder thought of in Oz ! No wonder he thinks of himself !

Swinging his cane jauntily, the Professor hurried toward the yellow brick road that leads Emerald City, and by nightfall had reached the lovely capital of Oz

Oz ! -- that marvelous country where no one grows old -- where animals and birds talk as sensibly as people, and adventures happen every day Indeed, of all fairylands , Oz most delightful, and of all fairy cities, the Emerald City most beautiful soft green light shone for miles about, gemmed turrets and spires palace flashed more brightly stars But its loveliness was familiar to Professor Wogglebug, and without pause he proceeded to Ozma's palace and was at once admitted great hall

roar of merriment greeted his ears Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of Oz, was having party, room was full of most surprising people -- surprising to some, , but old friends to most of us

Jack, holding tightly pumpkin head, was running as fast as his wooden feet and wobbly legs would take him from Dorothy game of blind-man's-buff was in full swing, and Scraps and Tik-Tok, the Scarecrow and Nick Chopper, the Glass Cat Cowardly Lion, the Wizard of Oz wooden Sawhorse, Cap'n Bill and Betsy Bobbin, Billina Hungry Tiger were tumbling over in an effort away blindfolded little girl

But Dorothy was too quick With sudden whirl, she spun 'round and grasped coatsleeve

"The Scarecrow ! " she laughed triumphantly " tell he skwoshes -- and now he's it ! "

"I'm always it ! " chuckled the droll person "But -- hah ! Behold the learned Professor standing so aloofly midst "

No one had noticed Professor Wogglebug, who quietly watching the game

"I don't like to interrupt the party," he began, approaching Ozma's throne apologetically, "but I've just had most brilliant idea ! "

"What ? Another ? " murmured the Scarecrow, rolling up his eyes

"Where did you lose it ? " asked Jack Pumpkinhead, edging forward anxiously

"Lose it ! Who said I'd lost it ? " snapped the Professor, glaring at poor Jack

"Well, you said you'd had it, and had past tense, so --" Jack's voice trailed off uncertainly, and Ozma, seeing embarrassed, begged the Professor to explain

"Your Highness ! " began Professor Wogglebug, while the company settled down in resigned circle floor, "As Oz most interesting and delightful country Continent of Imagination and its people the most unusual and talented, about to compile Royal Book which will give the names and history of all our people In other words, the Great, Grand Genealogist of Oz ! "

"Whatever ," the Scarecrow whispered in Dorothy's ear

"And," the Professor frowned severely Scarecrow, "with your Majesty's permission, start at once ! "

"Please do," said the Scarecrow with wave toward the door, "and go on party ! "

Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, who staring fixedly Professor with her silver suspender-button eyes, now sprang to her feet:

" genealogist ? It's something no one here has missed; What puts such notions in your head ? Turn out your toes -- or go to bed ! "

she shouted gaily, then, catching Ozma's disapproving glance, fell over backwards

"I don't understand it at all," said Jack Pumpkinhead in depressed voice "I'm afraid my head's too ripe "

"Nor I," said Tik-Tok, the copper clockwork man "Please wind me up lit-tle tight-er Dor-o-thy, ! "

Dorothy obligingly took key suspended from hook back and wound him up under his left arm Everybody began at once, and what Cowardly Lion's deep growl and Tik-Tok's squeaky voice and all the rest tin and meat and wooden voices, the confusion was terrible

"Wait ! " cried Ozma, clapping her hands

Immediately the room grew so still that one could hear Tik-Tok's machinery whirring 'round

"Now ! " said Ozma, "One , please, hear Scarecrow first "

The Scarecrow rose " , your Highness," modestly, "that anyone who has studied his Geozify already knows who and --"

"Who ? " broke Wogglebug scornfully -- " -- but tell them who you were ! "

"Who I were ? " gasped the Scarecrow in dazed voice, raising his cotton glove forehead "Who I were ? Well, who were I ? "

"That's just the point," said Professor Wogglebug "Who were you ? Who were your ancestors ? Where is your family ? Where is your family tree ? From what did you descend ? "

At each question, the Scarecrow looked more embarrassed He repeated the last one

"From what did I descend ? From what did I descend ? Why, from bean pole ! " he cried

perfectly true, for Dorothy, little girl blown by Kansas cyclone Kingdom of Oz, had discovered the Scarecrow in farmer's cornfield and had lifted him down pole Together they had made the journey Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz had fitted him out with fine set of brains At , he had ruled Oz and was generally considered its cleverest citizen

Before reply further, the Patchwork Girl, who was simply irrepressible, burst out:

"An ex-straw-ordinary man is he ! bean pole family tree, Cornishman, upon my soul, Descended from tall, thin Pole ! "

"Nonsense ! " said Professor Wogglebug sharply, "Being stuffed with straw may make him extraordinary, but quite plain Scarecrow was nobody before himself He has no ancestors, no family; only bean pole for family tree, therefore entitled merest mention Royal Book of Oz ! "

"How brains ? " asked the Scarecrow in hurt voice "Aren't they enough ? "

"Brains have simply nothing with royalty ! " Professor Wogglebug waved his fountain pen firmly "Now --"

"But see here, wasn't I ruler of Oz ? " put Scarecrow anxiously

"A Ruler but never royalty ! " snapped out the Professor "Now, all answer my questions as I call your names, I'll get the necessary data and be off "

out small memorandum book

"Your Highness," he bowed to Ozma, "need not bother already entered head list Being descended from long line of fairies, your family tree oldest and most illustrious in Oz "

"Princess Dorothy ! "

sound of her name, the little girl stood up

" from Kansas and were created Princess of Oz by our gracious Ruler, but tell me anything of your ancestors in America ? " demanded the Professor, staring over the top thick glasses

"You'll have to ask Uncle Henry and Aunt Em," said Dorothy rather sulkily The Professor had hurt the feelings of her best friend, the Scarecrow, and ancestors interest her one little bit

" ," said the Professor, writing industriously book "I'll just enter you as 'Dorothy, Princess of Oz and sixth cousin to President ! ' "

"I'm not ! " Dorothy shook her head positively

"Oh, everyone in America can claim that ! " said the Professor easily

"Nick Chopper ! "

Now up rose our old friend the Tin Woodman, who had also been discovered by Dorothy on her first trip Fairyland of Oz

"You were man of meat at and woodman by trade ? " queried Professor Wogglebug, poising his pen air

" Tin Woodman, and enter me in your book under the name of Smith, for tin Smith made me, and as Royal Emperor Winkies, care back to my meat connections," said the Tin Woodman in dignified voice

The company applauded, Cowardly Lion thumped the floor tail

"Smith is name work up whole chapter ," smiled the Professor The Tin Woodman had once been regular person, but wicked witch enchanted his ax, and first it chopped off one leg, then the other, and next both arms head After each accident, Nick went to tinsmith for repairs, and finally was entirely made of tin Nowhere but in Oz could such thing happen But no one killed marvelous country, and Nick, tin body, went gaily on living and was considered so distinguished Winkies had begged him their Emperor

"Scraps ! " called the Professor as Nick sat stiffly down beside Dorothy

The Patchwork Girl pirouetted madly front Putting one finger in her mouth, she sang:

"I'm made of patches, as clothes tree is my family tree But, pshaw ! It's all the same ! "

clothes tree ? Even Professor Wogglebug grinned help laughing at Scraps ? Made of odd pieces of goods and brought to life powder of life, the comical girl jolliest person imaginable

"Put me down as man of me-tal ! " drawled Tik-Tok the copper man laugh following Scraps' rhyme had subsided Tik-Tok was still another of Dorothy's discoveries, and this marvelous machine man, guaranteed to last thousand years, could think, walk, and talk when properly wound

The Cowardly Lion was entered as King own right One other, the celebrities of Oz came forward to answer Professor Wogglebug's questions The Professor wrote rapidly little book Ozma listened attentively to , all seemed interested except the Scarecrow Slumped down beside Dorothy, he stared morosely ceiling, his jolly face all wrinkled down on one side

"If I only knew who I were ! " he muttered over and over " think ! "

"Don't you mind " Dorothy patted his shoulder kindly "Royalties are , and I'll bet the Professor's family tree was milkweed ! "

But the Scarecrow refused comforted, and long company had retired he sat hunched sadly corner