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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58765 ***
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+                        The Cowardly Lion of Oz
+
+                        BY RUTH PLUMLY THOMPSON
+
+           _Founded on and continuing the Famous Oz Stories_
+
+                           BY L. FRANK BAUM
+                        "Royal Historian of Oz"
+
+                            Illustrated by
+                             JOHN R. NEILL
+
+                         The Reilly & Lee Co.
+                                Chicago
+
+               _Printed in the United States of America_
+
+                            Copyright, 1923
+                                 _by_
+                         The Reilly & Lee Co.
+
+                       _The Cowardly Lion of Oz_
+
+[Illustration: THE COWARDLY LION ENTERTAINS THE WOOD CUTTERS WITH HIS
+CONVERSATION _Chapter 9_]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Dear Girls and Boys:
+
+This is the Cowardly Lion's book, because it is mostly about him and
+the people who were hunting him. Why, I do not believe there has been
+so much excitement in Oz since the Scarecrow fell down his family tree.
+Imagine anyone daring to hunt our dear old jolly friend, just as if
+he were a common, man-eating creature, and imagine--! But here I go
+telling the whole story. Read it yourself and then tell me exactly what
+you think of this Mustafa of Mudge and his blue whiskers.
+
+I hope you will like Snorer. It must be convenient to have a radio
+ear like his. Speaking of radios, if you should happen to hear any OZ
+news over yours will you tell me? Will you? If there's anything I love
+better than strawberries in January it's Oz news in July or December or
+August--or any time!
+
+I've had some of the finest letters from boys and girls lately, but
+there is always room in my letter box for just one more. Maybe there is
+one there now from you to dear me? I must run down and look. Lots of
+good Oz luck until the Emerald clock in the royal palace strikes book
+time again!
+
+RUTH PLUMLY THOMPSON.
+
+    Philadelphia,
+    July of 1923.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+                       This book is dedicated to
+                               My sister
+                       Dorothy Thompson Curtiss
+                     and all other lovely Dorothys
+                        including Dorothy of Oz
+
+                         Ruth Plumly Thompson
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+                           List of Chapters
+
+                1 Mustafa of Mudge
+
+                2 Magic at the Circus
+
+                3 At the Court of Mudge
+
+                4 Mustafa's Mandate
+
+                5 Two Cowardly Lion Hunters
+
+                6 The Seven Doors
+
+                7 The Escape from Doorways
+
+                8 The Cowardly Lion's Quest
+
+                9 In Search of a Brave Man
+
+               10 On the Isle of Un
+
+               11 A Strange Fishing Party
+
+               12 Saved by a Flyaboutabus
+
+               13 Mustafa's Blue Magic
+
+               14 Flying in a Deluge
+
+               15 Mustafa Keeps Watch
+
+               16 A Fall from the Sky
+
+               17 The Stone Man of Oz
+
+               18 Notta's Last Disguise
+
+               19 In the Emerald City
+
+               20 The Cowardly Lion's Peril
+
+               21 Oz Magic Triumphs
+
+               22 A Happy Home in Oz
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 1
+
+Mustafa of Mudge
+
+
+"Tazzywaller, I must have another lion," said Mustafa of Mudge, giving
+his blue whiskers a terrible tweak. "Another lion, Tazzywaller, at
+once!"
+
+"Your Highness already has nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
+lions and a half!" said Tazzywaller bowing humbly.
+
+"Oh, that!" interrupted Mustafa impatiently. "Very careless of you,
+Tazzywaller, to bring me half a lion--the wrong half, too! Monstrous
+annoying to see the back legs and tail of a lion jumping about in the
+reservation. Unnatural, I call it."
+
+"But, your Highness will remember that had not a fortunate blow of my
+scimitar cut off the right half of the lion I would have been devoured,
+eaten, destroyed!"
+
+Tazzywaller's eyes bulged at the unhappy recollection.
+
+"I'd have endeavored to console myself," sniffed Mustafa disagreeably,
+"and Panapee would make an excellent chamberlain. But this is wasting
+time. I must have another lion. A lion, I tell you, at once!"
+
+Mustafa's voice rose to a roar. Springing from his throne, he began
+stamping first one foot, then the other. The round face of poor
+Tazzywaller grew paler at each stamp.
+
+"But there are no more lions in Mudge," he pleaded. "Your Highness must
+know that. The royal hunters have tracked them all down, and even if
+there were more, we cannot afford another single lion. I beg of your
+Highness to consider the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
+already eating us out of our sandals. The Mudgers are complaining of
+the lion tax--"
+
+"Silence!" screamed Mustafa, jumping into the air so that he could
+stamp both feet at the same time.
+
+"You're making most of the noise yourself," said Tazzywaller sulkily.
+
+"What is all this arguing about?" demanded a sleepy voice, and through
+a curtain at the back of the apartment appeared the huge, turbaned head
+of Mixtuppa, Queen of Mudge.
+
+"Lions! your Majesty," sighed the chief chamberlain, looking uneasily
+at Mustafa's wife, who was even more unreasonable than her royal
+husband. "His Highness desires another lion."
+
+"Well, why don't you get him one? You know I can't stand this
+stamping," wheezed Mixtuppa irritably.
+
+"Neither can I," grumbled Mustafa. "It hurts my royal feet."
+
+"No one asked you to stamp. Why don't you stop it?" sniffed Tazzywaller.
+
+"Will you get me the lion?" asked Mustafa, pausing with foot upraised.
+
+"I would if there were any more, but there _are_ no more lions in
+Mudge!" wailed Tazzywaller. Down came Mustafa's foot with a terrible
+stamp.
+
+"Great Gazupp!" screamed the monarch of Mudge. "What kind of a
+chamberlain are you? I'll appoint Panapee chamberlain in your place
+and you--_you_ may feed the lions!" he finished furiously.
+
+Mustafa clapped his hands sharply and to the small Mudger who bounced
+into the room he snapped, "Tell Panapee to appear before me at once."
+He paid no attention to the pleadings of Tazzywaller, who was bumping
+his head on the floor, nor to the advice of Mixtuppa, who was wagging
+her head through the curtain. The next moment Panapee stood before the
+throne. He was as tall and thin as Tazzywaller was round and fat. His
+little eyes snapped with glee at sight of the chamberlain rolling about
+on the floor. As purse bearer he always had to walk back of Tazzywaller
+in royal processions, and to see his rival in disgrace was an exquisite
+pleasure to the envious old Mudger.
+
+"Your Excellency sent for me?" asked Panapee bowing deeply.
+
+"Yes," shrilled Mustafa, pushing back his turban and pointing a
+trembling finger at Tazzywaller. "He says there are no more lions in
+Mudge and I, Mustafa, must have another lion."
+
+"Your Highness knows best," murmured Panapee, rolling up his eyes and
+putting his finger tips together.
+
+"You know as well as I that there are no more lions in Mudge," cried
+Tazzywaller, springing to his feet and shaking his fist under
+Panapee's nose.
+
+"There are other countries besides Mudge," said Panapee loftily. "Now
+I presume your Highness was thinking of an odd, unusual sort of lion;
+something bigger and better than the kind now fighting amiably in the
+royal reservation?"
+
+"How well you understand me," sighed Mustafa, sinking back among his
+cushions. "That's just what I do want, Panny--a strange, rare, royal
+sort of lion; one who will keep the rest in order and add to the honor
+and dignity of our court."
+
+"I have a book," confided Panapee, placing his finger mysteriously
+beside his nose, "a book of lions, and if your Highness will but excuse
+me I will fetch it from my tent."
+
+"Are you going to get a lion out of a book?" asked Mixtuppa sleepily.
+"How stupid of Tazzywaller not to have thought of that."
+
+Now, while Panapee goes for his book, I must tell you that Mudge is a
+blue and barbarous country in the southwestern part of the Munchkin
+country of Oz. It is a hot, dry, desert land and the Mudgers themselves
+are a short-tempered, long-legged tribe of troublemakers. They live in
+blue, striped tents and, if it were not for their bright blue whiskers,
+you would take them for Arabs, as they wear sweeping white robes and
+turbans to protect themselves from the heat and desert sands.
+
+In olden Oz times the Mudgers used to descend upon the helpless little
+countries that surrounded them and carry off everything of value. But
+Glinda, the good sorceress of Oz, put a stop to that. One night, flying
+over Mudge in her swan chariot, she had dropped a blue book and it had
+fallen on the oldest Mudger in the kingdom, hitting him a terrible blow
+on the nose. It had been a blow to them all, for in gold letters on the
+first page of the book stood this sentence:
+
+    "From this day on, any Mudger leaving the land of Mudge shall lose
+    his head. By order of Ozma, Ruler of all Oz."
+
+There were other warnings in the blue book, but the first had changed
+the whole history of the country. No Mudger was brave enough to venture
+out of Mudge after that, so the thieving raids on other countries
+had stopped instantly, and the Mudgers, deprived of the pleasure of
+stealing from their neighbors, stole from each other, and were always
+quarreling among themselves and moving their tents from place to place.
+The peoples of the surrounding countries would come to the borders of
+Mudge to bargain for the dates, figs and cocoanuts for which the land
+was famous, but Mustafa's grandfather, who was then ruler of the desert
+kingdom, disagreeably decided that since no Mudger might leave Mudge
+no outsider should enter his country. Warnings were posted on all the
+borders of Mudge and soon no one came near the horrid little kingdom,
+so that it went on growing more blue and barbarous all the time, as
+people are bound to do who have no friends or neighbors.
+
+When Mustafa, who really was not a bad fellow at heart, assumed the
+throne he tried to divert the minds of his quarrelsome subjects by
+organizing hunts. There were many lions in the uninhabited parts of the
+desert, and for a time hunting lions kept the Mudgers out of mischief.
+But soon they were quarreling over even that, and the royal hunting
+expeditions were more in the nature of battles than pleasure excursions.
+
+Mustafa, in despair, confided to Tazzywaller that he much preferred the
+lions to his subjects. So Tazzywaller had mildly suggested that he keep
+a few for company. Mustafa, who was terribly bored with his duties as
+King, was delighted with the idea and issued orders that hereafter all
+lions should be brought to the royal tents.
+
+At first he had kept two or three in a large enclosed cage in his
+garden, but as his subjects grew more unmanageable, his affection
+for lions increased. He insisted upon more and more lions, until,
+as Tazzywaller had stated, there were nine thousand nine hundred
+ninety-nine and one-half in the royal collection. Mustafa pretended
+that he kept these lions to frighten away the enemies of Mudge, and
+for this purpose he had a large iron enclosure erected all around the
+kingdom, so that no one could come in or go out without passing through
+the royal lion reservation. Indeed, when the little Munchkin boys and
+girls recited their lessons, they always described Mudge as a country
+entirely surrounded by lions. But this was only an excuse. Mustafa knew
+well enough that no one dared leave Mudge, and that no one wanted to
+come there, but it sounded well when the people complained of the lion
+tax.
+
+Mustafa's lions were a terrible trial to poor Tazzywaller. To keep his
+position as chief chamberlain of Mudge, he must produce a lion whenever
+Mustafa demanded one. This was pretty often. By his orders the whole
+country had been combed for lions and only the week before word had
+been brought that there was not another lion left in the whole country.
+Then Tazzywaller himself had gone hunting, and after an exhausting
+trip had come upon the very last old lion of Mudge. When Tazzywaller
+tried to capture him, the beast had selfishly tried to devour the fat
+chamberlain. In protecting himself Tazzywaller cut the old lion in
+two with his scimitar. Before he could remedy the disaster the front,
+and best part, of the lion had jumped over the lion enclosure and
+disappeared.
+
+In the Fairy Kingdom of Oz nothing can really be killed, so that both
+halves of the lion were quite unhurt and lively, but Mustafa had been
+very angry when Tazzywaller brought him the half he had managed to
+catch. It had almost cost him his position.
+
+"To think it was I who suggested lions in the first place," groaned
+poor Tazzywaller. "Lions! Bah! Mustafa has a taste for lions and lions
+have a taste for me!"
+
+"That's odd of them," drawled Mixtuppa, rolling her blue eyes at Tazzy.
+"Poor taste I call it!"
+
+"Silence!" exploded Mustafa so sharply that Mixtuppa hastily drew in
+her head. Mustafa was already regretting his unkindness, but he was too
+proud to take back his words. Yes, Tazzy would have to feed the lions.
+He sighed mournfully; but just then Panapee came whirling through the
+tent flap, a large book under his arm.
+
+"This book," puffed Panapee proudly--but he got no further.
+
+"Give it to me," commanded Mustafa, snatching the volume from Panapee.
+Even Tazzywaller edged nearer, and the sleepy head of Mixtuppa was
+again thrust through the curtain.
+
+"Famous Lions of Oz," read Mustafa, and opened the dusty volume with
+trembling fingers. But he got no further than the second page, for
+there was a picture of the most splendid lion he had ever seen in his
+whole Mudger existence, and underneath, in blue letters, stood the
+words "This is the famous Cowardly Lion of Oz, King of all forest
+creatures."
+
+"Cowardly Lion?" gasped Mustafa. "How singular! How rare! Why, he
+doesn't look cowardly at all."
+
+"If your Highness will but read," exulted Panapee, pointing to the
+opposite page. Breathlessly Mustafa began.
+
+"The Cowardly Lion is one of the most unusual and celebrated lions in
+Oz. For many years he ruled over the forest kingdoms, but in the reign
+of the famous Wizard of Oz the Cowardly Lion was discovered by a little
+Kansas girl named Dorothy. He became so attached to Dorothy that he
+accompanied her on her journey to the Emerald City, saving her life
+many times on the way, and proving so brave, in spite of his cowardice,
+that he won the love and admiration of all Oz. Since then he has spent
+most of his time in the capital city, sharing in all the adventures of
+court celebrities, and of Dorothy, who has been made a Royal Princess.
+He has, by his many brave deeds, endeared himself to the whole populace
+and--"
+
+"Panny!" burst out Mustafa, without waiting to read any more, "Panny,
+_that_ is the lion I want, the Cowardly Lion of Oz!"
+
+"That is the lion he wants!" repeated Mixtuppa, nodding her head
+approvingly.
+
+"And of course he shall have it," sniffed Tazzywaller, relieved to
+think he was no longer chamberlain. "Panapee, produce this Cowardly
+Lion. At once!"
+
+"It will take a little time," began the new chamberlain of Mudge
+nervously. "An expedition must be fitted out and--"
+
+"How about the warning in the book of Mudge?" asked Tazzywaller
+sarcastically. "Do you suppose anyone is going to risk his head just
+for the honor of catching this Cowardly Lion?"
+
+"It would be a great honor," said Panapee, looking slyly at his rival,
+"a very great honor. I was about to suggest that you, dear Tazzywaller,
+undertake the journey. Even though you were to lose your head, you
+could still feed the lions of Mudge."
+
+"Me!" screamed Tazzywaller, almost turning a somersault. "Oh, no, my
+brave Panapee, it would be too great an honor for me. I am only the
+lion feeder. I must feed them at once!" Tazzywaller started on a run
+for the door, but Mustafa called him back.
+
+"You used to give me good advice, Tazzywaller," sighed the ruler of
+Mudge. "Who do you think could catch this Cowardly Lion of Oz?"
+
+"Why not Panapee?" asked the former chamberlain wickedly. "He is a
+strong, brave man."
+
+"Yes, but what would your Highness do without an adviser?" quavered
+Panapee in a tremulous tone.
+
+"He could take my advice," drawled Mixtuppa, "and to begin with I'd--"
+
+What Mixtuppa was about to advise will never be known, for right here
+fifteen Mudgers burst into the royal tent.
+
+"Lion!" screamed the first. "Lion! Lion! Lion!" screamed all the
+others, whirling their scimitars until the confusion was terrible.
+
+"Let me catch him!" cried Tazzywaller, but Panapee clutched at his
+sleeve.
+
+"No, let me!" squealed Panapee, brushing past him. "I am chief
+chamberlain of Mudge!"
+
+"Perhaps it is the Cowardly Lion," puffed Mustafa, springing
+rapturously from his throne, and next minute they had all rolled, run
+or tumbled out of the tent, screaming in a way to curdle the blood of
+twenty lions. Under the largest palm tree in the sandy waste Mustafa
+was pleased to call his garden stood a very lumpy and peculiar-looking
+lion!
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 2
+
+Magic at the Circus
+
+
+It was raining outside, it was hot and stuffy inside and it was the
+last day of the circus in Stumptown. All over the big tent people moved
+about restlessly on the hard seats, and grumbled when sudden splashes
+of rain came pelting through the tent top. Mothers were thinking
+anxiously of the wet journey home, young ladies were worrying about
+their spring bonnets, and even the boys and girls were only applauding
+half-heartedly as old Billy, the elephant, rang dinner bells in one
+ring and the Glicko sisters swung dizzily from trapezes in the other.
+The chief clown ran distractedly around both rings. He stood on his
+head, he walked on his hands, he leaped over the elephant, he pretended
+he was a balky donkey. But no one laughed. They didn't even smile at
+his oldest jokes.
+
+"This is too terrible," gulped the clown, stepping behind a pillar.
+"Not one real laugh the whole afternoon! What's the matter with these
+folks anyway?" He wiped the perspiration from his forehead, hastily
+powdered his nose and dashed out again.
+
+It was beginning to thunder now, and the animals in the outside tent
+set up a dreadful roaring. From looking bored, the people began to look
+frightened. Something must be done. The worried clown rushed into the
+center ring and sprang to the back of the big elephant.
+
+"Ladies and gentlemen!" shouted the clown, waving his arms to attract
+attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to perform one of the most
+astonishing and amazing feats ever executed--a trick that has astounded
+the crowned heads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Ladies and gentlemen--"
+
+People on the back rows, who were already pushing their way toward
+the exits, paused. A little girl in the twenty-five-cent seats
+cheered faintly. Thus encouraged, the clown turned a really marvelous
+somersault and landed on the tip of the elephant's trunk.
+
+"Will some small boy kindly step forward," begged the clown, glancing
+hurriedly along the front rows. "For this trick I need a small, active
+boy. Ah, there he is!"
+
+Urging the elephant to the very edge of the ring, the clown snatched
+a small, red-headed boy from a group of solemn-eyed orphans, who had
+been brought to the circus for a special treat. The crowd gasped with
+surprise, and the orphan tried to wriggle out of his coat, but the
+clown held on firmly.
+
+"One toss of this boy into the air, and he will disappear; a toss of my
+cap and he will reappear. Watch!" cried the clown, putting his fingers
+to his lips.
+
+"What are you trying to do?" demanded the ringmaster in a hoarse
+whisper. "You can't really make him disappear, you know."
+
+The clown realized this, but he was going to make that crowd laugh--or
+disappear himself. With a shrill whistle that made even the old
+elephant prick up his ears, he tossed the orphan to his shoulder and
+reeled off the first ridiculous rhyme that popped into his head. And
+this was it:
+
+    "Udge! Budge!
+    Go to Mudge!
+    Udger budger,
+    You're a Mudger!"
+
+A roar of delight went up from the crowd, and a roar of terror from the
+ringmaster, for the orphan had disappeared--disappeared as completely
+as a punctured balloon!
+
+"Help!" screamed the clown, dancing frantically up and down on the
+elephant's head. The audience was enchanted and rocking to and fro with
+merriment.
+
+"That's the best trick I've ever seen," gurgled a fat man, mopping his
+face. "Look at him pretending to be frightened. Come on now, bring him
+back, you!"
+
+The clown cried out another verse:
+
+    "Udge! Budge!
+    Go to Mudge!
+    Udger budger,
+    I'm a Mudger!"
+
+There was a tearing rip and a clap of thunder. The crowd stared,
+rubbed its eyes and stared again. No clown, no orphan! Why, this was
+tremendous! They stamped with glee and shouted their approval. But
+the ringmaster fell breathlessly against a post, and the owner of the
+circus, with popping eyes, started on a run for the dressing tent. Not
+a bit too soon, either, for in a few seconds the crowd stopped laughing
+as suddenly as it had begun. Umbrellas were brandished furiously, and
+people shouted at the ringmaster to produce the orphan at once. The
+ringmaster was shaking in his shiny shoes, but he resolved to save
+himself if he could. Raising his whip for silence, he announced in his
+most impressive voice that the best part of the trick was to come--that
+the clown and orphan were at that minute standing at the circus gate
+to wave good-bye to the company, one of the most distinguished and
+delightful companies it had ever been their pleasure to entertain. He
+clicked his heels together, made a deep bow and the crowd, convinced
+that he was speaking the truth, began to stream out of the big tent.
+
+[Illustration: THERE WAS A TEARING RIP, AND THE CLOWN DISAPPEARED
+THROUGH THE TENT TOP]
+
+Without waiting another second, the ringmaster grasped old Billy by
+the ear and ran him toward the animal tent. In five minutes the whole
+circus force was dashing about in the pelting rain, dragging out cages,
+prodding the elephants, tugging at the big horses, pulling down the
+tents.
+
+"Something terrible has happened; we've got to move out of here,"
+chattered the owner of the show, rushing from group to group. By the
+time the indignant old gentleman who had brought the orphans to the
+circus had been to the gate and back, the first of the heavy circus
+wagons was already rattling over the hill. The few workmen, hastening
+the last bits of loading, shook their heads dully when he demanded the
+orphan and, after threatening and stamping in vain, the distracted
+old gentleman ran off to fetch the police, with the thirty-nine other
+orphans splashing delightedly behind him.
+
+Police! What could police do against magic? How did the clown know
+that the rhyme that had popped into his head was an old Oz formula? It
+had carried off the orphan like a skyrocket, and when the clown had
+frantically repeated the magic words, he too had been snatched into the
+air, hurled through the tent top, and flung down beside the frightened
+little boy in the strangest land he had ever seen. Fortunately they
+had fallen on a soft dune of sand, and around them for miles and miles
+stretched a flat and silvery desert.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 3
+
+At the Court of Mudge
+
+
+Neither the clown nor the boy spoke for several minutes. To tell
+the truth, they were breathless. Then the clown sat up and looked
+doubtfully at the orphan.
+
+"Well, here we are," he said, winking more from force of habit than
+because he felt particularly jolly.
+
+"Yes, sir!" gulped the orphan, swallowing hard.
+
+"Now don't call me sir," begged the clown, making conversation to gain
+time. "Don't call me sir because I worked in a circus. My name is
+Notta--Notta Bit More. I was the last of twelve children, and my mother
+and father could not agree on a name for me. Every time my mother
+said, 'Call him Augustus Elmer More,' my father said, 'not a bit of
+it.' After while, being a clown himself and a joker by trade, he began
+calling me 'Notta Bit More' and Notta I've been ever since." The clown
+winked again. "Call me Notta, won't you?"
+
+"Yes, sir," replied the orphan, swallowing again and trying not to cry.
+Seeing this, Notta turned a double somersault and stood on his head.
+
+"And what is _your_ name?" he asked, waving his legs cheerfully.
+
+"Bobbie Downs," sniffed the orphan, with another swallow.
+
+"How did you get it?" The clown dropped down beside the little boy.
+
+"I think it came with me, sir," said Bobbie faintly.
+
+"Well, if you don't mind, we'll change it to Bob Up--for that's what
+we've done--and Bob Up sounds more lively than Bobbie Downs, don't you
+think?"
+
+While Notta was talking he was glancing anxiously around him. "Bob," he
+said finally, "I think we've fallen in with another circus. See, there
+are the tents, and I hear lions roaring."
+
+"So do I," said Bobbie beginning to look more interested than
+frightened.
+
+"Yes, it's either a circus or a sea shore without any sea," continued
+the clown, running his fingers through the sand. "But anyway, here I am
+and here you are, and so long as you are here we'll bob up together.
+Let's go on to the main tent and see the show."
+
+Bobbie stood up and shook the water from his cap. They were both
+dripping wet from the storm they had passed through, but the sun and
+wind of this queer desert country soon dried them off and, conversing
+almost cheerfully, they trudged through the deep sand toward a large
+blue, striped tent.
+
+"I've done a heap of traveling in my time," confided Notta, "but never
+in just this way. I've run into some strange places and walked into
+others; but this is the first time I ever talked myself into a country.
+There we were in a circus, quiet and natural like, then that rhyme
+pops into my head. I say it and off we go like a couple of skyrockets.
+We were just talked into this country, Bob, my boy, and a mighty
+tricky business I call it. But never mind, we'll just follow the rules
+anyway."
+
+"What rules?" asked Bob, looking curiously at some tall palm trees,
+waving in the distance. He had never supposed palm trees existed
+outside of geography books.
+
+"Why," explained Notta, "just four simple little rules I made up to use
+in case of danger or trouble. First," he pulled out his little finger,
+"first I disguise myself. If that fails, I'm extree-mly polite. If
+politeness doesn't do, I tell a joke. If the joke fails, I shout
+something no one can understand and run like sixty. So don't you worry,
+Bob; stick to me and run when I run and everything will turn out right.
+Do you know what makes me so fat?"
+
+Bob shook his head.
+
+"Disguises!" whispered Notta triumphantly. "I use them for padding.
+Mighty handy when I tumble about. Yes, sir, in here." Notta fondly
+patted his bulging suit. "In here I have six marvelous disguises ready
+to put on at a moment's notice, and in here," Notta tapped his powdery
+forehead, "in here, I've sixty different jokes, and lots of things I
+don't understand myself, so you see we are prepared for everything."
+
+"Yes, sir," said Bobbie solemnly, for he was a very solemn little
+boy. Living in an orphan asylum had made him that way and, as for
+adventures, he had never had an adventure in his life. There were
+lessons and meals and punishments, and once in a while a fight among
+the older boys, but no one in that big, busy home had time to talk to
+Bobbie Downs, nor answer his questions. So Bobbie had grown quieter and
+more solemn each year of the seven he had spent in the dull gray asylum.
+
+Notta looked at the little boy curiously as he trudged along beside
+him. The kindly clown decided that he was going to like Bob Up, and
+right there he decided that Bob Up was going to have a little fun.
+"I'll bet he's never laughed out loud in his whole life," thought the
+clown to himself, and began running over in his head the funniest jokes
+that he knew. He had just determined on the one about the pig and the
+pound of bacon, when an ear splitting screech knocked all thought of
+joking out of his mind. A huge figure, with bristling blue whiskers,
+had stepped out from behind a palm tree, taken one look at the two
+strangers and then disappeared in the direction of the blue tent,
+shouting at the top of his lungs.
+
+"Is it Blue Beard?" quavered Bob, clutching Notta.
+
+"Bob," said the clown, swallowing hard, "I don't know, but we'll just
+try rule one." Fumbling in the bosom of his suit he dragged out a brown
+bundle, and before the little boy could wink had stepped into it and
+dropped on all fours.
+
+"I'm a lion," panted Notta, "and if I roar loudly enough I may frighten
+them off. Stick close to me, Bob, and try to remember the rules. If I
+run, you run--understand?"
+
+"Yes, sir!" gasped Bob, his eyes as round as cookies, for Notta's
+disguise was so real that he was almost afraid himself. Scarcely had
+Notta cleared his throat for a growl than a white robed company burst
+out of the blue tent, and descended upon them in a whirl of sand
+and scimitars. Bob was as brave as any boy, but his retired life in
+an orphan asylum had not prepared him for anything like this. Tears
+started to his eyes. With a scream of fright, he grasped Notta's woolly
+mane.
+
+"You'd better stop crying and get ready to run," whispered the clown
+nervously and finished his sentence with such a roar that Bob jumped
+quite three feet. But the wild white company kept right on coming and,
+before Notta could get another growl going, a net was thrown over his
+head, a dozen of the blue whiskered villains were upon him and next
+instant he was rolling over and over in the sandy road.
+
+Bob had shut his eyes tight, expecting to be snatched himself, but
+when nothing happened he opened them and saw with a little gasp that
+they were hustling Notta, with pricks and prods, towards the billowing
+blue tent. This was Bob's first adventure and he might have run away,
+but something inside of him, that he hadn't known about, kept him
+there. Right in that moment, and all of a sudden, Bob discovered that
+he was fonder of this clown whom he had known only a few moments than
+of anyone he had ever known before. He felt that if something terrible
+was going to happen to Notta it might as well happen to him too.
+
+"Bob Up," the clown had called him. Well, bob up he would. With
+trembling legs, he ran after the shouting company, and managed to
+squeeze into the royal tent unnoticed, behind the broad back of
+Tazzywaller. For as you have all guessed long before now, it was to
+Mudge that Notta had transported himself and the little boy.
+
+Notta's disguise, though somewhat askew, still held together and he
+was growling terribly to keep up his courage, at the same time looking
+anxiously around for Bob. His lion head had been knocked sideways, so
+that he could only see out of one eye, but what he managed to see with
+one eye was enough to make him quake with terror. The Mudgers were
+shouting and hopping about in front of a large blue throne, pointing
+at him with their flashing scimitars. Then a tall, particularly thin
+fellow seized him by the ear. It was Panapee.
+
+"Lion," cried Panapee haughtily, "this is your new master, Mustafa of
+Mudge. Your Highness, here is the lion you were just wishing for!"
+
+"An odd looking beast," puffed the ruler of Mudge, tugging at his
+mustache.
+
+"An awful looking creature I call it," sniffed Tazzywaller, who was
+jealous to think another lion really had been captured after he said
+there were no more.
+
+"Maybe it's the Cowardly Lion," mused Mustafa. "I see that his knees
+are trembling. Are you the Cowardly Lion?" he demanded, pointing his
+scimitar at poor Notta. The clown roared dismally, to prove he was no
+coward. How was he to know that in the land of Oz all animals can and
+are expected to talk? Why, he did not even know he was in Oz, and in
+the hands of the Mudgers.
+
+"He refuses to answer," said Mustafa gloomily. "Well, a dumb lion is
+better than no lion at all. Take him away, Panny, and lock him up with
+the other lions. I hope he's a good fighter. Let me see, that makes ten
+thousand for you to feed, Tazzywaller, if the others don't chew this
+one up."
+
+He rubbed his hands joyfully together. "I'll come out later on and see
+how they take to him. But I am not going to be satisfied until I have
+the Cowardly Lion, Panny. This lion is a cowardly lion but not _the_
+Cowardly Lion. Take him away!"
+
+Mustafa picked up the lion book and, waving Notta out of the tent, fell
+to looking at the picture of the Cowardly Lion of Oz.
+
+All during this conversation Notta's hair had been prickling under
+his mane. Ten thousand lions! Sizzling sawdust! Better face these
+wild-looking men than that. Rule one had failed, it was time to try
+rule two.
+
+"Come on," growled the Mudger at his head and gave the rope around his
+neck a sharp tug. But before the clown had a chance to move or speak,
+there was a shrill scream, and out rushed Bob Up, almost upsetting old
+Tazzywaller. He flung both arms around the trembling lion.
+
+"You shan't take him away," cried the little boy stormily. "It isn't a
+lion. It's Notta!"
+
+"Notta?" roared Mustafa, lurching forward and looking at Bobbie with
+astonishment.
+
+"Not a lion," cried the clown, rising on his hind legs and hastily
+removing his lion head.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 4
+
+Mustafa's Mandate
+
+
+There was a moment of absolute silence following Notta's disclosure.
+With his lion body and clown head he presented an amazing and
+ridiculous appearance. Nothing like this had ever been seen in Mudge,
+and the Mudgers simply gaped with astonishment.
+
+"Steady now, Bob," whispered the clown, putting his lion paw around the
+little boy. "All we have to do is to be polite--rule two, you know!"
+
+Mustafa was the first to recover.
+
+"Not a lion!" cried the Monarch of Mudge hoarsely. "Why, how dare
+you disappoint me like this? Did you hear that, Tazzywaller, Panny,
+Mixtuppa--all of you? He says he's not a lion." A sob of rage choked
+Mustafa's voice.
+
+"I apologize for not being a lion," said Notta, in a polite, slightly
+shaky voice. "Ten thousand pardons!"
+
+"Ten thousand puddings!" screamed Mustafa furiously.
+
+"Puddings by all means, if your Highness prefers them," corrected Notta
+hastily.
+
+"I told you there were no more lions in Mudge," wheezed Tazzywaller
+with a triumphant glance at Panapee. "I knew it wasn't a lion all
+along."
+
+"Well, what is it then?" asked Mustafa angrily. "The little fellow's
+a boy of some kind, but this other?" He waved scornfully at the poor
+clown.
+
+"A wizard, your Highness!" hissed Panapee. "A wizard, that's what he
+is."
+
+"Now don't call me names," begged Notta, extending the front paws of
+his disguise. "I'm Notta."
+
+"Not a wizard, I suppose," said Tazzywaller scornfully.
+
+"Why don't you ask him how he got here?" sighed Mixtuppa, reasonably
+enough. Notta stared curiously at the large head of Mixtuppa, wagging
+through the blue curtain. Perhaps here was someone who would understand
+politeness.
+
+"Madam, your Highness, gracious and lovely lady," began the clown with
+a deep bow, "we fell into this charming country through no fault of our
+own."
+
+"Well, it wasn't our fault; we have no faults here," snapped Mustafa
+ungraciously.
+
+"How did you get past the lion enclosure?" demanded Panapee. "How do
+you explain this being a lion one minute and a creature of another sort
+the next?"
+
+"Well, there is something very queer about it," admitted Notta, rubbing
+his forehead in a puzzled way. "One minute Bob and I were in a circus
+doing a bit of a trick and--"
+
+"I knew it was a trick," exclaimed Panapee triumphantly. "He admits it!"
+
+"Silence!" cried Mustafa, who was beginning to enjoy the recital. "You
+were in a circus? Tazzywaller, what is a circus?"
+
+"It's a show," explained Notta hastily, for he could tell by the
+puzzled faces of the Mudgers that they had never heard of such a
+thing. "And we were in it. I put Bob on my shoulder and shouted a silly
+rhyme, and in a flash he is gone. I shout it again and I'm gone too!"
+
+"Gone where?" asked Mustafa, rubbing his chin.
+
+"To here," replied Notta, gazing about him uneasily. "Funny how a
+little verse could carry us so far. He recited:
+
+    "Udge! Budge!
+    Go to Mudge!
+    Udger budger,
+    I'm a Mudger!"
+
+No sooner had he done so than Mustafa sprang into the air and all the
+Mudgers began roaring with fright and fury.
+
+"He's discovered the secret of Mudge," shrilled Mustafa, pulling out a
+handful of his whiskers. "How dare you use our own privately patented,
+particular, magic transformation formula? Now you'll be wishing all
+sorts of people into the country!"
+
+"He's a wizard!" screamed Panapee. "I told you he was a wizard! Twist
+his tail; off with his head; throw him to the lions!"
+
+"Wait, let me explain," pleaded the clown, but his voice was drowned
+in the angry hubbub. Then all at once a gong at the back of the tent
+rang thunderously. Mustafa, who had already seized the tail of Notta's
+disguise, paused. So did the others. On a platform at the other end of
+the tent stood Tazzywaller, thumping the gong with all his might. The
+noise was so terrible that even Notta and Bob, frightened though they
+were, had to cover their ears. Not until Mustafa ran to the little
+platform and commanded Tazzywaller to stop, did the awful clangor cease.
+
+"What do you mean by this impertinence?" panted Mustafa, seizing
+Tazzy's arm.
+
+"It was the only way I could get your attention," said Tazzywaller
+calmly. "I have something important to say. About _lions_," he finished
+meaningly.
+
+"Well, what is it?" puffed Mustafa eagerly. "Be quiet!" he called to
+the Mudgers who were again closing in on Notta and Bob.
+
+"That person," cried Tazzywaller, with a wave toward Notta, "is
+undoubtedly a wizard. Instead of snatching off his head, which will be
+of no use to us, even as an ornament, why not compel him to serve us?
+He is a wizard, or he would not be in Mudge. Well then, let him go to
+the Emerald City and bring back the Cowardly Lion!"
+
+Mustafa stared at his former chamberlain in amazed admiration, then
+flinging both arms about his neck, hugged him almost to suffocation.
+Next instant he had clapped his hands and issued a dozen orders to
+as many little servitors. At the first the shouting Mudgers retired
+backward from the tent, at the second Panapee also retired, leaving Bob
+and Notta alone with Tazzy and their Majesties. Outside, the marching
+and countermarching of the blue guard could be heard as they surrounded
+the royal tent.
+
+"The rules aren't working at all well, Bob," breathed Notta anxiously.
+Bob said nothing. He just clutched the clown's hand a little tighter
+and stared at Mustafa in open-eyed wonder.
+
+"Now then," chuckled the monarch of Mudge, "now then, my handsome
+wizard, what do you call yourself?"
+
+"Notta," began the clown, resolved to be polite as long as possible,
+"Notta Bit More."
+
+"Notta!" coughed Mustafa, opening his eyes wide. "That doesn't sound
+like a name. It sounds like--"
+
+"A joke," put in the clown, with one of his broad smiles, "a little
+joke on me. You see it is meant to be funny."
+
+"Well, it doesn't amuse me at all." Mustafa stared solemnly into the
+clown's face. "Why are you so white? And why is his hair,"--Mustafa
+jerked his thumb at Bob--"so red?"
+
+"For the same reason that your Majesty's whiskers are blue," replied
+Notta promptly. Mustafa did not quite like this answer.
+
+"Your business?" he inquired next. "I suppose you deny being a wizard?"
+
+"Oh, absolutely!" said Notta. "But my business, if your Majesty
+insists, is fun. I make people laugh and thus prolong their lives."
+
+"A funny business," sniffed Mustafa, with a puzzled look at
+Tazzywaller. "Well, you will have to make me laugh to prolong your
+life, and the only thing that makes me laugh is lions!"
+
+"Lions!" Notta wrinkled up his forehead. "I'm afraid lions are not in
+my line at all. You see I didn't work in that part of the show."
+
+"You pretended to be a lion," interrupted Mustafa sternly, "and you
+have proved yourself a wizard. So unless you can capture the Cowardly
+Lion of Oz and bring him back to Mudge, you shall be thrown into the
+lion reservation, whereby nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
+lions will tear you to bits. Do you agree?"
+
+"Tear me to bits!" gulped the clown. "My father often said I'd go to
+the dogs, but he never dreamed I'd be thrown to the lions. Say, is this
+Cowardly Lion very fierce?"
+
+Instead of answering, Mustafa handed him Panapee's lion book, saying,
+"You may read that while I make preparations for your journey."
+
+Smiling almost pleasantly, the Monarch of Mudge linked his arm through
+Tazzywaller's and disappeared behind the blue curtain at the back of
+the tent. Mixtuppa also drew in her head and Bob Up and Notta were left
+alone.
+
+"Isn't it time to run?" asked the little boy anxiously. He had never in
+his whole life heard so much about lions. But Notta put his fingers to
+his lips and shook his head.
+
+"No use," whispered the clown. "The tent's surrounded. We must pretend,
+my boy--pretend we are going to hunt this Cowardly Lion. Then, once out
+of the country, we'll take the first train home."
+
+He sat down on a huge cushion and began turning the pages of the lion
+book, Bob Up looking curiously over his shoulder. They were both quite
+interested in a description of the Cowardly Lion and Princess Dorothy,
+when Mustafa came whirling back. He was followed by a small Mudger
+servant, with three white packets upon his head.
+
+"Here," said Mustafa, with a wave at the packets, "are provisions for
+three days. Travel straight north until you reach a yellow brick road
+and follow that road till you come to the Emerald City. There you will
+find the Cowardly Lion."
+
+"But, see here," began Notta, who had been doing some quick thinking,
+"why does not your Majesty transport this lion to Mudge by the magic
+verse?"
+
+"For a wizard," sniffed Mustafa, "you are astonishingly stupid. That
+verse only transports people, and one must touch the person."
+
+"Well then, why not send some of your valiant tribesmen to capture him?
+I, I am a stranger here and have never captured a lion in my life."
+
+"Because it is written in the book of Mudge that any Mudger leaving
+his country will lose his head," droned Mixtuppa, thrusting her turban
+through the curtain. "And if you take my advice you will go at once.
+All this arguing keeps me awake, and when I'm awake I lose my temper,
+and when I lose my temper other folks lose their heads, and when
+that--"
+
+"I'll go," sighed Notta, seeing that no sense at all was to be had
+from this ridiculous pair. He stepped out of his lion disguise and,
+rolling it up into a small bundle, thrust it into his trouser leg. Next
+he slung the three packets around his neck and, taking Bob's hand,
+declared himself ready to go.
+
+Rubbing his hands gleefully, Mustafa led them out of the royal tent,
+through a double line of the Mudger Guard, to the great iron enclosure
+that surrounded his kingdom. The lions were snarling and quarreling
+among themselves, but as soon as Mustafa came in sight they began
+calling him names and screaming for their dinner.
+
+"Be quiet, my little pets," chuckled the Monarch of Mudge
+good-naturedly. "This is not dinner, only a silly wizard."
+
+"Give us the boy, then," roared the largest of the lions, licking his
+chops.
+
+"Give us the boy," roared all the other lions immediately. Notta and
+Bob Up stared at Mustafa's pets in horror and disbelief, for neither
+had in their lives ever heard a lion talk before. Bob, especially, was
+terribly dismayed by the personal nature of their conversation. But,
+while they were still trembling, two heavy doors were slipped through
+the bars, about five feet apart, making a safe and narrow passageway
+through the enclosure. The gates on the inside and outside of the
+enclosure were unlocked and Mustafa waved imperiously for them to go.
+This Notta and Bob lost no time in doing.
+
+"Remember," called Mustafa warningly, as they scurried through, "if you
+run away instead of hunting for the Cowardly Lion, I shall know of it.
+When a messenger disobeys me, my magic ring turns black. If it turns
+black I shall know you are deceiving me, and in that case"--Mustafa
+held up his thumb so that Notta could see his ring--"in that case I
+shall take it off, and if I take it off you will both turn as blue as
+my whiskers and find yourselves unable to move until you decide to
+do as I have commanded. Good-bye, my chalk-faced wizard, a pleasant
+journey and a swift return!"
+
+Notta was too shocked and astounded to answer. Grasping Bob Up more
+firmly than before, he rushed out the iron gate and off through a field
+of blue daisies, until the dreadful roaring of the lions of Mudge could
+no longer be heard.
+
+"And this," puffed the clown at last, sinking down under a great tree,
+"this is what comes of trying to be funny. Never try to be funny, my
+boy."
+
+"No, sir," answered Bob, staring anxiously over his shoulder to see
+whether any of Mustafa's lions had followed them.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 5
+
+Two Cowardly Lion Hunters
+
+
+For a time Notta and Bob Up sat quietly under the tree, each busy
+with his own thoughts. The clown was repeating to himself Mustafa's
+warning, and trying to recall some mention of such a country as Mudge
+in the geographies he had studied. The little boy was thinking that
+at this time yesterday he was calmly eating oatmeal and apple sauce,
+with nothing more exciting ahead than lessons and bed. Perhaps he was
+asleep, and dreaming about lions and blue whiskered Mudgers. He touched
+Notta experimentally, to see if he would disappear or turn suddenly to
+the harsh-voiced matron of the orphan asylum. But the clown only turned
+a neat somersault, walked a few paces on his hands and sat down again.
+
+"Bob," asked the clown, tilting his cap forward so he could scratch his
+ear, "do I look like a lion hunter?"
+
+Bob Up shook his head slowly and almost laughed. Something inside
+tickled tremendously, but he remembered, just in time, that laughing
+was against the rules of the orphan home, so he swallowed instead.
+
+"We're both lion hunters," observed the clown reflectively, "and that
+being the case we had better start hunting at once, for it would never
+do for the lions to find us first. It's like a game of hide-and-seek,
+Bob. So long as we are hunting him, this Cowardly Lion is it. But if we
+stop hunting, then we're _it_. In a game of hide-and-seek with a lion,
+it's your hide or his. Being it, means being et, hide-and-seek and all!"
+
+Notta glanced slyly at Bob out of the corner of his eye to see whether
+he was going to smile. Bob was looking uncertainly at the forest,
+stretching so darkly ahead, and thinking he would just as soon not play
+this game of hide-and-seek at all. But as Notta had already started
+toward the forest, there was nothing for him to do but follow. The
+short, spring afternoon was drawing to a close and a round silver moon
+showed faintly over the tree tops.
+
+"Things might be a lot better, and again they might be a lot worse,"
+mused Notta, as they walked along under the trees. "Why, if you were in
+the home, you would probably be eating corn meal mush for supper and--"
+
+"What are we going to have for supper, Notta?" asked Bob, looking up at
+the clown inquiringly.
+
+"Well, hurrah!" shouted the clown, turning a rapid cartwheel. "You're
+getting on, my lad; called me Notta as natural as a brother. As to
+supper, that depends on Mustafa. Let's see what the old rascal has
+given us."
+
+On a flat stump that happened to be near, Notta opened one of the
+packets and set out a regular feast. There were dozens of small meat
+sandwiches, there were ripe figs, a jar of honey, and a little jug full
+of blue tea, which they found most refreshing. After they had feasted,
+Notta carefully packed up the rest and, feeling more cheerful, the two
+cowardly lion hunters stepped along through the forest.
+
+"I can't make out where we are, at all," said the clown presently,
+"but in a country where lions talk, and verses fling one about, it's
+safer to obey orders, don't you think so, Bob Up, my boy? So long as
+we travel towards this Emerald City we are obeying orders and are safe
+from Mustafa's ring. When we get there is time enough to worry about
+the Cowardly Lion. Now take an Emerald City, Bob; did you ever hear of
+such a place? Why, it's as strange as blue whiskers and cowardly lions.
+Everything's strange. In fact, I think we've fallen into one of these
+fairy tales. I always had a kind of notion they were true!"
+
+"But the Cowardly Lion liked Dorothy," burst out Bob quite
+unexpectedly, "so maybe he will like us." He had been turning slowly
+over in his mind the few facts he had managed to read in the lion book.
+
+"Why, bless my heart!" cried the clown, looking down at Bob admiringly,
+"so he did, and furthermore, didn't that book say Dorothy was from
+Kansas?"
+
+Bob Up nodded solemnly.
+
+"Well, then everything's clear as candy!" Notta turned a somersault
+from pure relief. "We'll go straight to this Emerald City and tell our
+troubles to Dorothy, and when she learns that we are from the United
+States, surely she will help us to get back, and if we could take a
+couple of talking lions along our fortune would be made. Why, even
+Barnum and Bailey never showed a talking lion."
+
+Notta was so enthusiastic by this time that he fairly bounced along.
+But Bob was growing sleepy. He found it harder and harder to keep pace
+with Notta's long legs, and finally fell sprawling over the roots of a
+large tree. Notta had him up in a minute.
+
+"Lights out?" chuckled the clown, touching Bob's eyelids gently. "Well,
+then, let's go to bed. It's too dark to go on, anyway."
+
+"I don't see any beds," sighed Bob, leaning wearily against the clown's
+knee.
+
+"Neither do I," admitted the clown, "but we'll just pretend we're
+flowers, and sleep on the ground." In a minute the clown had raked a
+pile of leaves together under the tree and placed Bob carefully in the
+center.
+
+"Are there any bears in this wood?" asked Bob, looking around
+doubtfully. It was quite dark now, and the moonlight sifting through
+the leaves made queer shapes out of all the shadows.
+
+"This isn't a bear forest," said Notta positively. "I think it's a
+fairy forest, Bob, and that reminds me of a song I used to know."
+
+Reaching over, Notta pulled the little boy into his big, comfortable
+lap, and with a twinkle in his eyes he put his back against the tree
+and began to sing:
+
+    "Oh the moon's a balloon
+    On a silvery string,
+    And the Sandman holds on to it tight!
+    'Tis a ticklish task--
+    What would happen, I ask,
+    If he let it fly off some fine night?
+
+    "But he knows that there are
+    Seven points to a star,
+    That might puncture the moon; and a steeple
+    Would finish it quite!
+    How we'd miss it at night,
+    For the moon means so much to some people!"
+
+There was another verse to the song, and Bob, leaning drowsily against
+Notta's chest, thought he had never heard anything so perfectly
+beautiful. He had never sat on a real lap before, nor had a song sung
+especially for him. So the little boy snuggled down contentedly, his
+eyes straying to the moon, just visible above the tree tops. Why, there
+was a string on it, a bright silver string, and a little, old man was
+holding to the end, just as Notta had sung!
+
+"Fast asleep," muttered the clown, holding Bob a bit tighter. And so he
+was fast asleep and dreaming of the sandman's balloon. Notta meant to
+keep awake, for he was not so sure there were no bears in this dark
+forest, but the day's experiences had so tired him that, in a short
+time, he was sound asleep himself.
+
+No sooner had Notta's eyes closed, than a little, bent fairyman came
+tip-toeing from behind the tree. He held his lantern close to Notta's
+face.
+
+[Illustration: A LITTLE BENT FAIRYMAN HELD HIS LANTERN CLOSE TO
+NOTTA'S FACE]
+
+"Such a beautiful voice," sighed the little fellow to himself.
+"It would be a shame to have it swallowed up by one of the forest
+creatures. And this must be a child." He held his lantern close to
+Bob's red head. He watched them for a while in silence, then pulling
+his silvery beard thoughtfully, set the little red lantern beside them
+and pattered off into the darkness.
+
+Notta had been right. It was a fairy forest. Every forest in the
+wonderful land of Oz is a fairy forest, inhabited by strange creatures
+and peoples. But the clown's song had so pleased the old fairyman
+that he determined to protect the two strangers from all harm, and
+though many bears and other beasts came snuffling past, they dared not
+approach, for the red lantern told them plainly it was "Claws off." So
+grumbling and growling, they went searching further for their dinners.
+
+The little lantern disappeared with the first ray of sunshine and,
+quite unconscious of the dangers they had slept through, Notta and Bob
+awoke almost at the same minute.
+
+"Well," yawned Notta, winking the only eye he had open, "we're still
+here, I see." He rolled over and over and turned a dozen handsprings to
+get the kinks out of his back. "I've often wondered what made flowers
+so stiff and now I know. It's sleeping on the ground. I'm glad I'm not
+a flower, aren't you, Bob?"
+
+Bob nodded and hopped up quite briskly. There was a fine breeze
+blowing, and the day was so sunny and bright that he felt ready for
+anything, and just to look at Notta made him feel happy.
+
+"Do you think we'll find the Emerald City to-day?" he asked, skipping
+along beside the clown, who was making for a little brook just ahead.
+
+"Well, according to Mustafa, it ought to take three days," answered
+Notta. "But Mustafa was never in a circus, and anyone who has been in
+a circus can travel three times as fast as other folks, so I shouldn't
+be surprised at all if we were to be eating our supper in this Emerald
+City to-night. If I had only wished old Billy along he could have
+carried us in style."
+
+"The elephant?" exclaimed Bob, with round eyes. The clown nodded and,
+kneeling down on the edge of the brook, began to splash water on his
+face and hands. Bob did the same, and had just taken off his shoes in
+order to paddle properly, when a cry from Notta made him pause.
+
+"Now I've done it," wailed the clown dolefully, jumping up and down.
+
+"What?" asked Bob curiously.
+
+"Washed my face." Notta pointed to his face, which was quite red and
+shiny from the cold water. "And I haven't any powder! Have you any
+powder, Bob? Oh, my! Cold pie! It's hard enough to be funny with a
+white face, but without one I simply could not joke at all. Whatever's
+to become of us? I'm no clown this way."
+
+Bob was terribly distressed, for if Notta couldn't be funny nothing
+would seem the same. He felt hastily in his pockets--not that he
+expected to find anything, but because he didn't know what else to
+do--and in the last one his hand closed on a bag of candy the old
+gentleman had bought for him at the circus. It was squashed and sticky
+from being slept on, but mechanically Bob handed it over.
+
+"Why, it's marshmallows!" cried Notta in delight. "Bob, you have
+saved the honor of my profession. We must preserve these carefully."
+He patted his face with a small sugary marshmallow and surveyed his
+reflection with pleased satisfaction. "I feel funny already," he
+announced cheerfully. Bob was much relieved and Notta did look more
+natural with his face whitened.
+
+"Now for breakfast," said the clown, licking the sugar off his lips.
+It was great fun, Bob thought, washing in a brook and having breakfast
+under the trees. After finishing off some more of Mustafa's sandwiches,
+they started quite briskly through the forest.
+
+"I think the rules are going to work better to-day," chuckled the
+clown, "I will use disguise number three. Number three's a bear, Bob
+Up. Now, here's our program, first disguise, then politeness, then joke
+and run. We shall get along famously." Notta sprang into the air and
+clicked his heels together for very light-heartedness.
+
+Bob was thinking to himself that Notta's last disguise had not helped
+them much, but he was too polite to mention such a thing, and as there
+seemed to be no danger in sight he trotted along contentedly, stopping
+now and then to pick the bright blue flowers that grew everywhere under
+the trees. The forest was not so large as it had seemed in the night,
+and in an hour they had come to the end of it and started down a narrow
+lane.
+
+"Well, we're still going north." Notta looked complacently at a large
+sign post that stood at the beginning of the lane.
+
+"North Road to D," said the sign briefly.
+
+"Wonder what D stands for?"
+
+"Because it can't sit down." The sign snapped out the sentence so
+suddenly that Notta tripped and fell over a stone, and Bob simply
+gasped with astonishment.
+
+"They didn't paint any line for it to sit on," explained the sign post
+patiently.
+
+"Where does this lane go to?" gulped the clown, edging over and taking
+Bob's hand.
+
+"It doesn't go any place. It stays where it is."
+
+"See here," puffed the clown in exasperation, "I never heard of a
+talking sign post, but so long as you _can_ talk, you might give us a
+few directions."
+
+"I only give one direction and that's north. You can take it, or leave
+it."
+
+Notta tried the post with a few more questions, but it just sniffed
+sulkily, and seeing no more was to be got out of it, the two hurried on.
+
+"Maybe D stands for Dorothy," said Bob, after a little silence.
+
+"Maybe," mused the clown, looking uneasily over his shoulder, "but this
+is a strange country, and we'll have to take it as we find it. Hello,
+what's this?"
+
+A sudden turn brought them up short, for the lane was closed off by a
+gray wall, so high one could not possibly climb over and so wide that
+it would take days to walk 'round. And in the wall were seven heavy oak
+doors.
+
+"This is the Kingdom of Doorways," announced a large sign, posted half
+way up the walls. "Be sure to use the right door."
+
+"But which is the right door?" gasped the clown, half expecting the
+sign to answer him.
+
+"There are seven," exclaimed Bob, who had been counting them up on his
+fingers.
+
+"And only one of them right," choked the clown anxiously. The two stood
+perfectly still, gazing in fascination at the seven doors.
+
+"Which is the right door?" repeated Notta, scratching his ear
+doubtfully.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 6
+
+The Seven Doors
+
+
+As Bob and Notta came closer, they noticed that each door had a brass
+plate nailed on the center panel, engraved with various names and
+instructions. "Keep out!" directed one shortly.
+
+"Well, that surely cannot be the right one," exclaimed the clown,
+moving hastily to the next.
+
+"Don't waken the baby," advised the second door. So Notta and Bob
+tiptoed carefully past.
+
+"This way to the Dorms. No admittance till February," said the third
+door.
+
+"And it's only May now. We cannot possibly wait that long." Notta took
+off his hat and made the door a polite bow. "Besides," he explained to
+Bob, who was slowly spelling out the words on the fourth door, "Dorms
+stands for dormitories and dormitories stand for sleep. Who wants to
+sleep?"
+
+"King Theodore the Third," said the fourth door.
+
+"Whew!" whistled Notta. "Another King! Come away, Bob Up, I don't trust
+these king chaps at all."
+
+"The Queen," announced the plate on the fifth door proudly, "Adora the
+First. No one without a title need apply."
+
+"Well, we may not be earls, but we're early," chuckled Notta, winking
+at Bob.
+
+They hurried curiously to the sixth door. "Push!" said the plate.
+
+"But would that be wise?" ruminated Notta, rubbing his forehead
+anxiously. "Let's try the last door, Bob."
+
+"Don't try me too much or I'll fall on your head," wheezed a
+disagreeable voice. "Haven't you anything better to do than go trying
+poor hard-working doors?"
+
+After a talking sign, Notta and Bob should not have been surprised. But
+they were--simply astonished--and for a moment could do nothing but
+stare.
+
+"This door answers itself," said the plate on the seventh and strangest
+of all the strange doorways.
+
+"No bread, no ice, no milk; and if you're selling brushes you might as
+well go at once," continued the door sulkily. "We don't need any."
+
+"We're not!" interrupted Notta, in a slightly choked voice. "We just
+want to get in."
+
+"What for?" asked the door stubbornly. "Is it a door matter? Have you
+cards of admission?"
+
+"We're hunting Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion," volunteered Bob timidly.
+
+"A likely story," sniffed the door, looking contemptuously from one to
+the other. "But what could one expect of people with curly ears."
+
+"We have not curly ears," cried Bob, stamping his foot indignantly.
+
+"Don't argue," said the door stiffly. "How's your temper--long or
+short?" It rolled its wooden knot eyes inquiringly at Notta.
+
+"What's that got to do with our getting in?" asked the clown
+impatiently.
+
+"Short!" muttered the door triumphantly to itself. "No, you'd better
+stay out, I think. Her highness is very slammish to-day, and the last
+time I let strangers in she nearly twisted my knob off. That's the
+trouble around here--when anything goes wrong, everybody slams the
+door. Sometimes I almost wish I were a sofa cushion."
+
+"I wish you were, myself," frowned the clown, "for then I'd toss you
+out of the way instead of wasting my breath here. Are you going to let
+us in or not?"
+
+"Not!" snapped the door, rattling its knob vindictively. "And I don't
+care a slam what you wish."
+
+"Bob," said Notta, turning his back on the door, "did you ever hear
+anything like that? Let's try Number Two. I'd rather risk wakening a
+baby than trying to argue with a door that answers itself."
+
+"I'm not afraid of babies," said Bob following manfully. The knob of
+Number Two turned easily and the door swung open with such a rush
+that both Notta and Bob fell through. At the first glimpse of that
+baby, Notta clapped his hand over Bob's mouth and, rising with quaking
+knees, pulled him toward the door. For you see it was a baby dragon--a
+snoring, roaring baby dragon as long and heavy as a freight train. It
+gave a shrill whistle and snort as the door slammed shut and Notta and
+Bob sat down in a weak heap.
+
+"Baby," choked the clown, rubbing his eyes, which were full of dragon
+smoke. "Well, if that's the baby, preserve me from the rest of the
+family!"
+
+"Will it come after us?" shuddered Bob, in a frightened whisper.
+
+"How did you like our little doorter?" The seventh door looked sideways
+at the two and chuckled wickedly. "Still want to get in?"
+
+"Certainly," said Notta, turning a dozen cartwheels to relieve his
+nervousness, "but not that way." He winked reassuringly at Bob. "Before
+I do anything else I must put on my disguise. No wonder things are
+going so badly."
+
+"Don't you think you look silly enough?" wheezed the door rudely, as
+the clown drew out disguise number three. Notta paid no attention to
+this remark but, turning his back, struggled hastily into number three.
+Even Bob felt reassured, for this time Notta was disguised as a bear--a
+huge and terrible-looking bear. Grasping Bob's hand he rushed at the
+door marked "Push," with such a ferocious growl that Number seven shook
+like a leaf.
+
+"Oh, my hinges," chattered the door, "that went through me like a
+sword." But immediately afterward it broke into derisive laughter. For
+no sooner had Notta and Bob pushed Number Six, than Number Six pushed
+back, and so hard that the two went flying into a clump of blueberry
+bushes.
+
+"That's the door way to treat 'em, brother," roared Seven, and Notta
+picked himself up and straightened his bear skin.
+
+"Now some people," muttered the clown, helping Bobbie out of the
+brushes and shaking his paw at the door, "some people would be
+discouraged. But no more side shows, Bob. Let's try the Queen's door,
+if we're to be thrown out it might as well be done royally."
+
+There was a silver bell on the Queen's door and Notta rang it quickly,
+before either of them had time to change their minds. For a moment
+nothing at all happened. Then the door knob disappeared. But horrors!
+Next instant it shot out, seized the two in a terrible clutch, and
+dragged them through the keyhole. Yes, it really did!
+
+Not only had they been pulled through the keyhole, but they _felt_ as
+if they had been pulled through the keyhole. Even Notta had nothing
+to say. He just lay on his back and panted. Whether the keyhole had
+stretched as they went through or whether they had shrunk, I cannot
+say. I only know they went through somehow and were on the other side
+of the Queen's door.
+
+"Cards, please!" A doorman in a handsome blue satin uniform was leaning
+over them. "Are you deaf?" he asked angrily. "Are you dumb?" He thumped
+Notta on the head with his silver card plate.
+
+"Neither," groaned the clown. "What do you want?"
+
+"Your titles," snapped the doorman, looking nervously over his
+shoulder. As he did so, a vase, three books and a pair of fire tongs
+struck the wall just above his head.
+
+"Oh, the Queen is in a fury, whatever shall I do next," he mumbled to
+himself, dropping the silver plate and then picking it up again.
+
+"Let's run," said Bob, pressing close to Notta. But the clown had
+already recovered his spirits and was fumbling in his pockets under his
+bear skin.
+
+"There you are." He calmly dropped two large buttons on the doorman's
+plate. "Just lead us to her Majesty at once."
+
+"Someone's been at the jam again," quavered the doorman without looking
+at the buttons. "Oh, the Queen's in a fury--a fury--a fury!" At each
+fury he gave a little hop.
+
+"You said that before," observed Notta, looking around curiously.
+
+"A fury! A fury! A fury!" persisted the doorman, continuing to hop, and
+as each hop carried him farther away he was soon out of sight.
+
+"Wait!" cried Notta, lumbering after him, for his disguise made him
+clumsy.
+
+"Wait!" cried Bob Up, running after Notta.
+
+Down the long hall they both ran, and, turning suddenly, found
+themselves in a large, impressive throne room. The entire wall space
+was taken up by doors of every size and shape imaginable and before
+each door stood a doorman similar to the one they had already seen.
+In the center of the room were two magnificent thrones. On the first
+sat a large, handsome Queen and on the second a small nervous King. The
+King's crown was entirely made of china door knobs, mounted on gold
+bars, while the Queen's was made of many gold door keys. The Queen was
+looking at the buttons as Bob and Notta entered.
+
+"Buttons!" hissed her Majesty contemptuously. "What do buttons stand
+for?"
+
+"Us, your Highness!" replied Notta, bowing as low as his disguise would
+permit, and drawing Bob forward.
+
+The King twiddled his thumbs and recited:
+
+    "B stands for buttons
+      And B stands for bears,
+    B stands for buttons and boy--
+      Bring two chairs!"
+
+"Nonsense!" thundered the Queen. The doormen hastily brought two chairs
+and Bob and Notta sat down.
+
+"I think he'll appreciate rule two," whispered the clown. "He's quite
+polite himself."
+
+"Theodore," said the Queen, her face beginning to work curiously,
+"Theodore, I believe they stole the jam. Bears and little boys are
+always stealing jam. And what right have they here without titles?
+Where are their titles?"
+
+"Adorable Queen," said the clown, half rising and pointing with his paw
+to the buttons, "those are the badges of our order. We belong, your
+Highness, to the ancient and honorable Order of Bachelors, and are at
+present lords of all we survey."
+
+"Do you believe that?" The Queen turned and squarely faced the King.
+
+"No!" said Theodore emphatically, turning to squarely face the
+Queen. "How could I, when there is no such place. Where is this
+All-we-survey?" he asked sternly. "Is it in Oz?"
+
+Notta was so surprised at the sudden turn the conversation had taken
+that he sat down with a thump.
+
+"He's a dorm!" screeched the Queen, her voice rising higher and higher.
+"He's a dorm--that's what he is!"
+
+"What's a dorm?" gasped Bob, so surprised that he forgot to be
+frightened.
+
+"A dorm is an animal that lies dormant in cold weather, like a bear or
+a 'possum, my dear Buttons," explained the King, shaking his finger at
+Bob, "but he's got no business here now."
+
+"I see it all," panted the Queen beginning to wave her arms. "He didn't
+come here to sleep but to steal! Theodore, he has stolen the jam!"
+
+The King wagged his head from side to side as he repeated this verse:
+
+    "He's come without reason
+      And quite out of season;
+    I agree with you, Ma'am,
+      He has stolen the jam!"
+
+"Put out your tongue!" commanded the Queen, waving a bunch of keys at
+Notta. This Notta was unable to do, for his bear head had no tongue.
+
+"You see!" shrilled the Queen triumphantly, "he is afraid to put out
+his tongue. Slammer," she called, turning to a huge doorman, who stood
+behind the throne, "what is the punishment for door jam stealing?"
+
+The doorman whisked a little book from his pocket and, after flipping
+over a number of pages, read in a high nasal voice, "Any one caught
+stealing the Queen's door jam shall have his knob twisted and every
+door in the kingdom slammed on him besides."
+
+"How fearfully unhealthy," muttered Notta, rising to protest his
+innocence. But the Queen waved him back, and banging her keys on the
+arm of her throne called loudly, "Slammer, carry out the sentence!"
+
+Slammer immediately blew a sharp whistle and every doorman in the room
+sprang toward the trembling Notta.
+
+"Stop!" cried Bob, doubling up his fists. "He didn't steal your old
+jam. 'Tisn't a bear at all, it's Notta!"
+
+"Notta?" gasped the King, rubbing his watery blue eyes, and leaning
+forward.
+
+"Not a bear!" puffed the clown, hastily snatching off his bear head,
+just as the first of the doormen grasped him by the shoulders.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 7
+
+The Escape From Doorways
+
+
+"What do you mean by standing there and telling us you're not a bear?"
+puffed the King, as soon as he had got his breath.
+
+"It was a mistake, I see that now," said the clown, hastily stepping
+out of his disguise. "If your Highness will overlook it this once, it
+will never occur again."
+
+"Shall we overlook it?" asked the King, turning to squarely face the
+Queen.
+
+Adora was staring in amazement at the clown, and being a very curious
+Queen she decided not to have the intruder slammed till she found out
+all about him. "We will overlook it for the present," she answered
+haughtily, waving the doormen back to their places.
+
+The King smiled and chanted this couplet:
+
+    "She'll overlook it for the present;
+    Be seated, please, and both look pleasant!"
+
+Bob sat down with a sigh of relief. What queer beings this King and
+Queen were! Everything was queer, but for some reason or other Bob
+rather enjoyed it. King Theodore was not nearly so fierce as Mustafa,
+and his singular habit of breaking into verse simply fascinated the
+little boy.
+
+"This brings us to rule three," confided Notta in a hoarse whisper.
+"Joke and run, you know!"
+
+"When is a door not a door?" asked the Queen, pointing her finger
+suddenly at the clown.
+
+"When it's adorable, like your Majesty," replied Notta with a grin. "Or
+when it's a jar of door jam, like the one your Highness has just lost!"
+
+Before Adora had recovered from her surprise, Notta pointed his finger
+at the King and shouted, "Why is a tomato like a book?"
+
+"Because it grows on a vine," answered King Theodore sulkily, "and you
+needn't scream at me like that!"
+
+"Wrong!" said Notta triumphantly. "A tomato's like a book because it's
+red through."
+
+"Do you believe that?" asked the King, turning to squarely face the
+Queen.
+
+"No!" said her Majesty shortly, "I don't."
+
+"But a book couldn't grow on a vine," objected Bob Up mildly.
+
+"My books do," insisted Theodore, pursing up his lips.
+
+"Where were you brought up?" asked the Queen, staring at Bob severely.
+
+"You needn't answer if you don't want to," whispered the King, as Bob
+squirmed uneasily around in his chair. "The main thing is, what brought
+you up here?
+
+    "If it's a story, rise and speak.
+    What do you want? Whom do you seek?"
+
+"It _is_ a story," said Notta, springing up quickly, and glad of this
+opportunity to tell their strange adventures and to ask a few questions
+about the Emerald City. "A long story, your Highness," continued
+Notta. In as few words as possible he told of his former life in the
+circus, of their flight to Mudge, of Mustafa's determination to have
+them capture the Cowardly Lion.
+
+As Notta paused for breath, the King said, "Shall we let them pass
+through Doorways, my love?" Instead of answering the Queen leaned over
+and whispered in Theodore's ear.
+
+"Her Highness wishes to be amused," announced the King, straightening
+up. "You said in this circus it your business to make people laugh.
+Well, if you can make us laugh you may continue your journey. You may
+begin now and you may have three trials."
+
+The King folded his hands on his stomach and leaned back vastly pleased
+with himself. Notta's forehead wrinkled anxiously, for Queen Adora
+looked as if she had never laughed in her life. But with a wink at
+Bob the clown began. First he let out an ear splitting screech that
+so alarmed the King his crown fell off. Then he turned a complete
+somersault, chair and all, ran across the room on his hands and
+cartwheeled back so fast one could not have told whether he was a
+person or a pinwheel. Next he bent double, seized his ankles with his
+hands and jumped in this singular position entirely over Bob, finishing
+with a neat bow before the Queen's throne.
+
+"Do you think that's funny?" puffed the Queen, turning to squarely face
+the King, who was mopping his brow with a silk handkerchief.
+
+"No--no!" stuttered Theodore, in a slightly cracked voice. "It quite
+upset me, my love. Slammer, where's my crown?" Slammer recovered the
+King's crown and then both their Majesties stared solemnly at Notta.
+The clown stared back, a puzzled expression on his round jolly face.
+Then, dragging a huge handkerchief from his pocket, he whirled it over
+his hand and instantly it tied itself into a foolish rag baby, which
+the clown clasped to his bosom, crooning:
+
+    "I love my baby, 'deed I do,
+      Indeed, indeed I do!
+    He has no hair upon his head,
+      But neither, Sir, have you!
+
+    "But his will grow, it will, I know,
+      As soon as he is big,
+    But yours will never grow--and so
+      You'd better buy a wig!"
+
+"Wh--at!" screamed King Theodore furiously, and Notta, dropping the
+handkerchief baby, noticed for the first time that the King's head was
+entirely bald. Bob Up was holding himself together and smiling into his
+collar.
+
+"Shocking!" coughed Adora, looking at the clown through her eye glasses.
+
+"I was singing about Slammer," gulped Notta, noting in an instant that
+the chief doorman was bald too. "Now just let me tell you a little
+joke. There was once a triangular pig, who could dance a triangular
+jig, and--"
+
+"Do you believe that?" shrilled King Theodore, again turning to face
+his Queen.
+
+"No," snapped the Queen, shutting her lips very tight. "How could I?"
+
+"Then, if the clouds rolled away, would they be mist?" roared Notta,
+before they could continue their disagreeing. He bounced four feet into
+the air and pointed playfully at the King.
+
+"I wouldn't miss 'em," replied the King sullenly. "Do you think
+_that's_ funny?" Again he turned to the Queen, who shook her head
+emphatically.
+
+"Well, I think it's funny!" said Bob, jumping out of his chair. He
+looked indignantly from the King to the Queen.
+
+"Then why don't you laugh?" asked the King accusingly. Poor Bob
+couldn't explain that laughing was a hard matter for an orphan, so he
+sat down rather suddenly, while Notta began looking all around as if he
+were hunting something. He searched on each step of the King's throne,
+then he looked into his Majesty's lap and, finally, running around to
+the back peered under Theodore's collar.
+
+"What's the matter?" asked his Majesty irritably. "What are you looking
+for now?"
+
+"My joke," sighed the clown, "I'm looking for my poor little joke. It
+was lost on you. When I asked, 'If the clouds rolled away, would they
+be mist,' you should have said it's according to the way you spell
+'em--see?"
+
+"No," said Theodore, sternly, "I don't,
+
+    "I only see you are a dunce;
+    You haven't made us laugh, not once!"
+
+The Queen nodded emphatically at this and, glaring scornfully at the
+two intruders, swept out of the throne room.
+
+"Last rule," whispered Notta, winking at Bob--for out of the tail of
+his eye, he could see the King signaling Slammer. Rushing forward
+impetuously he flung up his hand. "Could your Majesty tell me a word to
+rhyme with toboggan?" he asked pleadingly. Immediately King Theodore's
+face lit up with pleasure. He closed his eyes and began to drum with
+one hand on the arm of his throne. If there was one thing he adored it
+was rhyming.
+
+He forgot to finish his directions to Slammer and instead mumbled
+hurriedly under his breath, "Choggin, foggin, doggon, noggin, loggin,
+joggin. Ah, I have it--joggin!" He opened his eyes and looked around
+triumphantly, but the clown and Bob Up were nowhere to be seen. In
+fact they had run as soon as the King's eyes closed. For Notta, while
+endeavoring to make their Majesties laugh, had discovered that one of
+the doors said "Out." And out they went, bowling over doormen like ten
+pins in their headlong flight. As the door slammed they slid down a
+steep dark passageway and in about two minutes shot out into the middle
+of a dusty road. Above them on a high hill rose the grey walls of the
+singular Kingdom of Doorways.
+
+"Toboggan was right," muttered the clown, rising stiffly. "This country
+grows odder and odder, Bob. What do they call it now--Oz? But never
+mind, we shall have lots to tell each other on stormy nights when we
+reach the states. Lots and lots!"
+
+Bob did not answer. Instead he clutched Notta's wide pantaloon and
+pointed toward a large clump of bushes. Looking out from the leaves was
+the head of a huge, shaggy lion. A shudder ran down the clown's back.
+He tried to remember the procedure of Bill, the old lion tamer in the
+circus. "Subdue the creature with your eye," Bill said. Yes, that was
+what he had said. Notta's knees rattled like castanets, but with a
+frightened gulp he stared the lion straight in the eye. For a moment
+nothing happened, then with a gusty sigh the lion began to speak.
+
+"What have they done with the rest of me?" it roared mournfully.
+
+"Who?" stuttered Notta, getting a good hold on Bob and making ready to
+run at the lion's first move.
+
+"The Mudgers," wheezed the lion, two tears rolling down its nose. With
+many gulps and sighs it told them how Tazzywaller had cut it in two and
+imprisoned its back half in the lion enclosure.
+
+"You mean to say that you were cut in half and still live to tell the
+tale?" gasped Notta in astonishment.
+
+"I don't know what you mean by telling the tail. How can I tell the
+tail anything when all my connections with it are cut off? Oh, my poor
+tail, how it must miss me!" moaned the half lion.
+
+"Then you only have two legs," said Bob in a relieved tone and coming
+out from behind Notta. The lion nodded gloomily. "If I had four, do you
+think I'd be standing propped up against these bushes. I'd have eaten
+you long ago."
+
+"What a blessing," murmured the clown under his breath, "that it's only
+half a lion."
+
+"I'd like a little sympathy," continued the lion in its mournful voice.
+"If the little fellow would pat me on the head I think, it would ease
+me a bit."
+
+"Shall I?" asked Bob Up doubtfully.
+
+"How do we know you won't bite him?" asked Notta cautiously.
+
+"I haven't the courage," replied the lion dolefully. "Besides my
+stomach is gone and that rather takes the appetite away, you know. Oh,
+my poor little empty stomach, how dreadfully it must feel! Then, to
+bite a person I should have to work myself up into a rage, and that I
+cannot do without a tail to lash. And half my heart is missing so I--"
+
+"Do everything half-heartedly," finished Notta, with a wink at Bob.
+
+"Exactly," blubbered the half lion. Two more tears rolled down its
+nose, and these so affected Bob Up that he stepped bravely over and
+patted its mane.
+
+"Harder!" cried the half lion, closing its eyes. "Harder! Harder!"
+Notta seized a stick and fell to patting the lion's head with this, but
+it kept roaring harder until Bob Up and Notta were perfectly breathless.
+
+"Sorry," puffed the clown at last, "but we'll have to say good-bye now.
+We're on our way to the Emerald City."
+
+"Are you?" The half lion opened its eyes and regarded them with new
+interest. "There's a wonderful wizard in the Emerald City," it began
+in a more cheerful roar. "Could you, would you, tell him about my sad
+separation? Tell him I am pining for my better half and perhaps he
+would put me together again. Promise to tell him." The poor beast was
+so earnest that he almost lost his balance.
+
+"Why, certainly we will tell him," said Notta, who was the most
+obliging soul imaginable. "We'll be glad to, old fellow, but I didn't
+think there were any more wizards."
+
+"No wizards?" coughed the lion, surveying the clown in amazement. "Why,
+Oz is full of wizards. Just keep going north and you'll soon find that
+out. I would go along with you, but I haven't quite learned to travel
+on two legs, and I'm so tired of standing."
+
+"Why don't you sit down," asked Bob thoughtlessly. The lion groaned
+and looked at him reproachfully, and seeing it was going to cry again
+Notta began to move off.
+
+"By the way," he asked, pausing suddenly, "did you come through
+Doorways?"
+
+"Yes!" sobbed the lion, sniffing with each word, "through the right
+door."
+
+"Which door was that?"
+
+"I don't remember," sighed the half lion drearily. "I remember nothing
+nowadays. When I used to forget a fact all I had to do was to scratch
+my head with my hind leg and instantly it came back, but now--." The
+lion began to sob heavily.
+
+"Well, good-bye!" said Notta uneasily, taking Bob's hand. "If we see
+this wizard you've mentioned we'll tell him your sad story."
+
+"Good-bye," choked the lion, waving his paw feebly.
+
+"I'd like to see a real wizard, Notta," said Bob Up, as they trudged
+down the dusty road.
+
+"Odder and odder!" murmured the clown, shaking his head in
+bewilderment. "I declare, Bob, if you weren't along I should think I
+were asleep and dreaming all this."
+
+"Here's another sign," whispered Bob Up in a low voice so the sign
+would not hear him. "Wonder if it talks too."
+
+"I dare say they all can if they want to," replied Notta. "At any rate
+a sort of sign language."
+
+"North Road to U," said this sign, in large blue letters.
+
+"D stood for doorways. I wonder what U stands for?" mused the little
+boy, staring up at the sign with both hands in his pockets.
+
+"Maybe it stands for us?" chuckled the clown, turning a handspring.
+
+"You!" sneered the sign, giving itself a little shake. "Why, I wouldn't
+stand for you a single minute. I'd rather--." What it would rather
+Notta and Bob did not wait to hear. Seizing hands, they ran gaily down
+the road toward the unknown and curious country of U.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 8
+
+The Cowardly Lion's Quest
+
+
+Quite unconscious of Mustafa's evil plans for his capture, the Cowardly
+Lion of Oz paced to and fro on the wide veranda of the loveliest palace
+in Oz. It was early morning in the Emerald City, and Ozma and her
+court had not yet risen, but many of the palace pets were abroad and
+talking sociably together in the garden. Ozma's Saw Horse was running
+races with Hank, Betsy Bobbin's small mule, the Comfortable Camel and
+Doubtful Dromedary were ambling down the paths in their wobbly-kneed
+fashion, while Dorothy's little dog, Toto, and the Glass Cat were
+arguing over the Patchwork Girl's last verses. They all seemed happy
+and contented and the Cowardly Lion, noting this, sighed heavily.
+"Not one of them is ever afraid," he murmured sorrowfully. "I, of all
+creatures in Oz, am the only cowardly one."
+
+"What say?" The Cowardly Lion jumped, as he always did at an unexpected
+sound, then gave a little roar of relief as the Soldier with the Green
+Whiskers stepped out from behind a pillar.
+
+"What say?" repeated the Soldier, putting down his gun which was never
+loaded, and regarding the Cowardly Lion inquiringly.
+
+"I was saying that I am the only cowardly person in Oz."
+
+"Well, you can fight, can't you?" The Soldier tugged his green whiskers
+thoughtfully as he asked this question. "Now, I am a very brave man,
+but I can never fight, so there you are." This was perfectly true. The
+Soldier with the Green Whiskers, who was Ozma's entire army, never
+was afraid, but he always ran at the first sign of danger. While the
+Cowardly Lion trembled terribly as enemies approached, he always
+fought until he overcame them.
+
+"So what's the difference," said the Soldier with the Green Whiskers,
+shouldering his gun and marching down the steps. "You feel cowardly and
+act bravely. I feel brave and act cowardly."
+
+"It makes a great difference to me," mumbled the Cowardly Lion. "I
+want to feel brave. Oh, if only once I could feel brave!" Shaking his
+mane mournfully, he padded down the steps after the Soldier with the
+Green Whiskers, and soon came upon the Comfortable Camel and Doubtful
+Dromedary, who were swaying idly under a tall breakfast tree.
+
+"Morning," wheezed the Comfortable Camel, twitching his crooked nose.
+"Handsome as ever, I see."
+
+"I doubt that, Camy," said the Doubtful Dromedary, eying the Cowardly
+Lion solemnly.
+
+"He's always doubting things," smiled the Comfortable Camel, rolling
+his large, limpid eyes. "Now, I never do."
+
+"He's right this time. I'm not handsome at all; no coward could be
+handsome," said the lion gruffly, flinging himself on the ground beside
+the strange pair. "Ah, if I could only feel courageous!"
+
+"You're nice as you are, you dear cowardly old thing," snorted the
+camel, wagging his head affectionately. "Why, if you were brave, you
+would be just like any other lion. It's being cowardly that makes you
+so interesting."
+
+"I'd rather be brave than interesting," rumbled the lion sadly. "You
+know perfectly well that courage is the finest thing in the world."
+
+"I doubt that," put in the dromedary, shifting a mouthful of grass from
+one cheek to the other, "I doubt that very much."
+
+"What's the matter?" cried the Patchwork Girl, bouncing out merrily
+from the other side of the tree. "You all sound as solemn as Pokes!"
+
+The Patchwork Girl is a great favorite in the Emerald City. She was
+made long ago by a magician's wife and brought to life by the powder
+of life. But Ojo, a little Munchkin boy, who happened to be present
+while the magician was mixing Scrap's brains, put in a large portion
+of cleverness and curiosity while the old wizard's back was turned, so
+that instead of being a good and obedient servant as the wizard had
+intended her to be, the Patchwork Girl was full of fun and mischief.
+Indeed, she refused to be a servant at all, and ran off to the Emerald
+City, where Ozma has allowed her to live ever since. The Emerald City
+is the capital of Oz and located in the exact center of that great
+and magic wonderland. Its palace of green marble and emeralds, its
+flowering gardens and quaint green cottages make it the loveliest of
+all fairy cities, and so many strange and delightful people live there
+it is the most interesting place you could imagine.
+
+First in interest is Ozma, the fairy ruler of Oz. No one could help
+loving her. Then there is Dorothy, who has had more adventures than any
+little girl you have ever heard of and who prefers to be a Princess
+in Oz to returning to her old home in Kansas. There is Tik Tok, a
+marvelous machine man who is bright as the copper that he is made of,
+and who can think, walk and work when properly wound. And there's the
+Scarecrow, as lively and accomplished a gentleman as ever advised a
+Queen. Oh, think of a live Scarecrow! There's Jack Pumpkinhead, made
+entirely of wood, excepting his pumpkin head, and there's Sir Hokus of
+Pokes, a knight so many centuries old that only in Oz could he be alive
+at all. There's the Tin Woodman, Emperor of the Winkies, who comes
+often to the capital to visit his old friends.
+
+There are hundreds of the gentle Oz folk, who live in the little green
+cottages and bow politely when friends pass. There are the magnificent
+courtiers and palace servants, ready at a moment's notice to pass round
+lemonade, while the Scarecrow dishes out Oz-cream and cake. And last
+but not least there are the amusing animals who have come to live in
+the royal stables. No wonder everyone is anxious to visit the Emerald
+City. If I could just find a magic umbrella or a handy cyclone I would
+go myself. Why, it would be worth the journey just to hear the Cowardly
+Lion and Comfortable Camel talking together like old cronies. The
+Comfortable Camel and the Doubtful Dromedary were recently discovered
+by Sir Hokus of Pokes and Dorothy, and are comparative new comers in
+the Emerald City, but the Cowardly Lion was one of the very first of
+the Oz creatures to arrive at the capital and is a prime favorite with
+everyone from Princess Dorothy to the royal cook.
+
+[Illustration: IN THE PALACE THE SCARECROW DISHES OUT THE OZ-CREAM
+AND CAKE]
+
+But all the time I've been telling you this, the conversation under the
+breakfast tree has been growing more interesting.
+
+"I thought the Wizard of Oz gave you a large dose of courage when
+you first came here," drawled the camel, looking anxiously up at the
+Patchwork Girl, who was swinging head down from the breakfast tree.
+
+"He did," mourned the Cowardly Lion dreamily, "but it has worn off and,
+though he has tried and tried, he can't seem to mix up any more."
+
+    "What is courage? Does it grow
+    Like potatoes in a row?
+    Don't ask me for I don't know!"
+
+shouted Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, diving suddenly from the tree top
+and bouncing upon the Doubtful Dromedary. Being stuffed with cotton
+made Scraps very daring.
+
+"I've a hunch," began the Comfortable Camel, very much relieved that
+the Patchwork Girl had fallen on his friend.
+
+"Where? On your back?" screamed Scraps, flinging her arms about his
+neck.
+
+"I've a hunch," continued the camel calmly, paying no attention at all
+to the Patchwork Girl, "that courage isn't the way you feel, but the
+way you act. As you always act bravely, why worry about the way you
+feel?"
+
+"But you never felt as frightened as I feel," objected the Cowardly
+Lion.
+
+    "His knees do quake,
+    His teeth do chatter,
+    His big old heart goes pitter patter!
+    But what's the odds--
+    Though stiff with fright
+    He still can fight with mane and might!"
+
+cried Scraps, sitting down with a thud. "The more mane the more might,"
+she finished brilliantly.
+
+    "So rub some tonic on your brain
+    And just increase your might and mane!"
+
+"I doubt that," mumbled the Doubtful Dromedary, looking at Scraps
+reprovingly.
+
+"There might be something in it," said the camel, chewing a wisp of
+grass in his slow precise fashion.
+
+"My mane _is_ a little thin," mused the Cowardly Lion, rubbing it
+thoughtfully with his paw.
+
+"If I were you," said the Patchwork Girl, rising unsteadily, "I should
+find a very brave person and then eat him up. That ought to give you a
+big dose of courage."
+
+"I doubt that," said the Doubtful Dromedary sharply.
+
+"Think how uncomfortable it would be for the poor brave person," sighed
+the camel. "My dear, I am afraid you have no heart."
+
+"Of course I have no heart," cried Scraps, starting to run down the
+path, "but I have a marvelous head."
+
+The Comfortable Camel sighed and glanced uneasily at the Cowardly
+Lion. The Cowardly Lion had a far-away look in his eye, as if Scraps'
+naughty suggestion had given him an idea, and it was not long before
+he made some excuse to get away from the two gentle creatures. He
+wanted to think. After all, why should he, the most famous lion in all
+Oz, forever be called cowardly? He would tell no one, but he would go
+off on a long journey and perhaps--even to himself the Cowardly Lion
+did not say it, but the idea of swallowing a brave person did seem a
+reasonable way to acquire courage. "I need never tell little Dorothy,"
+muttered the great beast uncomfortably, "but how proud she will be when
+I return full of courage!"
+
+He slipped noiselessly out of the quiet, lovely garden and, avoiding
+the yellow brick road, struck off through a deep forest toward the
+Munchkin Country to the south. Many brave woodcutters live in the
+Munchkin forests, and the Cowardly Lion was resolved darkly to swallow
+the bravest of them, ax and all. "If only my cowardly heart does not
+fail me at the last moment," he groaned nervously, as he went crackling
+through the heavy underbrush. "I could swallow one whole, and that
+oughtn't to hurt much." Already his kind, cowardly, comfortable old
+heart was beginning to quake at the thought of swallowing a woodcutter.
+But, arguing and rumbling to himself, he continued his race toward the
+south. By the time the castle clocks chimed eight, he was miles and
+miles away from the safe and delightful Emerald City of Oz.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 9
+
+In Search of a Brave Man
+
+
+The Cowardly Lion was familiar with all the forests in Oz, and though
+the one through which he was passing was so dense that, even in the
+morning, only a dim light filtered through the trees, he had no
+difficulty finding his way. In the center of this forest lived a small
+colony of woodcutters, and the Cowardly Lion was heading straight for
+this colony, roaring and growling to keep up his courage. The more he
+thought about devouring a brave man, the faster he ran. The thing would
+have to be done quickly or not at all--quickly before his heart failed
+him entirely. As the hollow blows of an ax came echoing through the
+stillness, a shiver ran down his back and, when a sudden leap brought
+him almost upon a tall Munchkin forester, he stopped altogether.
+
+At the sound of the crackling branches, the man turned, but when he saw
+the new comer was a lion, he calmly went on with his work.
+
+"There's bravery for you," gulped the Cowardly Lion to himself. Now was
+his chance, for the man's back was turned. But it was no use; he simply
+could not spring on a man brave enough to turn his back, so instead he
+sighed heavily and sat down.
+
+"How's the hunting?" asked the woodcutter gruffly, after he had brought
+down his tree.
+
+"Why, not very good, thank you," replied the lion pensively. This was
+worse still. Could one eat up a man in the middle of a conversation?
+
+"Well, now that's too bad." The woodcutter mopped his brow and turned
+'round slowly.
+
+"Tell me," asked the lion, blinking his eyes unhappily, "are you a
+brave man?"
+
+"Well, that," pondered the woodcutter, sitting down on a stump and
+wiping off his ax with a bunch of leaves, "that I hardly know."
+
+"Don't you think talking to a lion is pretty brave?" asked the great
+beast hopefully. He gathered himself for a spring. If the man said yes,
+he would certainly eat him up and have an end to this disagreeable
+business. But instead, the woodcutter regarded him closely.
+
+"Say!" he burst out, hopping to his feet and giving the Cowardly Lion
+a resounding whack on the back, "say, this is an honor. Sorry I didn't
+recognize you at once. Boys!" He raised his voice joyfully, "Boys,
+here's the good old Cowardly Lion, the Cowardly Lion himself. Come
+on out. We've often heard about you," explained the big man, fairly
+beaming upon the embarrassed lion, "but as none of us ever go to the
+Emerald City this is the first we've seen of you. How is the Scarecrow
+and Ozma, and how's Princess Dorothy? You see, even though we live in
+the woods, we know all about you famous folks."
+
+The Cowardly Lion put his paw to his head and tried to think. It was
+upsetting to have a man you intended to devour so frightfully polite.
+"How did you know I was the Cowardly Lion?" he asked in a husky voice.
+
+"Why, first I thought you were like any other lion, then I saw you
+were all of a tremble, and I says to myself, says I, 'Wilby, my lad,
+you're looking straight at this famous Cowardly Lion of Oz.' I tell you
+it's a proud day for me. To think I'm talking face to face with a lion
+who has saved his country as many times as you have. I declare now,
+it's a pleasure."
+
+Before the Cowardly Lion could answer, a dozen more woodcutters came
+running toward them and when he had been introduced by Wilby Whut
+to each woodcutter in turn, and to the wives and children of each
+woodcutter, he had neither the breath nor the inclination to devour
+anybody. The children hastily wove him a flower chain and crowed with
+delight when he trotted them about on his back. The women brought out
+their choicest meats and dishes of honey to refresh him, while the men
+sat around and listened solemnly to all he had to say of doings in the
+Emerald City. Why, there had not been such a holiday in the forest
+since the wicked Witch of the West had been destroyed by little Dorothy.
+
+The Cowardly Lion, ashamed of the dreadful purpose that had brought him
+to the forest, outdid himself to entertain them. And so enchanted were
+the kindly woodcutters with his conversation that he could not tear
+himself away until late in the afternoon.
+
+"I'll never be able to eat a woodcutter," groaned the Cowardly Lion,
+trotting slowly along in the gathering dusk. "Never after the way they
+have treated me. I'll have to find some other sort of brave person to
+swallow." Scraps' advice was proving difficult right at the start, and
+very thoughtfully the Cowardly Lion continued his journey.
+
+It was night time when he reached the edge of the forest--night time
+and not a brave man in sight. But in the southern part of the Munchkin
+Country there are many great mountains and among the sturdy Munchkin
+mountaineers surely there would be a brave man. So the lion, who did
+not mind at all traveling in the dark, ran steadily toward the south,
+through quiet little villages, through fragrant fields and meadows,
+even swimming the broad and turbulent Munchkin river. It was rather
+lonely, and he wished Dorothy or Sir Hokus of Pokes were along, but he
+well knew that neither would approve of his plan for acquiring courage.
+He was not sure that he approved of it himself, but he kept on arguing
+in his head and shuddering in his heart, and sighing because he was
+so great a coward. Just as the sun rose he came upon a brave man,
+asleep under a blue rose bush. He knew he must be brave, because he was
+dressed as a huntsman and beside him lay a terrible-looking gun.
+
+The Cowardly Lion's heart began to thump like a triphammer, for he was
+much afraid of guns. But it did not seem at all fair to swallow a man
+in his sleep and, though he trembled so violently he could scarcely
+stand, he determined to waken the huntsman and to ascertain at the same
+time whether he were brave enough for his purpose. Gathering himself
+together as best he could, he sprang upon the sleeping huntsman. There
+was a crackle and snap as if he had stepped upon a pillow stuffed with
+twigs. Then an ear splitting shriek flattened back the Cowardly Lion's
+ears and fairly curdled his blood. At the same time his tail was seized
+from behind, and twisted terrifically.
+
+"Help! Help!" screamed the huntsman, trying to rise.
+
+"Ouch, Stop!" roared the Cowardly Lion, while the person who had hold
+of his tail screamed in seven different keys. The Cowardly Lion removed
+his paw from the huntsman's chest. "Are you a brave man?" he asked in a
+quavering voice.
+
+"Not very," chattered the huntsman, jumping up and backing cautiously
+toward a tree.
+
+"Well, you don't sound brave," continued the lion in a relieved voice.
+"A brave man would not call for help. Let go of my tail, little boy.
+It's all a mistake. I don't want this huntsman after all."
+
+"He's not a huntsman," wailed the little boy, running over and clasping
+the man around the knees.
+
+"Not a huntsman?" roared the Cowardly Lion, waving his tail very fast.
+"Then what--"
+
+"I'm a clown, you rude monster," spluttered the man indignantly.
+
+A clown! Well, I should say--and none other than our old friend Notta
+Bit More. Snatching off his hat and false whiskers, he swung Bob Up
+into a tree and nimbly followed himself. When they were both seated on
+a branch, far above the ground, he looked anxiously through the leaves
+to see what the lion would do next. "Never saw such a country for
+lions!" he puffed resentfully.
+
+The lion, with one paw shading his eyes, was looking up at them. "Are
+you afraid?" he called pleasantly. "Are you afraid? Well, don't be, for
+being a coward myself makes me very sympathetic." At the word coward
+Notta almost fell from the tree.
+
+"Bob," whispered the clown hoarsely, "it's the Cowardly Lion himself!
+Now we mustn't let him know we're going to capture him."
+
+"He's a very bad lion," interrupted Bob Up tearfully. "He tried to bite
+you!"
+
+"What say?" called the lion, who could only hear an indistinct
+muttering.
+
+"He says you are a very bad lion," repeated Notta, looking seriously at
+the great creature below.
+
+"He's right," sighed the lion dolefully. "I am a bad lion. A good lion
+would have eaten you up by this time, but a bad lion often makes a good
+friend. Come on down. It was all a mistake."
+
+"Are you a friend of Dorothy's?" asked Bob, leaning far out over the
+branch. At mention of Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion gave a guilty little
+jump.
+
+"Well, I should say so. Are you friends of Dorothy's?"
+
+"No, but we're from the same country," said the clown, "and if you're
+quite sure you don't want to eat me up, we'd like to ask you a few
+questions."
+
+"I've never eaten a man in my life," roared the Cowardly Lion, rolling
+his eyes sadly.
+
+"Then why start on me?" asked Notta, scratching his ear and winking at
+Bob Up. Now that the incident was over it struck him as terribly funny
+to be perched in a tree conversing with the Cowardly Lion. He wished
+some of his old pals in the circus could see him. He'd never expect
+them to believe it otherwise. So Notta and Bob climbed down and the
+three regarded each other with frank interest.
+
+The Cowardly Lion had never seen a clown and the clown had never seen
+a Cowardly Lion, so there was much to be explained and accounted for.
+First, Notta told of their sudden transportation to Mudge, of Doorways,
+and everything else except Mustafa's determination to have them capture
+the Cowardly Lion himself. They were on their way, explained the clown,
+to the Emerald City to see whether or not Dorothy could find a way to
+send them back to the United States.
+
+"Ozma can do that very easily with her magic belt," said the lion, "but
+I will go with you, for Oz is full of dangers for mortal folks like
+you, and Dorothy would not want anything to happen to anyone from her
+country, I am very sure." He then told them a lot about the marvelous
+land of Oz, with its four big countries and its many little ones.
+
+"This," roared the Cowardly Lion with a sweep of his paw, "is the
+Munchkin Country. To the north is the Kingdom of the Gillikens, to
+the west is the Winkie Country and to the south the Quadling Country,
+ruled over by the good sorceress, Glinda. But all of Oz is under the
+rule of Ozma."
+
+Bob's eyes grew rounder and rounder as he told them how Dorothy was
+first blown to Oz by a cyclone, of her discovery of the Scarecrow, how
+she had lifted him down his pole and, with the Cowardly Lion and Tin
+Woodman, traveled to the Emerald City, then ruled over by the Wizard
+of Oz. Then he told how Ozma, the little fairy ruler, who was the real
+Queen of Oz, had been found and placed upon the throne. Then came
+the story of Scraps and Sir Hokus and of Tik Tok, and of every other
+amazing person living in the amazing Emerald City.
+
+When the Cowardly Lion paused for breath Bob was jumping up and down
+with excitement. "Oh, I do want to see Dorothy and the Scarecrow! Let's
+hurry," cried the little orphan, throwing his arms 'round the Cowardly
+Lion's neck. The kind old Cowardly Lion blinked with pleasure.
+
+"I'm glad you did that," he rumbled in a husky voice, "for now I know
+that you trust me, and have forgotten all about that unfortunate
+mistake!"
+
+"But why did you ask if I was brave?" mused the clown, who could
+scarcely believe that this merry little boy hugging the Cowardly Lion
+was the same Bobbie Downs who had fallen into Mudge.
+
+"Because," the lion swallowed self-consciously, "because I am looking
+for the bravest man in Oz."
+
+"What will you do when you find him?" asked Notta, carefully folding up
+his huntsman suit and powdering his nose with another marshmallow.
+
+"Now, don't ask me that, please." The Cowardly Lion raised his paw
+pleadingly and looked so uncomfortable Notta dropped the subject at
+once. He felt a little uncomfortable himself, for he had determined, as
+soon as the opportunity presented itself, to tie up the great creature
+and somehow or other deliver him to Mustafa. What else could he do? The
+clown sighed regretfully, for already he had taken a great fancy to the
+Cowardly Lion. But fancy or not, one could not risk turning blue, and
+he had Bob Up to think of. To gain the lion's confidence he decided to
+travel with him for a while toward the Emerald City and, so long as
+they did that with the fixed purpose of capturing the Cowardly Lion,
+Mustafa's ring could not turn black.
+
+Notta said nothing of his plans to Bob, for the boy was so happy at the
+thought of visiting the Emerald City, and so delighted with this new
+and interesting friend, he hated to spoil a bit of his pleasure. So he
+merely opened another pack of Mustafa's sandwiches and they all had a
+cheerful breakfast together. Then, with Bob proudly riding the lion,
+they started off once again toward the north.
+
+"Would you mind telling me why you pretended to be a huntsman?" asked
+the Cowardly Lion. He had been looking sideways at Notta for some time,
+trying to puzzle the thing out for himself.
+
+"Not at all," chuckled the clown, chinning himself on the branch of
+a tree. "I disguised myself as a huntsman to frighten off any wild
+animals while we were asleep. I always disguise myself when there is
+danger in the wind--don't I, Bobbie?" The little boy nodded his head
+solemnly.
+
+"Does it help?" asked the Cowardly Lion in an interested voice. Bob
+Up looked thoughtful, but as the clown nodded emphatically, he said
+nothing. It seemed to Bob that Notta always picked the wrong disguise,
+but the clown was so confident and cheerful about it he could not bear
+to discourage him. So he listened politely while Notta explained his
+rules of disguise, politeness, joke and run. When he had finished the
+Cowardly Lion shook his head.
+
+"I suppose," said he, half closing his eyes, "that you cannot help your
+disguises any more than I can help my cowardice."
+
+"It isn't that I am afraid," explained Notta hastily, "but I can fight
+better when I'm not looking like myself. When I look like myself I feel
+funny and when I feel funny, I can't fight."
+
+"Well, with me," said the Cowardly Lion, who like most of us enjoyed
+talking about himself, "the funnier I look, the harder I fight. So
+don't frighten me, I beg of you, for when I'm frightened I fight
+terrifically."
+
+"I'll remember what you say," said Notta, turning a somersault, and
+wondering uneasily what the Cowardly Lion would do when he tried to
+capture him. But the thought of being captured never entered the
+lion's head. He was rather glad to have the two strangers turn up this
+way. It postponed that disagreeable business of eating a brave man. Of
+course, if they should run across one on the journey, well enough, but
+first it was his plain duty to conduct this clown and little boy safely
+to the Emerald City.
+
+Notta was so cheerful and jolly and made so much fun out of everything
+that the Cowardly Lion felt repaid for any trouble he was taking
+and Bob Up had not been so happy since they had fallen into this
+bewildering country. Toward noon, as the sun grew rather hot, the
+Cowardly Lion turned into a small inviting wood which he felt was a
+short cut to the yellow brick road. But on the very first tree, a large
+sign made them pause. The sign said, "Twenty trees to U."
+
+"I never heard of any country called U," mumbled the Cowardly Lion,
+blinking up at the sign in surprise.
+
+"There was one just like this on the road we came down yesterday," said
+Notta. "Bob and I wondered what it stood for."
+
+"Well, I don't know," mused the lion. "That's the queer thing about Oz.
+Even old residents like myself are often amazed to find new countries
+and peoples where we never expected to find them. According to the maps
+there are only scattered farms between here and the Emerald City. But
+so long as we have to go through this wood, we might as well see what U
+stands for."
+
+Bob was the first to discover that every now and then the trees were
+numbered and, following them in the order of their numbers, took them
+deeper and deeper into the forest. When they reached the tree numbered
+nineteen, they were alarmed to note that all the other numbers that had
+guided them had disappeared. The wood had meanwhile grown so dense
+that they could hardly push on and, when Notta suggested that they go
+back, they found they had lost the way entirely. The Cowardly Lion
+was full of stickers and thorns and, while Bob picked them out of his
+woolly mane, the clown climbed the nineteenth tree to make a little
+survey of the country.
+
+With a shout he came scrambling down. "There's a clearing just beyond,
+and I think I made out twenty on the tree in the center," puffed Notta.
+"Come on!" The clown was growing more interested in this strange
+country every minute. He could hardly wait to see what was going to
+happen next.
+
+"Let me go first. My hide doesn't tear as easily as yours," said the
+Cowardly Lion, and he began pushing through the heavy thicket in the
+direction pointed out by Notta. Holding up their arms to protect their
+faces, the others followed and in almost no time had come out on a
+small clearing.
+
+As they looked the clown clutched Bob, while the Cowardly Lion blinked
+with astonishment. The twentieth tree was knitting furiously, holding
+in its long fingers nearly a hundred gleaming needles, and bending its
+witchy head every once in a while to examine the great, cloudy net
+that flowed all around it. For some moments they watched in puzzled
+silence. Then Bob screamed, the Cowardly Lion roared and Notta gasped
+with alarm. For the net suddenly swooped down and scooped them up like
+a school of fish. The tree gave a disagreeable little laugh, quickly
+knitted the top of the net together and, lifting all its branches at
+once, tossed the luckless travelers high over its head.
+
+Miraculously, as it struck the air, the big porous bag filled out like
+a balloon and went sailing upward at a terrible rate--the Cowardly
+Lion, Bob Up and Notta rolling over and over in the bottom and bumping
+and banging together in a most painful and unpleasant fashion.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 10
+
+On the Isle of Un
+
+
+"If you could just stop trembling," puffed the clown, trying to keep
+out of the Cowardly Lion's way, "I think it would help."
+
+"But how can I stop trembling when I am so frightened," complained the
+lion, clutching the swaying net with all four paws.
+
+"I'm frightened too!" wailed Bob, who was rolling and bouncing first
+against one, then against the other.
+
+"It seems to me you're shaking about a lot yourself," said the Cowardly
+Lion reproachfully, as Notta dove suddenly into his ribs. "What are you
+trying to do?"
+
+"My disguise!" panted the clown, clutching at his chest. "If I could
+only put on my disguise."
+
+"Aho!" mumbled the Cowardly Lion, and stopped trembling long enough to
+grin. But just then the balloon calmed down, and changing its course
+sailed gently and levelly through the sky, so that the three huddled
+together in the bottom were fairly comfortable.
+
+"I guess U stands for Up. You surely bobbed up this time, didn't you?"
+Notta winked merrily at the little orphan, and then peered curiously
+through the holes in the net. "This reminds me of a balloon trip I once
+made for the circus. Wonder where we'll land?"
+
+"Are we to land at all?" sighed the Cowardly Lion unhappily. Two of his
+legs had slipped through holes in the net and he was feeling uneasy and
+uncomfortable. "Climb on me, Bob, my boy. It will be a little softer.
+When you've been in Oz as long as I have, you'll take nothing for
+granted." He looked mournfully at the clown who was that moment below
+him.
+
+"Then I'll just take it Oz is," laughed Notta. "Why, here's land now!
+And we're slowing down." So they were, down--down--down, until they
+were over a rocky island. When the net was almost resting on a little
+green hill, it turned completely and suddenly upside down, and shook
+them out with such violence that they rolled all the way to the bottom.
+The Cowardly Lion jumped up first and hurriedly placed himself in front
+of Bob. Though he was trembling even more than usual, he knew that he
+was a better fighter than these helpless mortals. And that there would
+be fighting he felt reasonably sure, for a great crowd was coming
+noisily toward them.
+
+Notta nervously jerked Bob to his feet and stood beside the Cowardly
+Lion. There was no time for disguising. "We'll just start with rule
+two," panted the clown, running his finger hurriedly 'round his collar.
+"Let's be ex-tre-eemly polite. That's the way to meet strangers."
+
+"All right," agreed the Cowardly Lion in a rather choked voice, "you
+meet 'em with politeness, and if that fails, I'll meet 'em with
+something else." He gnashed his teeth to keep them from chattering.
+As the first of the company reached the foot of the hill Bob gave a
+little scream, but Notta calmly stepped forward.
+
+"Ladies and gentlemen!" began the clown in his best circus manner, "Let
+me introduce you to the most famous lion in the world, the Cowardly
+Lion of Oz, as brave as he is cowardly; allow me to present Bob Up,
+the brightest little boy in the United States, and myself, a harmless
+clown whose tricks have astonished the crowned heads of two continents.
+Ladies and gentlemen, let--"
+
+"Two creatures and a beast," called the leader of the company,
+interrupting Notta in the middle of a sentence. "Two creatures and
+a beast," repeated the others, staring dully at the newcomers. The
+Cowardly Lion growled threateningly at this and Notta began running
+over all the jokes that he knew. As for Bob, he was too amazed to do
+anything but stare, for these were certainly the most curious beings he
+had ever seen in his life.
+
+To begin with, they had feathers instead of hair. These feathers were
+small and fine and grew smoothly back from their foreheads, becoming
+longer at the back and curling softly behind the ears. Their eyes were
+perfectly round and their noses almost like bird beaks. Otherwise they
+were the same as regular folks, except in their manner of walking, for
+their feet turned in so much that they had to hop, putting one foot
+down and then hopping over it. Before Notta could start a joke, the
+leader of these singular creatures motioned to two behind him. They
+immediately stepped forward, unfurling as they did so a large banner.
+
+[Illustration: THE FEATHERHEADS OF UN]
+
+"Unwelcome to Un," said the banner in crooked yellow letters.
+
+"No use being polite then," rumbled the Cowardly Lion and, taking
+matters into his own paws, he gave such a thundering roar that the very
+ground trembled.
+
+"Ginger poppa!" gasped the clown, almost as frightened as the
+Featherheads. The effect on the crowd was simply breath-taking.
+Beginning at the back of their necks, their feathers slowly rose
+straight on end until each head looked like a huge and quivering
+feather duster. The Cowardly Lion tried to roar again, but the best
+that he could manage was a chuckle. Notta took one look, then fell up
+against a tree and laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks. Even
+Bob giggled.
+
+"Try 'em again," wheezed the Cowardly Lion. "I think they'll listen
+to you now. Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Notta stepped forward and
+addressed the leader.
+
+"Could you tell us a little about this interesting country of yours,
+and the quickest way out of it?" he inquired politely. Slowly the
+feathers on the heads of the crowd began to settle.
+
+"'Taint a country, it's a skyle," answered the Featherhead, blinking
+rapidly.
+
+"A skyle?" repeated the clown, glancing doubtfully at the Cowardly
+Lion, who appeared to be as puzzled as he was. "What is a skyle?" asked
+Notta curiously.
+
+"This is," snapped the leader disagreeably. "You're as ignorant as a
+fish, aren't you?" Then as the Cowardly Lion gave a threatening growl
+he continued grudgingly, "A skyle is an isle in the sky, and anyone who
+has studied skyography ought to know that. I suppose you don't even
+know what an isle is?" He looked contemptuously at the three strangers.
+
+"I do. An isle is a small body of land entirely surrounded by water,"
+cried Bob, delighted to find that geography was of some use after all.
+
+"Well," said the Featherhead uneasily, "then I guess you'll understand
+when I tell you that a skyle is a small body of land entirely
+surrounded by air."
+
+"Air!" spluttered Notta. "I say, how does one get off a skyle?"
+
+"You'll soon find that out!" muttered the Featherhead, and all the
+others began nodding and clucking for all the world like a company of
+hens.
+
+"What do you call yourselves?" asked the Cowardly Lion. Now that he
+knew how to frighten them, he no longer felt afraid.
+
+"We're Uns, we are, and nobody but Uns are allowed on this skyle. We'll
+have to take you along to the palace and his royal Skyness will decide
+what's to be done with you."
+
+"Another king," groaned the clown.
+
+"Isn't it time to run?" asked Bob, tugging at Notta's pantaloon, for
+the Uns were drawing closer this time, paying no attention to the roars
+of the Cowardly Lion.
+
+"No use running, Bob. We might fall off. Perhaps this King is a better
+fellow than his subjects.
+
+"Take us to your King!" cried the clown, settling his cap determinedly.
+Hopping and muttering, the Uns formed two crooked lines, and with the
+three travelers in the center marched away to the palace. There were
+many tall trees on the skyle of Un and, more remarkable still, every
+tree had a rough boxlike structure built in its branches, like enormous
+bird houses. They were reached by rough ladders and the Uns seemed
+to be as much at home on the branches as on the ground. Some of the
+women standing on lower branches were hanging clothes on upper ones as
+calmly as ordinary folk string the washing up in the yard. But, as
+Notta whispered to Bob, what could one expect of Featherheads?
+
+The skyle itself was rocky and barren and there seemed to be no farms,
+buildings nor industries of any kind. "What do you do here for a
+living?" asked Notta, turning to the Un beside him.
+
+"Fish, mostly," said the Un.
+
+"What for?" asked the Cowardly Lion, treading on Notta's heels in his
+eagerness to hear.
+
+"Birds," sniffed the Un, looking over his shoulder scornfully. "What
+did you think we'd fish for?"
+
+"Oh, but you couldn't fish for birds," objected Bob Up, stopping short,
+while Notta burst into a loud roar of laughter. The Un glared at all
+three.
+
+"The air's full of 'em," he announced sharply, and then, as the clown
+continued to laugh immoderately, his feathers began to ruffle with rage.
+
+"You're idiots!" he screamed, thrusting his sharp beak almost in
+Notta's face. "Idiots!" echoed all the other Uns immediately. Several
+trod on the clown's toes and, seeing that Bob was rather pale, Notta
+hastily changed the subject. Not long after that they came to the
+palace. To Bob it looked like a huge barn stuck between four trees.
+It was about ten feet from the ground and from the top of each tree
+fluttered a bright yellow flag bearing the word, UN.
+
+The Cowardly Lion trembled a good deal as they went up the rickety
+green ladder, but with a little help from Notta he managed it, and next
+instant they were in the presence of the King.
+
+"Two creatures and a beast, your Skyness!" announced the leader of the
+delegation. Then stepping close to Notta he shouted at the top of his
+voice, "His Majesty, I-wish-I-was, King of Un!" Notta's cap fell off
+and he clapped his hand to his ear. The Cowardly Lion made a little
+spring at the Un and had the pleasure of seeing the King's feathers
+rise erect upon his head and wave to and fro.
+
+"Approach, creatures and beast," commanded I-wish-I-was in a slightly
+shaky voice. He was sitting on a high wooden perch, swinging his feet.
+Grouped about him were a number of Uns in bright green uniforms that
+exactly matched their feather hair. Notta made a deep bow and Bob and
+the Cowardly Lion moved forward together.
+
+"How did you come to come here?" asked I-wish-I-was, adjusting a pair
+of huge spectacles on his terrible beak.
+
+"We didn't come to come at all," said Notta hastily. "We were standing
+under a tree, watching it knit--a very strange sight, your Skyness will
+agree."
+
+"Why shouldn't it knit?" snapped the King impatiently. "There's no law
+against it, is there? In fact, if it were not for that tree, we'd be in
+a pretty state for fishing nets."
+
+"Well, we were caught in the tree's net, the net flew up and here we
+are," finished Notta, determined not to quarrel if he could help it.
+
+"A mighty poor catch, I call you," muttered the King complainingly. He
+turned to his guard to see whether they agreed with him and they all
+nodded so hard it made Bob dizzy.
+
+"Are you willing to become Uns?" he asked gloomily.
+
+"I'll not grow feathers for anybody," growled the Cowardly Lion,
+shaking his paw at I-wish-I-was.
+
+"Wait till you've tried," answered the King loftily. "But what I mean
+is this: Each of you must do something unish, for we are all Uns here.
+I'm unfair--any Un will tell you that. Bill, there," he pointed proudly
+to the commander of the Guard, "Bill, he's ungrateful." Then he waved
+to the Un beside him. "And Tom's unkind. See what I mean? We're all Uns
+together." The King rubbed his clawlike hands gleefully.
+
+"But I never heard of such a place!" gasped Notta.
+
+"Of course not! Un's positively unheard of," confided the King,
+smoothing back his feathers complacently. Bob's eyes grew rounder and
+rounder, Notta swallowed, and the Cowardly Lion tilted one ear forward
+to be sure he was hearing aright.
+
+"Why, you're Uns already," said I-wish-I-was, with a mean little
+chuckle.
+
+"You," he pointed his long thin finger at Notta, "are unnatural. You,"
+he pointed to the Cowardly Lion, "are unpleasant. And you," he wiggled
+his finger teasingly at Bob, "you're uninteresting!"
+
+"Thanks!" said the clown, taking off his cap.
+
+"And besides that," cried I-wish-I-was, his voice rising to a shrill
+squeak, "you're all uninvited."
+
+"And bound to be unlucky," gurgled Bill of the Guard.
+
+"And terribly unhappy," squealed another, dancing up and down.
+
+"And terrifically uncomfortable," added a third. Hereupon the Uns began
+hopping frantically about, each shouting something unish, till Bob
+covered his ears and the Cowardly Lion began to lash his tail with fury.
+
+"Stop! Stop!" shouted the clown, stamping his foot. "I believe this is
+the unpleasantest island I've ever been on." Loud cheers from the Uns
+interrupted him here. "And if you will tell us the way off we'll go at
+once."
+
+I-wish-I-was raised his claw for silence, pulled a pad from his pocket,
+a long feather quill from his head and, dipping it in ink, wrote
+something in a great hurry. This he handed to the Commander of the
+Guard and Notta looking over his shoulder read, "Push them off at the
+first opportunity." The Guard, not knowing that the clown had read
+the message, bowed and began whispering to his comrades, while Notta
+scratched his ear and wondered what he should do.
+
+"Could your Skyness give us a bite to eat?" he asked presently. That,
+he reflected, would give him time to think.
+
+"Certainly not," answered the King, snapping his birdlike eyes. "If
+you're hungry, go fish, the same as the rest of us do. Bill, give them
+some rods." He winked wickedly at the green guardsman. Notta saw him
+make a little push in the air. Bill with a chuckle winked back; then
+brought three rods and reels and handed them to the clown.
+
+"Oh!" cried Bob Up, "I'd love to go fishing!"
+
+"Where do you fish around here?" asked Notta, wrinkling up his forehead.
+
+"Just go to the edge of the skyle and drop your line over," said the
+King, and nudged the Un nearest him. At this all the Uns began nudging
+and winking first one eye and then the other.
+
+"Come on," whispered Notta and, tucking the rods under his arm, ran
+toward the door. The Cowardly Lion, in his haste to follow, fell all
+the way down the ladder, but at a quick word from Notta jumped up, and
+as Bob joined them they all started on a run for a little clump of
+trees. "I tell you," puffed the clown, pausing at length to mop his
+brow, "they are bad Uns, sure enough. They mean to push us off the
+skyle. That's why they sent us fishing."
+
+"Just let 'em try it!" roared the Cowardly Lion, shaking his mane. He
+had skinned his knees in his fall down the ladder and was feeling quite
+ready for a battle.
+
+"But shall we go fishing or not?" asked the clown uncertainly. Bob Up
+said nothing, but he looked wistfully at the fishing rods. Bob had
+never been fishing in his life, and even the thought of being pushed
+off the skyle did not seem as dreadful as being deprived of this
+pleasure. Notta saw the look.
+
+"I'm hungry as a lion," said the clown suddenly, "and we've lost
+Mustafa's packets somewhere between Oz and Un."
+
+"Well, you're not as hungry as this lion," rumbled the Cowardly Lion,
+with a wink at Bob. "It must be long past noon. Let's risk it. You
+fish and I'll watch, and if any of these Uns start pushing us--." The
+Cowardly Lion gave a roar and shook his paw threateningly at the palace
+of I-wish-I-was.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 11
+
+A Strange Fishing Party
+
+
+To their surprise, none of the Uns followed them, and in about an hour
+they had come to the edge of the skyle. The Cowardly Lion shuddered
+as he looked down into the clear blue air, and even Notta had a queer
+feeling in the pit of his stomach as the white clouds went rolling and
+tumbling past them.
+
+"Do you think we'll catch any birds, Notta?" asked Bob Up, venturing
+so near the edge that the Cowardly Lion gave a roar of terror.
+"Remember you're not a bird," he warned.
+
+"I'll fix him," said Notta. Cutting the line from one of the rods he
+doubled it many times and fastened Bob securely to the tree. With what
+was left, he made a safety belt for himself. Then, while the Cowardly
+Lion shivered with fright, they sat upon the edge of the skyle and cast
+their lines far into the air below. "Now, Bob my lad, don't expect a
+bite too soon," said the clown, "for fishing is a mortal slow business,
+but a fine one for thinking, and all of us must think of a way to get
+off this island before we're pushed off by the Uns."
+
+The Cowardly Lion, with his back to the two fishermen, kept a sharp
+lookout for the enemy, and all three tried to think. But thinking when
+you're hungry is hard work. Besides, there were so many things to
+distract one's attention. The sky, as the afternoon advanced, turned a
+soft and dreamy pink, and the clouds drifting by were of every shape
+and color imaginable--green, purple, amber and gold--and of such
+marvelous form that each seemed lovelier than the last. There were
+castles and tall masted ships, there were caravans and chariots, and
+once a white and wonderful Princess waved to the little boy from the
+back of a feathery swan. So it was small wonder Notta and Bob forgot
+the Uns, and even their fishing lines, blowing gently to and fro in the
+soft pink air waves. Then, all at once, Bob's line gave a jerk and had
+he not been tied to the tree he would certainly have been pulled off
+the skyle.
+
+"Oh! Oh!" screamed the little boy in delight, "I've caught something!"
+
+Giving his rod to the Cowardly Lion, who was blinking dreamily at a
+wonderful cloud city, the clown ran to help Bob, and hand over hand
+they pulled up the line. What do you suppose was on it? A goose--a
+simply enormous goose. It was smoking gently as they drew it over the
+edge.
+
+"Why, it's cooked!" marveled Notta, unfastening the line which had
+caught in the bird's legs. And so it was--cooked in all its feathers
+with its head tucked under its wing.
+
+"Aha, so our goose is cooked, is it?" observed the Cowardly Lion,
+sniffing the air hungrily. "Must have flown too near the sun."
+
+"Well," chuckled Notta, "that I don't pretend to know. Fishing for
+birds is strange enough, but catching a cooked goose is almost too good
+to be true."
+
+"But it is true," exulted Bob, clapping his hands, "and I caught it!"
+While the Cowardly Lion watched the two rods, and Bob proudly picked
+his goose, Notta ran off in search of water. In a few minutes he came
+running back with a bucket full which he had drawn from a small sky
+well. The bucket, one of the canvas collapsible kind used in circuses,
+the clown had fortunately stowed under his capacious belt. As neither
+meat nor drink was now lacking, they sat down under a small tree and
+dined quite merrily. The Cowardly Lion ate one half the goose, bones
+and all, and Notta and Bob finished off the rest.
+
+"It looks," said the clown, rising to take a drink of water out of the
+bucket, which he hung on a branch of the tree, "it looks as if the Uns
+had forgotten us."
+
+"Maybe," mused the lion, shaking his mane, "but we mustn't forget them.
+Have you thought of anything yet?"
+
+"Not a thing," confessed the clown cheerfully. He turned a dozen
+cartwheels, walked a few paces on his hands, and ended up with a
+somersault over Bob. "You're a spry one," said the Cowardly Lion
+admiringly, as the clown sat down with his back against a tree, "as
+spry a one as I've ever met."
+
+"Thank you," laughed Notta. "If thinking came as easily as
+cartwheeling we'd be off this skyle in no time. But now that we're fed
+and comfortable, suppose we think again."
+
+"I'd rather fish," said Bob Up promptly. "Can't we fish a little
+longer, Notta?"
+
+"Well, there's no harm in it," replied the clown, winking at the
+Cowardly Lion, "and as we'll probably have to spend the night here we
+may as well catch something for breakfast."
+
+"Try to catch me something uncooked this time, won't you?" asked the
+Cowardly Lion, thumping his tail lazily on the ground. "You know I
+prefer my food uncooked." Bob smiled a little at this and, moving
+his rod gently to and fro, thought about the comical adventures he
+was having. Notta, with his back to the tree, was fishing too, and
+everything was very quiet. All around them the light was fading, and
+the clouds turned from pink to a dull gray and rushed past with an
+angry sort of sighing. Night was coming on, and soon the stars began to
+twinkle above and below the little skyland. Bob had never seen stars
+so large nor so bright, but then Bob had never been so close to them
+before. He was thinking rather solemnly that it would be fun to catch a
+star, when Notta, oppressed by the silence, burst into a merry song:
+
+    "A little chocolate cooky man
+      Went calling on a plate.
+    She said, 'Sir, it is ten o'clock!
+      Why do you come so late?'
+
+    "'Because I'm made that way,' said he,
+      'My little china girly,
+    I'm always choco-late, you see,
+      So how could I come early?'
+
+    "'And is it not, my darling,
+      Better chocolate than never?'
+    The wee plate cracked a little smile.
+      'Oh, sir,' said she, 'you're clever!
+
+    "'And you may call to-morrow--
+      Even though you're choco-late!'
+    But pshaw! He never came, because
+      That cooky man was ate!"
+
+Bob laughed right out loud, and Notta, who had been trying to make Bob
+merry, tossed his cap triumphantly into the air.
+
+"Very good," murmured the Cowardly Lion, waving his tail gently,
+"except that last line. 'Was ate.' Isn't that a bit ungrammatical, even
+for Oz?"
+
+"There you go getting unish," teased Notta. "I guess I can be
+ungrammatical in Un."
+
+"Notta! Notta! I've got another bite," screamed Bob, hopping about on
+one foot. That finished the argument.
+
+"Hope it's a bite for me," said the Cowardly Lion. Then he gave a
+little roar of surprise, for over the edge of the skyle came a dog--as
+dear and shaggy a little bow-wow as had ever barked at an ice man. The
+hook had caught neatly in its collar and, though it was a little out of
+breath, it was otherwise unhurt.
+
+"Well," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, rising on his haunches, "so this is
+breakfast? Bob, what do you mean by catching a dog for my breakfast?"
+
+"Oh, please," whimpered the dog, rolling its soft eyes in terror. "You
+wouldn't eat a little fellow who was only out for a walk, would you?"
+He sat up and begged so prettily Bob caught him up in his arms and
+hugged him. "Oh, Notta, may I keep him? I've never had a dog!"
+
+"Well, now," said the clown, scratching his ear, "I don't see why not."
+
+"Don't keep me," wailed the dog piteously, "for I belong to a little
+boy on another star, and he would miss me very much."
+
+"What kind of a dog are you?" gasped the clown, staring at the little
+creature. "What do you mean by taking a walk through the sky, and
+living on a star?"
+
+"I am a skye terrier," answered the little dog, looking anxiously from
+one to the other. "You wouldn't hurt a little fellow like me, would
+you?"
+
+"But how will you get home?" asked Notta.
+
+"Just throw me back into the air," barked the dog, and licked Bob on
+the nose so coaxingly he couldn't bear to refuse, though his heart was
+heavy at the thought of losing him.
+
+"I guess that other little boy would miss you," sighed Bob. So, kissing
+the shaggy little terrier right on the nose, he dropped him gently over
+the edge of the skyle, and as they watched he scampered hurriedly over
+a cloud and then along through the sky, as easily as if he had been on
+land instead of air. He paused once and looked over his shoulder, then
+with a joyful bark and wave of his tail ran off, vanishing like a speck
+in the distance. Notta, seeing that Bob was down-hearted at losing the
+little fellow, suggested that they start fishing again. "Who knows what
+we may catch this time?" exclaimed the clown, pushing back his cap, and
+snapping his line energetically.
+
+Almost at once both lines became taut, and when they were drawn up, two
+shiny silver packages fell from the slender hooks. "Dreams for a little
+boy," said a small label on Bob's package. "Dreams for a big boy," said
+the label on Notta's package.
+
+With trembling fingers they untied the silver ribbons, and had
+no sooner done so than Bob drooped gently against Notta, and the
+clown fell back against a tree. In another second both were fast
+asleep--dreaming the lovely stories they had caught in the sky.
+
+It happened so quickly that the Cowardly Lion was completely taken by
+surprise. He sniffed the silver papers. "Dreams," read the Cowardly
+Lion by the light of the stars. "Well, I guess they're regular sleeping
+powders. It's a good thing I didn't catch a dream, for somebody must
+stay awake and keep guard." The big beast yawned and stretched, then
+carefully dragging Bob and Notta back from the edge of the skyle, set
+himself to keep the watch while they slept.
+
+He was terribly sleepy himself and keeping awake was a hard fight, but
+the Cowardly Lion knew that the lives of these two mortals depended
+upon him, so he walked up and down, and down and up the edge of the
+Skyland, and presently he heard a sound that made him quake with
+terror. Footsteps in the woods! Hundreds of them--coming nearer every
+minute!
+
+[Illustration: UNS ABOUT TO ATTACK THE COWARDLY LION, NOTTA AND BOB
+UP]
+
+"The Uns," choked the Cowardly Lion, and hesitated between waking
+Notta and Bob, or advancing to meet the enemy. Before he could make
+up his mind, a whole party, their feathers gleaming strangely in the
+moonlight, burst out of the trees.
+
+"Push 'em off! Shove 'em off!" screamed the leader, waving on the rest.
+It was I-wish-I-was, and in little hops and springs they came tumbling
+toward him.
+
+With a roar that sounded more terrible than anything you could imagine,
+because it was mostly made up of terror, the Cowardly Lion sprang
+straight at them. Down went I-wish-I-was and a dozen of his warriors.
+Shaking and quaking with fear, the Cowardly Lion made quick springs and
+snatches, and when the Uns with little screams of rage, drew back, his
+mouth was full of feathers. But they were far from giving up and after
+a brief parley came on again. Once more the Cowardly Lion struck out,
+left and right. This time two dozen more were down, but the Cowardly
+Lion was slowly being forced toward Notta and Bob, and the treacherous
+edge of the Skyle.
+
+Armed with feathered sticks and screaming horribly, the Uns came on a
+third time, and though the Cowardly Lion fought them with might, mane,
+claw, tooth and nail, he was almost smothered by the attack. Something
+of the alarm made the clown stir in his sleep, and the triumphant shout
+of I-wish-I-was brought him wide awake. He sat up just in time to see
+the Cowardly Lion go down under a perfect wave of Uns.
+
+"Help! Help!" screamed Notta, but there was no one to help them. He
+made a little dash to the left, but the line that tied him to the
+tree caught him with a jerk. He made a little dash to the right, spun
+around and clasped his stomach in despair. Just then the Cowardly Lion,
+growling like a whole menagerie, shook off the mass of Uns and bounded
+to his side. Feathers were strewn in every direction, and a hundred of
+the Uns lay where they had fallen.
+
+The poor Cowardly Lion was shaking with exhaustion and fright, but
+never thought of giving up, and when the Uns made another rush, he met
+them as valiantly as ever. Wild screams from the Featherheads in the
+rear made him pause and look over in alarm at Notta. The clown, with
+staring eyes, was mumbling continuously under his breath, and touching
+first one and then another of the crowd swarming around him, and each
+time he touched an Un, the Un disappeared.
+
+The Cowardly Lion stopped fighting and sat down with a thud. The Uns
+stopped fighting, and those in front began to tread on the toes of the
+ones in back, in their anxiety to get away. When twenty had vanished in
+as many seconds, the rest ran howling to the woods.
+
+"Well," panted the Cowardly Lion, rolling his eyes wildly at Notta.
+
+"You saved my life, old fellow," cried the clown, giving him an
+impulsive hug.
+
+"And you saved mine," gasped the lion, as soon as he had breath enough
+to gasp. "But how did you do it and where are they?"
+
+"In Mudge," explained the clown, drawing his knees up to his chin and
+winking at the Cowardly Lion, "in Mudge and scaring the life out of
+Mustafa, I'll wager. Remember the magic verse that brought us here?
+Well, every time an Un came near I said:
+
+    "Udge! Budge!
+    Go to Mudge!
+    Udger budger,
+    You're a Mudger!"
+
+"Marvelous!" sighed the Cowardly Lion. "But how did you think of it so
+quick?"
+
+"I had to," replied Notta modestly. "You see, when there's nothing else
+to do I think, and not thinking very often makes me do it rather well.
+But do you suppose the other Uns will come back?"
+
+The Cowardly Lion shook his head. "Not in an 'undred years," he yawned.
+"And now that they are good and frightened let's all get some sleep."
+
+The Cowardly Lion was bruised and ruffled, and so tired he could not
+keep his eyes open another minute. Stretching himself beside Bob, who
+had not even heard the battle, he fell instantly into a heavy slumber.
+Notta, lying on the other side of the little boy, was soon enjoying the
+rest of the dreams in his silver package.
+
+Towards morning faint cries aroused the Cowardly Lion. Though only half
+awake he sprang up blinking his eyes nervously. Then he gave a howl of
+dismay, for Notta and Bob were nowhere to be seen!
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 12
+
+Saved by a Flyaboutabus
+
+
+Groaning because he had been foolish enough to trust the Uns, the
+Cowardly Lion ran up and down the edge of the skyle. There was no doubt
+about it, Bob and Notta had been pushed off while he was asleep. Then
+a tree, jutting far over the edge, attracted his attention. It was
+swaying and trembling in a most unusual fashion. At the same time the
+faint cries that had awakened him were repeated. With a frightened
+gulp, the lion saw the two fishing lines tied to the tree and, winding
+his tail firmly around the slim trunk, began pulling up the first of
+the lines. It was hard work and two or three times he was almost drawn
+over the edge, but he never hesitated, and presently he had dragged
+Notta safely back to land. The clown waved his hands feebly, then lay
+on his stomach and panted like a fish. Without waiting to restore
+him, the Cowardly Lion began to pull up the other line, and presently
+Bob, also breathless and panting, lay beside the clown. They were not
+only breathless, but quite wet--having fallen into a cloud. The lion,
+puffing a little himself, watched anxiously. Notta, with a long and
+final gasp, sat up and gave a little sigh of relief.
+
+"That makes the second time you've saved my life," said Notta faintly.
+
+"What happened?" asked the Cowardly Lion.
+
+"Well, first," said the clown, talking in little jerks and pausing
+every few minutes to pat Bob on the back, "first, I fell asleep, then,
+I fell awake. And if it hadn't been for these disguises I should have
+been cut in two."
+
+"The Uns?" asked the lion, opening his eyes very wide.
+
+"Yes," said Notta, and told how the Featherheads had pushed both Bob
+and himself from the skyle and, without stopping to notice that they
+were tied or to touch the Cowardly Lion, had run off without making a
+sound. "It was a mighty good thing we were anchored, eh, Bob, my boy?
+Feel better?"
+
+Bob shook his head uncertainly, for he was still frightened and dizzy
+from swinging through the air.
+
+The stars had faded out and the sun had not yet risen and in the cold
+gray mist of early morning the three huddled together and tried to
+think what to do.
+
+"First, let's get away from the edge," shuddered the Cowardly Lion.
+Cutting the fishing lines that had saved their lives, Notta set Bob on
+the Cowardly Lion's back and they moved slowly in the half darkness
+toward the center of the skyle. The Uns evidently had gone off to their
+homes, and with some matches Notta had tucked under his wonderful belt
+they kindled a little fire and soon were dry and much more cheerful.
+Bob immediately went to sleep, but Notta and the Cowardly Lion kept
+watch.
+
+For an hour there was not a sound. Then the noise of someone sawing
+wood came distinctly through the still air. Leaving the Cowardly Lion
+on guard, Notta went to investigate. He tiptoed along quietly, resolved
+if it were an Un to wish him away to Mudge. As he advanced the sawing
+grew louder and louder and, peering around a large tree, he saw a huge
+and ridiculous bird flopped over against a rock, snoring at a great
+rate.
+
+As Notta looked the bird opened one eye, stamped its big claws
+fretfully, and immediately fell to snoring again. The clown took off
+his cap, scratched his ear and then burst into a loud peal of laughter,
+which he could not have helped had he died the next minute. The bird
+stopped snoring instantly, and opened both eyes.
+
+"What do you mean by waking me when I was sound asleep," it chirped
+crossly.
+
+"A great many sounds of sleep," corrected Notta, winking at the
+singular creature. "I thought someone was sawing down a tree."
+
+"Did you?" The bird looked rather proud and began to puff out its
+feathers. "I'm the loudest snorer in the sky," it announced, strutting
+about self-consciously. "That's why my beak curls in this convenient
+fashion."
+
+It was the bird's beak that had made Notta laugh in the first place.
+It was long and blue, and curved so that it could fit over the comical
+creature's ear like a personal telephone connection.
+
+"But why does it curl?" asked Notta, sitting down and staring at the
+bird intently.
+
+"So I can hear myself snore," replied the bird. "As soon as I snore
+in my own ear I wake up and stop snoring." With its claw the Snorer
+adjusted its beak, much as one would adjust a pair of spectacles, and
+looked blandly at Notta. "I'm unusual--don't you think?"
+
+"Unusual," whistled the Clown. "I'll say you are! And never have I seen
+such a country. Why, if I could take along a few of these freaks, I'd
+have the finest show on earth." He rubbed his forehead thoughtfully as
+he thought of the Mudgers, the Half-Lion, and now this bewildering
+bird.
+
+Snorer was about the size of a small child, with enormous feet, short
+legs and pink feathers. His head was somewhat like that of a large
+crane, and his eyes were as blue as his beak.
+
+"Why are you on the Isle of Un?" asked Notta, as the creature continued
+to look solemnly at him.
+
+"Because I'm unusual," said the bird with a triumphant little hop. "But
+why are you here?"
+
+"Because I'm unlucky, I guess," sighed the clown ruefully. "Won't you
+come along and meet my friends?"
+
+"Yes, I'll come with you," said the bird calmly. It put its head on one
+side and looked at Notta. "You're beautiful," it sighed tremulously,
+"beautifully beautiful. I love you!"
+
+Notta had all he could do to keep from laughing, but seeing that Snorer
+was really in earnest, he patted it awkwardly on the head, and started
+back, the bird hopping happily beside him.
+
+"What's this you've caught?" asked the Cowardly Lion, blinking
+suspiciously at Notta's odd companion. As for Bob, who had wakened a
+moment before, he gave a little shout of laughter.
+
+"It's because I'm so unusual," whispered Snorer, putting up a claw and
+winking at Notta. "Tell them my name's Nickadoodle."
+
+So Notta gravely introduced Nick to Bob and the Cowardly Lion and,
+after Nick carefully explained his queer telephone nose, the four
+regarded one another with deep interest.
+
+"Maybe you can tell us the way to escape from Un," suggested the
+Cowardly Lion in a rather choked voice, for every time he looked at
+Nick, he felt like roaring. Before Snorer could answer, Bob, who had
+been staring fixedly at the Cowardly Lion, burst out laughing.
+
+"What's the matter?" demanded the Cowardly Lion gruffly.
+
+"What's the matter?" asked Notta. Then he too clapped his hand to his
+mouth and began to rock backward and forward. "Feathers!" gasped the
+clown, "You've a big bunch of blue feathers in your mane!"
+
+"What?" roared the Cowardly Lion, angrily putting his paw to his head.
+
+"Oh, everyone grows feathers in Un," chirped Nick cheerily, hopping
+toward Bob. "Take off your cap and see."
+
+Snatching off his hat Bob ran his fingers hastily through his hair.
+Horrors! Right at the crown of his head were at least ten stiff red
+feathers. Notta had as many green ones, but his hung down over his
+right eye when he took off his cap. The desire to laugh at Snorer
+suddenly left them. To laugh at someone who was funny was one thing,
+but to be funny yourself--well, that was different!
+
+"You'll soon have as many feathers as I have," chuckled Nick, regarding
+them with his head on one side. "I think they're quite becoming!"
+
+"Becoming!" screamed the Cowardly Lion. "Well, they'll be coming out
+by the roots. It's bad enough to be chicken hearted, but being feather
+headed, I simply will not stand!" He gave the bunch of feathers a
+furious tweak, but he might as well have tried to pull off his ears.
+
+"We've got to get off this skyland," blustered the poor lion, stamping
+around in a fury. "I'll jump off before I grow another feather."
+
+Bob was thinking that his would come in mighty handy for playing Indian.
+
+"I suppose we'll soon grow enough to fly off," said Notta, blowing the
+green feathers out of his eye and pushing them back under his chap. "I
+say, Nickadoodle, can't you tell us a way out of this?"
+
+"I'll tell you one thing," murmured the great bird, nestling close to
+Notta. "You're beautiful, beau-ti-ful!" He rolled his eyes rapturously.
+
+"Well, if you don't want my beauty broken to pieces tell us a way to
+escape," begged the clown, looking nervously toward the edge of the
+skyland.
+
+"There's only one way for you to leave," said Snorer, "and that is in
+the royal Flyaboutabus."
+
+"What is it?" choked Notta.
+
+"Where is it?" roared the Cowardly Lion.
+
+"Tied to a tree near the palace. But we'll have to wait till the Uns
+go to wish," replied Nick, rubbing his head against Notta's knee. And
+while the three listened in amazement Snorer told them a bit about
+life on the Isle of Un. No one on Un, explained Nick gravely, ever
+worked, but each morning they went regularly to wish, and nothing was
+allowed to interrupt their wishing. For three hours they shouted their
+wishes as loudly as they could, and I-wish-I-was, because he could wish
+faster and shout louder than any of the rest, had been made king.
+
+"You'll hear them at it soon," said Snorer, adjusting his nose, "and
+that's the best time for you to leave. Afternoons they fish and
+evenings they fight. Wish, fish and fight--that's the program here."
+
+"But how do they get anything done?" asked Notta, standing on his head
+to settle his feathers.
+
+"They don't," replied Snorer calmly. "Everything is undone; and about
+your feathers," he pointed his claw at the Cowardly Lion's mane, "every
+time anything unish happens to you you'll grow another. First you were
+unwise to come here. That accounts for one; then you were uncomfortable
+and unsafe."
+
+"Unlucky, unhappy and unfed!" spluttered the clown, turning a
+somersault with each word. "Lead us to the Flyaboutabus, old fellow, or
+we'll soon be as feathered as geese."
+
+"All right," chirped Nickadoodle obligingly, "but step softly and do
+just as I tell you."
+
+"Aren't there any good Uns?" asked Bob with a little sigh.
+
+"Well, there was one," Nick paused to adjust his nose, which was
+continually falling off its hook, "but I've forgotten his name, and
+the others treated him so unkindly that he's hidden himself in a cave
+somewhere on the skyle. But they do say if he ever becomes king, the
+Uns will all have to reform."
+
+Bob was hungry and far from rested, but as he stumbled along the rocky
+beach he fell to thinking about this good Un and wishing he might see
+him before they left the skyland. But Notta was so cheered at the
+thought of leaving Un that every few seconds he sprang into the air or
+somersaulted over the Cowardly Lion. The Cowardly Lion was dreadfully
+down-hearted. The feathers preyed on his mind, his ears drooped and his
+tail dragged and nothing Notta could say made him feel any better.
+
+"It's all very well for you and Bob. You can wear hats and hide your
+feathers, but a lion in a hat would look as ridiculous as a lion with
+feathers. I shall be the laughing stock of Oz," groaned the poor beast.
+
+"Well, it's not so bad to make people laugh," comforted Notta. "That is
+my business, and I know. Come with me to America and your fortune will
+be made." But the Cowardly Lion only shook his head and padded sadly
+over the rough stones.
+
+"This is a punishment," thought the poor lion, "a punishment for my
+wickedness in planning to devour a brave man." And perhaps he was right.
+
+By this time they were so near the palace that Nick held up his claw
+for silence. Hiding behind a huge rock, they watched the Uns climb
+down from their tree houses and hurry off to wish, just as sensible
+folk hurry off to work. "Too bad I didn't send I-wish-I-was to Mudge,"
+whispered Notta.
+
+"Hush," said Nickadoodle. "As soon as you hear an ear-full of noise run
+for that third juniper tree." He pointed out the tree with his claw and
+the three watchers waited anxiously for the signal. Soon there was not
+an Un in sight and a second later a perfect explosion of screeches rent
+the air. It was, as Notta explained afterward, an elephant ear-full of
+noise, for every Un on the skyle was wishing at the top of his lungs.
+
+As soon as they had recovered from the first shock, Notta, Bob and the
+Cowardly Lion rushed toward the juniper tree. Nick had flown ahead and
+was already calling down directions when they reached it.
+
+From the top branch of the juniper tree the king's feathery
+Flyaboutabus was tugging merrily at its rope. Following Nick's
+instructions, Notta climbed to the top of the tree and, hanging on to
+the rope, managed to bring it down a bit. Nick, bidding Bob catch him
+around the neck, flew up next, and their weight brought it down still
+further. It was still terribly high for the Cowardly Lion, who could
+not very well climb the tree.
+
+"Hurry! Hurry!" croaked Nick, flapping his wings warningly. "There's
+an Un." And sure enough, a tardy Featherhead was staring at them in
+astonishment from the door of his tree house. With an ear splitting
+squall, he fell down the ladder and rushed off to the wishing place to
+tell the others. Prickling with terror, the Cowardly Lion made spring
+after spring, but each time he just missed the Flyaboutabus. And every
+time he made an unsuccessful leap, another feather sprouted gaily in
+his mane. "Better cut loose and leave him," whispered Nick anxiously,
+but Notta and Bob hushed him up indignantly and by jumping tried to
+bring the bus lower.
+
+"Go on and save yourselves," coughed the lion after the tenth attempt.
+He mopped his forehead dejectedly with his tail, and growled terribly
+as each feather pricked through. A shout from the clown made him turn.
+Rushing toward them in tumbling waves of fury were the Uns, led by
+I-wish-I-was. In a last despairing frenzy, the Cowardly Lion hurled
+himself into the air, and this time his front paws caught the feather
+wheels of the bus, and Bob and Notta, pulling together, helped him
+aboard. There was not a minute to lose, for the Uns were already
+surrounding the tree. Just as I-wish-I-was sprang into the lower
+branches, Snorer cut the rope with his knifelike beak and up sailed the
+Flyaboutabus like a balloon released from its string. Up, up, up they
+went, till the wild screams of the Uns could no longer be heard. Up,
+up, and 'round and 'round, plunging now this way and now that, till
+Notta, Bob and the Cowardly Lion were too shaken and dizzy to know or
+care what was happening.
+
+But Snorer, more used to flying than the others, kept his head and,
+waiting his opportunity, seized a long lever that swung loosely to and
+fro in the front of the bus. He had never been in the Flyaboutabus
+before, but something told him that the lever must guide the movements
+of the strange vehicle. Sure enough, as soon as he took hold of it, the
+darting about stopped and it flew quite steadily.
+
+"Are we still going up?" quavered Notta, without opening his eyes. The
+clown lay flat on his back in the bottom of the bus with Bob sprawled
+on top of him. The Cowardly Lion had become wedged under a seat and was
+heaving and puffing unhappily.
+
+"Yes, but there's some way to bring it down," chirped Nick. "Come
+have a look. I know how to fly myself, but I don't know how to fly a
+Flyaboutabus."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 13
+
+Mustafa's Blue Magic
+
+
+Notta rose unsteadily and lifted Bob into one of the side seats. Then
+he staggered over to the front of the bus and, holding his head with
+one hand, peered down at the gear and machinery. There was a row of
+buttons under the steering wheel and the first button said "Slower."
+Notta hastily pushed this one and the great feather wheels on each side
+immediately slackened their frantic whirling, and while Nick held the
+lever Notta investigated their strange flying machine still further. It
+was shaped like an immense hollowed-out goose, with seats on each side
+and a high seat near the head. The head turned with the steering wheel
+and honked loudly when you pushed the button marked "Blow." The tail of
+the goose moved from side to side, and the four powerful wheels whirled
+around continuously, so that the noise, when the bus flew swiftly, was
+terrific. Now, however, it was running more quietly, and Bob, no longer
+feeling giddy, began to look around with keen interest.
+
+Notta had pressed another button marked "Middle Air--Down," and they
+were slanting gently toward the earth, floating almost without movement
+of the great feather wheels.
+
+"Isn't this fun?" cried Bob, giving the clown a little hug as he sat
+down in the seat ahead.
+
+"Well," chuckled Notta, "I don't usually fly before breakfast, but I'd
+fly from Un any time."
+
+Snorer, who still held the lever, beamed over his shoulder at the clown.
+
+"Didn't I manage well?" he chirped happily. "I say, when anything's to
+be done just leave it to old Nickadoodle."
+
+"We can never thank you enough," declared Notta. "But how will you get
+back? Will you fly?"
+
+"I'm not going back," exulted Snorer, flapping his wings. "I'd be
+unusual anywhere and I am never going to leave you, you beautiful
+creature."
+
+"Then our fortune is made," said the clown, with a wink at Bob, "for in
+a circus you'd be more than half the show."
+
+"I'll show them how to snore," chuckled Nick. "I do that better than
+anything else. But I'd do anything for you, for I love you with all my
+heart," continued Snorer calmly, "and the boy, too. And I love--"
+
+"Don't you dare love me," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, wrathfully jerking
+his head from beneath the seat. "I won't allow it!"
+
+"All right," sighed Nick, adjusting his nose. "I'll try not to love
+you, but it's going to be hard work, you're so handsome."
+
+"There! There!" interrupted the Cowardly Lion gruffly, but he couldn't
+help looking pleased. "You may like me if you wish," he added mildly.
+"Any land in sight?"
+
+Notta leaned far over the edge of the bus. "I think I see a village of
+some kind far down below. Here, Bob, you come help steer." So, while
+Nick grasped the lever to hold the bus steady, Bob sat in the high seat
+and turned the great goose head as Notta directed, now to the left and
+now to the right, and in less than an hour, they were floating slowly
+over a quaint blue city.
+
+"We're still in the Munchkin country," rumbled the Cowardly Lion,
+standing on his hind legs and looking over the side.
+
+"Well, we'll just fly over this town and land in one of those fields,"
+puffed Notta uneasily. He was not sure he wouldn't impale the
+Flyaboutabus on a steeple, or run over some of the inhabitants, if
+he attempted to land in the city itself. As it was they flew quite a
+distance before he located all the buttons necessary to make a landing.
+The Flyaboutabus came to earth with such a bounce that they all flew up
+like rubber balls, while the bus continued to fly and bump around the
+field until Notta ran after it and tied it to a tree.
+
+"And now what?" asked Nick, carefully putting his troublesome nose on
+its hook.
+
+"Breakfast!" wheezed the Cowardly Lion, rolling out of a huge bramble
+bush. "Aren't you hungry, Bob?"
+
+Bob nodded. "But where are we going to get it?" he asked, looking
+rather puzzled.
+
+"One never knows in Oz, but if we look carefully, we'll be sure to find
+something," answered the lion easily.
+
+"Let's make it a game," suggested Notta, patting his figure in various
+important places to see whether his disguises were still safe. "Now
+then, all ready for a breakfast hunt. I'll take this field, Nick can
+take the air and Bob and the Cowardly Lion may have the woods."
+
+Bob smiled a little to himself. Hunting breakfast in the woods did
+seem ridiculous but, as the Cowardly Lion went poking his head in
+bushes and sniffing around trees in a businesslike manner, Bob began
+to look too. There were plenty of flowers in the woods, and for a time
+Bob found nothing else. At last pushing through a tangle of vines,
+the little boy found himself standing under a stout little tree that
+rattled curiously when the wind passed through its branches. There
+was a sign on the tree. Standing on his toes Bob spelled it out
+laboriously. Then he called Notta in excited little shrieks.
+
+"What is it?" panted the clown, breaking through the vines with the
+Cowardly Lion one leap behind him. "Are you hurt?"
+
+"No," cried Bob, "but I've won!" He pointed gleefully to the tree.
+
+"Travelers' Tree," read Notta, "planted by the Wizard Wam in the year
+1120 O. Z. "
+
+"Well, hurrah for Wam!" chortled the clown, and began walking all
+around the tree, while the Cowardly Lion sat down and panted a little
+from his long run.
+
+The lower branches were gay with many pink cups and on the next, poised
+over the cups, were the sauciest little tea, cocoa and coffee pots
+imaginable. Higher up grew clusters of covered dishes of every kind. In
+the very top of the tree was a large nest of some sort. Snorer, who
+came flying back just then, declared it was full of eggs. Instead of
+leaves, the tree flaunted many bright paper napkin blossoms.
+
+"Be sure to plant your dishes when you have finished eating," directed
+another sign quite sternly.
+
+With a happy little chuckle, Bob picked a napkin for each, and three
+for the Cowardly Lion. Then Notta broke a coffee cup from its stem, and
+no sooner had he touched the cup than the coffee pot on the next branch
+tilted gently and filled the cup with fragrant hot coffee. The clown
+was so startled that he accidentally brushed off another cup, at which
+a cocoa pot poured a cup full of cocoa over his head before he had time
+to duck. Spluttering and coughing, Notta drew back, but that was the
+only accident, and as the clown said, it saved him from washing his
+face.
+
+The Cowardly Lion drank a dozen cups of coffee, one right after the
+other. Bob had two cups of cocoa, and Snorer, holding a tea cup in one
+claw, sipped the beverage suspiciously, then flew off to find something
+more to his taste. Next, Notta picked five dishes of Ozish stew for the
+Cowardly Lion, a plate full of meat hash for himself and a chop and
+baked potato for Bob Up.
+
+Nothing could have been jollier than that breakfast. The Cowardly Lion
+forgot to worry about his feathers, Bob forgot he had ever been an
+orphan, and Notta forgot that he was lost in a strange magic country
+and in the power of the wicked monarch of Mudge. When they could not
+eat another bite, Snorer flew to the top of a tree and brought down
+dozens of eggs from the nest. Strangely enough, they were hard boiled
+and Bob filled his blouse with them, for as Notta said, there was no
+telling where they would be by noon. The Cowardly Lion now dug a deep
+hole and they buried all the dishes, which was lots less trouble than
+washing them, then back they went to the Flyaboutabus.
+
+Bob chattered quite gaily to Nickadoodle, but Notta and the Cowardly
+Lion walked along in silence. Notta, after the valiant way the lion had
+defended them from the Uns, could not bear the idea of betraying this
+strange new friend. Better a thousand times turn blue than have the
+kind-hearted Cowardly Lion fall into the merciless hands of Mustafa.
+
+"Perhaps the old Mudger's ring will not work any way," reflected Notta
+uncomfortably. "Perhaps it was just a threat to frighten us." If they
+could just reach this wonderful Emerald City and tell their story to
+Dorothy, everything would turn out happily. And that, decided Notta,
+was what he would do.
+
+The Cowardly Lion, on his part, was thinking how terrible it would have
+been had he eaten Notta on that first morning of their meeting. He felt
+guilty every time he looked at the jolly, companionable clown. The more
+he thought about the Patchwork Girl's suggestion, the more ashamed of
+himself he felt. Why it was perfectly unish, this idea of devouring a
+brave man. No wonder he had grown a larger bunch of feathers than Notta
+and Bob! If there was no other way to acquire courage, he would stay a
+coward forever and that was the end of that! No sooner had the Cowardly
+Lion reached this conclusion, than he, too, felt light-hearted and
+happy again and began to roar with appreciation at Notta's funny antics
+and jokes.
+
+When they reached the Flyaboutabus, it was jerking at its rope as if it
+was anxious to be off, and so were they all for that matter.
+
+"Which way is the Emerald City from here?" asked Notta, turning to the
+Cowardly Lion. "I've lost my bearings." The Cowardly Lion looked first
+north, then south. He knew they were in the Munchkin Country, but their
+flight to Un had confused him terribly.
+
+"I think it's straight ahead," he roared uncertainly. "Let's run along
+the ground for a while till we're sure."
+
+"All right," agreed the clown and, calling to Bob, started for the bus.
+But half way he stopped in horror. Bob, though perfectly unconscious of
+it, had turned as blue as washday. At the same time Notta caught the
+Cowardly Lion staring at him fixedly.
+
+"What's the matter?" choked Notta. "Am I blue, too?"
+
+"Not very," faltered the lion, whose heart was in his throat at the
+awful change in his friends.
+
+Notta looked down at his hands with a shudder. "I'm as blue as the
+Danube," he muttered unhappily. "But that's all the better. Why, a blue
+clown ought to be the greatest curiosity yet. Wait till I reach America
+with my new skin and feathers." Notta went on trying to make a joke
+of it, but his voice shook a little in spite of himself, and when he
+tried a light double somersault an even worse thing happened. Halfway
+around he found himself unable to move, and there he stood on his head,
+powerless to straighten his arms or legs.
+
+There was no doubt about it, Mustafa had taken off his magic ring. For
+when Bob tried to run to Notta's assistance he was caught with one foot
+in the air.
+
+"Help, help!" croaked Snorer, flying frantically from one to the
+other. His nose came off the hook and hung straight down, but he never
+even noticed it.
+
+"Fly up a tree, can't you!" roared the Cowardly Lion, as Snorer flapped
+into his face and almost blinded him with his wings.
+
+With a quick spring he reached Notta's side. "Better lift me down,"
+puffed the clown, for under the blue he was turning crimson from
+standing so long upside down. The Cowardly Lion obeyed, and placed him
+gently on the ground, where he lay as stiff as a statue.
+
+"It's magic!" growled the lion. "Blue magic!"
+
+"It's Mustafa!" groaned Notta, looking dismally at Bob. "I guess I'll
+have to tell you the whole story." In short jerks and gasps, for he
+could barely move his lips, he told how Mustafa had sent them to
+capture the Cowardly Lion and of how he had threatened them with the
+magic ring if they failed to obey him.
+
+"But you _did_ disobey him," breathed the lion, lashing his tail. "Even
+when you knew what would happen, you made no attempt to capture me!"
+Tears of gratitude rolled down his nose. "You're the bravest man in
+Oz," he choked miserably, "but look what it has brought you to?"
+
+"Weren't you looking for the bravest man in Oz?" asked Notta, suddenly
+remembering their first conversation. "That's how we happened to meet
+you, I think."
+
+The Cowardly Lion nodded gloomily, for it was now his turn to confess.
+With many apologies and sighs he told Notta of his quest for courage
+and his determination to devour a brave man, the bravest man that he
+met.
+
+"But you didn't do it!" shouted Notta triumphantly. "And many a chance
+you've had if you had cared to take it. Cheer up, old fellow, there's
+some way out of it."
+
+Snorer with suppressed gurgles and sobs had listened to both stories.
+Now he held up his claw. "As I understand," croaked the bird, pushing
+his curly nose back of his ear, "Mustafa's ring has turned black
+because you have not captured the Cowardly Lion?"
+
+"That's about it," admitted Notta, trying to wink at Bob, but finding
+it impossible to move his eyelid.
+
+"Well, then," sniffled Snorer with a little hop, "why not capture him?
+Wait, I'll get a rope." He flew off to the Flyaboutabus, first stopping
+to comfort Bob Up. "Let us meet magic with strategy," cawed Nick,
+flying back with a long piece of rope in his bill.
+
+"I'll never urge him a step," declared Notta firmly. "Not if I have to
+stay blue and still for the rest of my life."
+
+"You won't have to," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, who was beginning to
+look quite cheerful. "I'll run all the way to Mudge and give myself up
+to this ridiculous Mustafa." He made a little spring, but Snorer with a
+screech barred the way.
+
+"Have you no sense?" shrilled Nick sharply. "I said strategy." He tied
+the rope hastily around the Cowardly Lion's neck and placed the end
+in Notta's stiff hand. And no sooner had he done so than Bob, with
+a little shout, ran over to Notta and the clown also found himself
+able to move about once more. While Nick and the Cowardly Lion watched
+anxiously, the offensive blue faded out, leaving Notta's face white and
+powdery and Bob's rosy and freckled.
+
+"So long as you keep hold of the rope everything will be all right,"
+chuckled Snorer strutting proudly up and down, "for while you have the
+rope the Cowardly Lion is captured."
+
+"Then we'll just run double harness until we think of something else,"
+said the Cowardly Lion. "Tie the rope 'round your waist, Notta, old
+boy. Then you'll be sure not to lose me." Rather thoughtfully Notta
+obeyed, but he could not help thinking that being tied to a Cowardly
+Lion might prove awfully awkward at times. The Cowardly Lion, however,
+was in fine spirits, so Notta, swallowing his misgivings, stepped with
+the others into the Flyaboutabus. "And now that I'm captured," chuckled
+the Cowardly Lion mischievously, "what next?"
+
+"Oh, let someone else decide that," yawned Snorer. Flopping down in the
+last seat of the bus he was soon sound asleep and snoring loudly.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 14
+
+Flying in a Deluge
+
+
+"Let's find Dorothy," shouted Bob. It was necessary to shout, for
+Nick's snores rattled in their ears like a series of explosions. The
+Cowardly Lion and Notta looked doubtfully at each other. They were not
+sure that Mustafa's magic ring would allow them to proceed toward the
+Emerald City.
+
+"We'll try it," shouted Notta. "Which way is it?"
+
+"I don't know," roared the Cowardly Lion. "Let's fly up and look around
+till I see a familiar landmark. So Notta pressed all the buttons
+necessary to start the bus, and up they went with such a rush that Bob
+almost lost his cap and the Cowardly Lion's mane waved like a flag.
+Bob put both fingers in his ears, for with Nick's snores and the whir
+of the feather wheels the noise was deafening. When they were about a
+hundred feet above ground, Notta slowed the bus down and ran it gently
+and evenly over the pleasant blue fields and forests of the Munchkins.
+Bob, slipping into the seat beside Snorer, put his nose, which had
+fallen off his ear, back on its hook. Immediately Snorer awoke and
+stamped his foot, but in a wink he was asleep again and Bob watched in
+open-eyed wonder, for snoring in his own ear wakened him about every
+three minutes, and when he wakened he stamped, so that between snoring
+and stamping the noise was worse than ever.
+
+"I wish our friend was not such a loud sleeper," growled the Cowardly
+Lion. "I can't even hear my own heart beat. Say, was that thunder or
+Snorer?"
+
+"Thunder," quavered Notta anxiously. "See how dark it's growing! Let's
+go down!"
+
+"It's raining," cried Bob Up in the same breath.
+
+Notta touched the button marked "Faster," and was about to press the
+one marked "Down," when a blinding flash of lightning zig-zagged across
+their path. The Cowardly Lion, with a roar of terror, dashed under
+the last seat of the bus, dragging Notta with him. In his clutch to
+save himself the clown pressed the button marked "Turn," so that the
+Flyaboutabus not only increased its speed but churned 'round and 'round
+till the four occupants were almost knocked senseless. To make matters
+worse, the rain came down in perfect torrents.
+
+Snorer, awakened by the awful clamor, put his wing around Bob and
+clutched the arm of the seat with his curling claws. Even so they were
+shaken up and down till Bob's teeth chattered and nearly drowned by the
+storm. Notta and the Cowardly Lion in the bottom of the bus were faring
+even worse. Every time the clown scrambled to his feet, the Cowardly
+Lion, terrified by a new flash of lightning, would spring in another
+direction and, tied to him by the stout rope, Notta would be dragged
+along.
+
+"Help! Help! I'm drowning," gurgled Notta after the eighth fall. A
+sudden flash of lightning showed Snorer that the Flyaboutabus was more
+than half full of water, and Notta lying entirely immersed.
+
+"Bob," cried Nick, "can you hold on a minute by yourself?" Bob nodded
+his head and with closed eyes grasped the side of the bus. He did not
+dare open his eyes, for flying in a circle had made him dreadfully
+dizzy.
+
+Snorer sidled cautiously to the edge of the seat and with a little
+spring jumped on the Cowardly Lion's back. The big beast was trembling
+like a runaway race horse, and the beating of his heart shook Snorer
+up and down. But holding on to his mane with one claw, he felt about
+in the water till his other one fastened in the belt of Notta's baggy
+suit. Then he pulled with all his might till, dripping and breathless,
+the poor clown lay across the Cowardly Lion's back.
+
+"Climb on the seat," directed Nick sternly. "Do you want to drown the
+most beautiful person in Oz?" With shaking legs the Cowardly Lion
+obeyed, Nick holding Notta safely in place, and when they were both
+on the seat he begged the lion, with tears in his eyes, to control
+himself. The Cowardly Lion, catching a glimpse of poor Notta, and
+realizing for the first time what he had done, wept with embarrassment.
+
+"This is what comes of being tied to a coward," he roared dismally,
+"but someone clapped me on the back."
+
+"It was a thunderclap," chattered Snorer. "Just close your eyes and
+hang together, and Bob and I will do the same." Hastily he flew back
+to the little boy, who was rolling and slipping around on the wet seat.
+Notta, wise from past experiences, fastened his arms tightly around the
+Cowardly Lion's neck.
+
+"Divided we fall, together we stand," he panted weakly. "If you're
+going to jump give me a signal, won't you?" The Cowardly Lion made
+no answer but just dug his claws into the seat and closed his eyes
+tighter. The wind whistled shrilly in their ears, the rain pelted
+mercilessly upon their heads and the bus tumbled and tossed through the
+air like a rudderless ship.
+
+Suddenly Snorer, who was less affected by the motion of the bus than
+the others, felt water on his feet.
+
+"Somebody bail out the boat," he shrieked in real terror, "it's
+sinking!" And so it was. The feather wheels, wet and draggled by
+the rain, moved slower and slower, and the bus was now so full of
+water that every time it lurched sideways the luckless voyagers were
+submerged. It was like flying in a very deep and dangerous tub.
+
+"I never expected to be drowned in the air," screamed Notta. "Shall we
+jump overboard?"
+
+"Do you want to be dashed to pieces?" shouted Nick in reply. "Hold on
+to the sides." He called more directions, but the fury of the storm
+drowned even his shrill voice, and each found he had enough to do to
+keep from being washed over the edge. The water rose higher and higher
+and the bus sank lower and lower. With eyes closed, and only their
+heads above water, the four clung grimly to the feathery edges. When
+the bus finally struck the ground it did so with such force that they
+all let go and fell back into the water. The Cowardly Lion sprang out
+first, pulling Notta along with him. Then, realizing Bob was still
+struggling in the water, he impulsively sprang back, seized the little
+boy in his teeth and jumped out again. A shout from Snorer made him
+pause. Notta was bumping along on the end of the rope like a big bag of
+clothes.
+
+"You've killed him," wailed Nick angrily. But just then, with a watery
+sigh, the clown opened his eyes. Immediately he began fumbling in his
+chest pocket. "What are you trying to do?" screamed Snorer.
+
+"My disguise," choked the clown. "I must put on my disguise--first
+disguise, then joke and run, you know!"
+
+"You don't need any disguise," wailed the Cowardly Lion remorsefully.
+"You look like almost anyone."
+
+"I feel the same way," coughed the clown. "Am I dashed or drowned or
+both?"
+
+"Neither," croaked Snorer sorrowfully. "Only tied to a very forgetful
+friend." The disguises, concealed in various parts of Notta's apparel,
+were dragged down in disfiguring lumps about his knees. There were
+four bumps on his forehead and one was coming on the back of his head.
+Bob, though shivering and wet, was otherwise unhurt, so he and Nick
+helped Notta to the Cowardly Lion's back, and, dripping and shaken,
+the air-wrecked party started toward a little hut near which they had
+fallen.
+
+"Where's the Fallaboutabus?" muttered Notta thickly, as the Cowardly
+Lion stumbled over the sill.
+
+"I don't care where it is," groaned the lion. "I hope it's busted. I'm
+against flying in all its branches." He dropped panting on the hearth,
+and Notta did not even move from his back. The hut evidently belonged
+to some thrifty woodcutter. It was quite neat and comfortable and there
+was a fire all ready to light.
+
+Bob, feeling very important, started a cheerful blaze, and though
+the rain still rattled on the roof, inside it was quite cozy and
+comfortable. Notta, with Bob's help, took out all of his disguises, and
+the three that had already been used he hung out in full view. But the
+clown was so down-hearted when Bob started to shake out the others,
+and seemed to attach so much importance to keeping them secret, that
+Snorer, without unrolling them, carried them into the next room and
+hung them on hooks to dry. Notta was quite thin and fallen without
+them, but when his suit had dried and he had powdered his nose with
+some of the woodcutter's flour he felt quite restored, and it was not
+until then that he discovered his feathers were gone. With a little
+shout he looked at the Cowardly Lion and Bob.
+
+"We've all shed our feathers," he cried exultantly. "They must have
+washed away." The Cowardly Lion was so pleased that he jumped for joy,
+and started to run and look in the woodcutter's mirror, upsetting Notta
+as usual.
+
+"It's because you're no longer unish," explained Snorer wisely, as
+Notta scrambled to his feet and hastened to accompany the lion to the
+mirror. "When you both stopped planning unwise and unfair things the
+feathers just naturally dropped out, and Bob's followed suit, for there
+isn't an unish bone in that boy's body," continued Snorer, rolling
+his eyes knowingly. "And now that we've all decided to stick together
+everything will be as happy as possible."
+
+"We don't stick together very well," sighed the Cowardly Lion, hanging
+his head. "Did I hurt you, Notta, old fellow?"
+
+"Not much," said the clown, "but I'll have to use more padding if
+you are going to be so impetuous." Being tied to a Cowardly Lion was
+proving even worse than he had expected. The Cowardly Lion himself felt
+uncomfortable and ill at ease.
+
+"See here," he rumbled, as they gathered round the fire again, "I think
+we had better separate. I'll go on to Mudge and you three go to the
+Emerald City for help."
+
+"No," objected Notta, wrinkling his poor bumped forehead, "let's stick
+together a bit longer, for I don't know the way to the Emerald City,
+and the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions might tear you
+to pieces before we got back. Traveling in this country is dreadfully
+uncertain. Why, we don't even know where we are now!"
+
+"But the sun's out," cried Bob, running to the window. "Let's see if
+the Flyaboutabus is still around." The Cowardly Lion started at once
+to run toward the door, but Notta, with a flying leap jumped on his
+back and thus avoided another fall. The bus was full of water, but the
+feather wheels, already somewhat drier, were slowly revolving. As they
+drew nearer the bus began to run 'round in circles, spraying water in
+every direction.
+
+"I'll stop it," volunteered Snorer and, swooping down over the wheel,
+quickly pushed the button marked "Stop." Then Notta and the Cowardly
+Lion, shoving with all their strength, turned the huge bus over on its
+side so the water could run out. After this they went back to the hut
+to fetch the clown's disguises, and then they all sat down under a tree
+and waited for the bus to dry.
+
+Just beyond a little fringe of trees they could see the roofs of a
+small city, and Snorer, sensibly enough, proposed that they run the
+bus into the city and inquire of its inhabitants just where they
+were. "Though as far as I can make out," finished Nick, "if we move
+toward Mudge all will be well, but if we take any other direction this
+beautiful person," he pointed his claw at Notta, "will turn blue."
+
+"Regular signals, aren't we, Bob?" The clown thoughtlessly turned a
+handspring, but the short rope spoiled it and the Cowardly Lion was
+quite choked.
+
+"We don't twin very well, old fellow, do we?" sighed Notta. "But let's
+see which is the way to Mudge, for it seems that to Mudge we must
+trudge."
+
+Hopping on the Cowardly Lion's back he waved him to the left, but at
+the first step both Notta and Bob turned quite blue.
+
+"Try the right," suggested the clown, pulling the lion's right ear. So
+the Cowardly Lion pranced to the right, but had not gone a dozen steps
+before Bob and Notta were bluer than ever.
+
+"Back!" directed Notta, swinging around and seizing the lion's tail.
+But their blueness only increased.
+
+"Straight ahead then," cried Notta, standing up and waving his arms.
+So the Cowardly Lion obligingly trotted a few paces straight ahead, and
+as Bob and the clown promptly turned back to their natural complexions,
+they concluded that straight ahead was the road to Mudge.
+
+Bob could hardly help feeling pleased that it also led toward the
+strange city, for Bob was very curious about Oz and its singular
+peoples, and the little fellow was enjoying every minute of his
+adventures. Even the wreck and the thunderstorm had given him a new
+kind of thrill.
+
+"We must all think of a way to outwit Mustafa," said Notta, as they
+took their places in the Flyaboutabus. "But until we do I shall simply
+follow my usual rules." So saying, he untied, for a moment, the rope
+that bound him to the Cowardly Lion and stepped into another of his
+disguises. This was almost the strangest of the lot. It covered him
+all but the feet, and in place of their jolly companion stood a huge
+goggle-eyed fish. The fish skin buttoned down the front, and Notta's
+arms protruded under the fins, but he was unable to sit down. This,
+however, he bore quite cheerfully and, standing up very straight and
+stiff, seized the wheel of the Flyaboutabus, pressed the button marked
+"Go," and away they did go in a series of bumps and bounces, for the
+feathery vehicle could not seem to keep its wheels on the ground.
+
+[Illustration: NOTTA DISGUISED AS A HUGE FISH]
+
+"Too bad you did not put on that rig during the storm," chuckled Nick,
+hanging on with both claws. "Then you could have swum to earth. But
+what good is it now?"
+
+"Just you wait," promised Notta confidently. "When these people,
+whoever they are, see a fish walking about on dry land, they will do
+just as I ask them to. You see!" Nick looked rather nervous as he
+adjusted his nose, and the Cowardly Lion shook his head doubtfully.
+
+"But he cannot help his disguises any more than Nick can help his
+snoring, or I, my cowardice," whispered the big beast huskily to Bob.
+Bob Up said nothing, but he always felt uncomfortable when Notta put on
+one of his queer costumes. The bus was bouncing and jerking so crazily
+that conversation was now impossible. As they came nearer and nearer
+to the strange city, it became at once apparent that it was unlike any
+city or town any of them had ever seen or visited. Even the Cowardly
+Lion, old Oz adventurer that he was and accustomed to unusual sights
+and places, gave a snort of surprise as the Flyaboutabus rushed through
+the glittering glass gates.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 15
+
+Mustafa Keeps Watch
+
+
+Mustafa, seated on his blue throne, stared steadily at his magic
+ring. He had done little else since Bob and Notta's departure, and
+in consequence was beginning to squint fearfully. On his lap lay the
+lion book, and when he was not gazing at his ring, the blue-whiskered
+monarch looked longingly at the picture of the Cowardly Lion.
+
+In one corner of the tent, in a large cage, crouched the twenty Uns
+Notta had wished into Mudge, and in the tent top were twenty blue
+patches where they had burst through. At first Mustafa had been
+terribly angry and ordered the Featherheads thrown to the lions. But
+Mixtuppa, pleased by the color and brilliancy of their feathers,
+begged that they be saved, so she might always have fresh feathers for
+her turbans. Then the Uns, seeing that Mustafa was almost as wicked
+and bad tempered as themselves, promised to teach him all the Unish
+they knew--so that every hour Mustafa was growing unhappier and
+unpleasanter.
+
+Panapee stepped about breathlessly on tiptoe, for each time Notta had
+done anything to turn Mustafa's ring black the ruler of Mudge had flown
+at his royal chamberlain and shaken him unmercifully.
+
+"He is escaping, you villain!" screamed Mustafa the first time--that
+was when Notta had determined not to betray his faithful four-footed
+friend.
+
+"Help! Ouch! Does your Majesty expect to stop him by pulling my beard?
+Let go! Take off your ring," spluttered the unhappy Mudger, "there is
+no magic in my whiskers."
+
+Realizing the truth of this, Mustafa snatched off his ring, with what
+alarming consequences to Bob and Notta we all know. Since then his
+watchfulness had increased, and even while he ate he held his thumb
+before his eyes so that no move of the clown would escape him. While
+Mustafa kept watch, the royal jewelers worked day and night upon a gold
+collar, studded with sapphires, and the forger of swords and scimitars
+hammered early and late upon a heavy gold chain--for once the Cowardly
+Lion entered Mudge, Mustafa was determined he should never leave the
+kingdom. Tazzywaller, who was still lion feeder, peering at intervals
+through the tent flap thanked his lucky stars he was no longer high
+chamberlain of Mudge.
+
+"When this Cowardly Lion actually appears will be time enough for me
+to be reinstated," muttered the wily fellow to himself. "Meanwhile let
+Panny take his Majesty's ill-tempered thumps and shakings!"
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 16
+
+A Fall From the Sky
+
+
+"Tents and trapezes!" shouted Notta Bit More, as he tried to keep the
+Flyaboutabus in the center of the glass street.
+
+"I think we had better run straight through," roared the Cowardly Lion,
+beginning to tremble slightly. "I don't like the look of this at all."
+
+"Well, whatever happens, try to remember you're tied to me," begged
+Notta, straightening his fish head hastily.
+
+"Then woe betide us," sighed the Cowardly Lion.
+
+Nick put his wing around Bob and all of them gazed in bewilderment at
+this bewildering city.
+
+"Preservatory," said a large sign just beyond the glass gates, and over
+the whole city hung a sweet, smoky haze. The houses had glass fronts
+and were more like cupboards than ordinary dwellings. Each had three
+stories, or as Bob Up explained later to Dorothy, three shelves. And on
+these shelves, swinging their legs, sat the oddest individuals in Oz.
+From head to knee they were enclosed in glass jars. Their arms and legs
+came through especially cut places, but these were carefully soldered
+so as not to let in any air. And their heads, somewhat flattened by the
+glass lids, had a squashed and foolish look.
+
+As the Flyaboutabus bounced merrily along the main street, they began
+to tumble off the shelves and run down the glass steps of their comical
+houses. They made no attempt to keep out of the way, so Notta hastily
+stopped the bus. But even so, one managed to get under the wheels and
+Bob shivered as the creature's jar splintered to bits on the glass
+paving stones.
+
+"Now you've done it," groaned Nick, slamming his nose back on its
+hook. The jarred populace evidently thought so too, for they began
+hopping up and down, shouting all sorts of threats and abuse. The four
+travelers could only hear a dull muttering, for the voices of the
+creatures did not carry through their lids, but the visitors could tell
+from the dreadful faces they were making through the glass that they
+were being threatened and abused. The cries of the unhappy victim under
+the wheels were quite distinct.
+
+"Save me! Save me, or I shall spoil!" he cried in heart-rending tones.
+
+Notta was so moved by his evident distress that he impulsively started
+to jump out of the bus, forgetting the tie between himself and the
+Cowardly Lion. He therefore got a terrible wrench that twisted his fish
+head sideways, so he could not see at all. While Bob was straightening
+this out, the jar-men dragged their companion from beneath the feather
+wheels, and a simply enormous fellow came running down the street. In
+one hand he had a pad and in the other a pencil.
+
+"Looks like the Prime Pickle," chattered Snorer, as the jar-man began
+scribbling on his pad.
+
+"You have broken the peace," read Notta, as the angry official held up
+his pad. He was magnificently attired under his jar and was evidently a
+person of some importance. He had, however, been preserved by pickling
+and was of an unhealthy shade of green.
+
+Notta leaned out of the bus and, seizing the pencil and pad, wrote
+back, "He broke himself, save the pieces."
+
+The rage of the Preserves, as they read these words, increased to a
+perfect fury. One, evidently a relation of the broken man, snatched off
+his lid and cried shrilly, "You'll be minced for this!"
+
+The Prime Preserve again scratched furiously on his pad, "You are under
+arrest. Come with me," directed the pad, when he held it up.
+
+"This is because I forgot the rules," sighed Notta. "If I had been more
+polite this would not have happened. Shall we fly or follow?"
+
+"Let's follow," rumbled the Cowardly Lion. "We can fly any time, and
+I'd like to see all the Preserves while I'm about it, for I think
+Dorothy will enjoy hearing about them."
+
+Notta ran the Flyaboutabus slowly and carefully down the glass street
+after the solemn jar-men, the rest of the population following at a
+safe distance. Bob's eyes grew larger and larger and when a preserved
+dog ran briskly in front of the bus he gave a shout of glee.
+
+"I think Oz is the funniest place in the world, don't you, Nick?" cried
+the little boy merrily.
+
+"Well," chirruped Snorer, "as I was never any place else, I can hardly
+say. Look, look! There goes a canned cat!" And so it was, as canned a
+cat as you'd ever want to see.
+
+But right here their guide turned the corner and they found themselves
+in the presence of another Queen. They knew she was a Queen, for on
+the pad held up for their inspection the guide had written, "Preserva
+the Great." Notta stopped the bus before the low glass throne and they
+stared in wonder at her Majesty. Preserva seemed as much surprised as
+they.
+
+"Well, I'll be jellied!" wheezed the Queen, taking off her lid and
+thrusting out a moist head. Bob thought she need not have said this,
+for she was jellied already--her face and royal robes being a quivery
+and delicious pink.
+
+The Prime Preserve seemed very much alarmed at the Queen's action
+and quickly wrote on his pad, "Shut your lid." Bob considered this
+dreadfully disrespectful, and Snorer began to chuckle with enjoyment.
+Preserva quite meekly obeyed, but her eyes, behind the thick glass of
+the jar, grew larger and larger, and finally, snatching the pad from
+the Prime Preserve, she dashed off in great excitement these words,
+"A tomato can would be about right for him!" Holding up the pad she
+pointed joyfully at Notta.
+
+"Serves you right for coming as a fish," chortled the Cowardly Lion.
+"So we'll have to take you back in a can. Well, well!"
+
+Then he craned his neck to see what else the Queen had written. A
+rapid conversation was going on between Preserva and their guide. One
+would write a message and pass it to the other. The other would snatch
+the page and dash off an answer, and so quickly was it done, the four
+in the bus had all they could do to keep up with the conversation.
+
+    "Pickle the boy,
+      Can the fish,
+    Mince the lion
+      And pot the fowl."
+
+commanded the Queen.
+
+"Now that's what I'd call taking pot luck," chirped Nick, balancing
+himself on the edge of the bus.
+
+But the Prime Preserve replied, "Why not preserve them whole for the
+royal museum?"
+
+While the Queen was considering this suggestion, Notta began feeling in
+the pockets under his disguise for a paper and pencil, so that he could
+get into the conversation, but without result.
+
+"No use being polite! Let's joke and run," puffed the clown, after
+an unsuccessful search. Leaning over the edge of the bus, he tapped
+the Queen sharply on the jar. Preserva dropped her pad and pencil
+and almost rolled from the throne. Inside the jar, they could see
+her jellied figure bubbling with fright and indignation. The Prime
+Preserve also trembled in his jar, then leaning down to read the last
+command of her Majesty, he ran off as fast as his crooked green legs
+would carry him.
+
+"Fetch the Imperial Squawmos," read the Cowardly Lion, with an amused
+twinkle in his yellow eyes as Notta tore off the page.
+
+"If we stay here it is plain we shall be pickled to death," scrawled
+the clown, "so we bid you a fond but final farewell."
+
+The Queen leaned forward, the better to read Notta's message and, while
+Nick, Bob and the Cowardly Lion fairly rocked with merriment at her
+discomfited expression, she suddenly unscrewed her lid.
+
+"Help!" screamed Preserva loudly, sticking her head out of the jar.
+"Help! Help!" Then back went her head and down went the lid, only to
+have the whole performance repeated the next second. This she kept
+up at regular intervals until the whole party were simply convulsed.
+But it would have been wiser had they, instead of laughing, looked
+behind them, for presently a terrible thump on the back sent all
+the scales on Notta's disguise to trembling. It was the Imperial
+Squawmos, followed by all the Preserves in the city. While a dozen ran
+to calm the agitated Queen, who was still quivering in her jar, the
+rest surrounded the Flyaboutabus. Most alarming of all, the Imperial
+Squawmos was not in a jar. She was, in fact, a huge and towering
+cookywitch with a passion for preserving. And a cookywitch, I don't
+mind telling you, is next in wizardry to a sorceress. She had put
+up the inhabitants of the entire city and was the real ruler of the
+Preserve.
+
+"A fish!" shrilled the Cookywitch, prodding Notta with a fork as long
+as an umbrella. "Ah, what an extreme pleasure. I have canned cats, dogs
+and people, but never a fish. And a boy," she chucked Bob familiarly
+under the chin. "Spare the jar and spoil the child," she quoted with
+a dreadful wink that sent Snorer circling into the air, where he flew
+uneasily over the heads of his luckless companions.
+
+"Off to the preserving kettles with you!" shrilled the Squawmos, and
+Notta, in real alarm, made a dash toward the buttons to start the bus,
+but the Cookywitch brought down a heavy iron spoon, that she carried in
+one hand, and crushed the entire steering gear. The clown, seeing that
+escape for the time being was impossible, decided to go back to rule
+two and gain a little time by politeness.
+
+"Imperial and Imperious Squawmos," began Notta, speaking somewhat
+stuffily through the fish head, "why are you so determined to preserve
+us against our wills, and why have you preserved these others?"
+
+[Illustration: SQUAWMOS, THE COOKYWITCH, AND NOTTA AS A FISH]
+
+The Squawmos immediately put down her fork, for she was terribly
+fond of conversation, and she could not very well converse with the
+Preserves, whose language at best was an indistinct jargon.
+
+"Strangers," wheezed the Squawmos, "since I am to have the pleasure
+of putting you up I don't mind explaining my little system. In a jar,
+barring breaks, you will last for years, and needing neither food
+nor drink will find it quite unnecessary to work. So you see, we put
+ourselves up here for the same reason most housewives preserve their
+fruit--to keep from working."
+
+"Put yourselves up to keep from working," gasped Notta. "But I love my
+work!"
+
+"Then you are very different from most people," observed the Squawmos,
+looking at the Cowardly Lion with great interest. "But, never mind, you
+will soon be a perfect Preserve. And this lion--he will look perfectly
+handsome in a jar. Let me see, shall I put him up in vinegar or
+preserve him in spices?"
+
+The Cookywitch closed her eyes and Notta, winking warningly at the
+Cowardly Lion, who was about to spring on the Imperial monster,
+cautiously moved his hand toward the only button in the Flyaboutabus
+that the iron spoon had not smashed--the button that said "Up!"
+
+The Prime Preserve saw him and made indistinct gurgles of protest under
+his lid, but before he could warn the Cookywitch or the Prime Preserva,
+Notta had pressed the button, and the Flyaboutabus, with a jerk that
+sent hundreds of the jar-men crashing to the glass pavement and knocked
+Squawmos head over heels, rose into the air. Snorer made a flying
+leap and caught it on the wing, so to speak, and in a flash they were
+hurtling toward the sky.
+
+Notta, jerking off his disguise, frantically felt for all the buttons,
+but they were hopelessly broken.
+
+"This continual flying about makes me light-headed," groaned the lion,
+hanging on to the arms of the seat with both paws.
+
+"Where are we going, Notta?" gasped Bob, edging close to Snorer and
+peering giddily over the edge of the bus.
+
+"Up as far as it takes us, and then--" Notta shuddered and clung
+dizzily to the wheel. And up they did go, faster and faster, until they
+lost all track of time and place and had not even breath enough to
+talk. Then, with a terrific crash, the Flyaboutabus ran into a small
+day star, turned completely over and spilled out the whole company.
+
+There, caught by its feather wheel, it hung on the point of the star,
+while Notta, Bob, Nick and the Cowardly Lion fell head over heels
+through the air. Nick caught himself first and, flying after Bob, edged
+himself around until the little boy was on his back. Notta and the
+Cowardly Lion were falling together, first one and then the other on
+top, and Nick had to fly rapidly to keep pace with their falling.
+
+"Oh, my quills and feathers!" spluttered the faithful bird, "they'll be
+shattered to bits! Oh, my tail and top knot! What shall I do? Bob I can
+save, but that beautiful clown will be broken to pieces!"
+
+Though falling, as Notta explained afterward, did give one a sinking
+sensation, it was not nearly so unpleasant as he had expected and, when
+he looked up and saw Bob safely on Snorer's back, he fell more calmly,
+trying now and then to do the side stroke and calling encouragement to
+the Cowardly Lion. Earth as it came in view was not very encouraging
+and Snorer screamed with fright when he saw the rocky nature of the
+country into which his friends were tumbling.
+
+"Good-bye!" roared the Cowardly Lion, looking up mournfully at the
+clown, who was at that minute a little above him. "I'll never forget
+you, for you are a brave man in spite of your disguises." The clown was
+too affected by this speech to answer and, when he glimpsed the jagged
+rocks below, he decided that soon he would be disguised as a pan cake.
+So he merely waved to the others and closed his eyes.
+
+Like a flash Nick darted down and set Bob on a huge bowlder. Then, with
+wings spread, he flew up and down, intending, if possible, to break
+Notta's fall with his own feathery body. But Notta and the Cowardly
+Lion never did finish their fall--for as they whizzed past a tall,
+craggy rock, jutting out from the side of a mountain, a stone arm
+reached out and miraculously caught the rope that held them together.
+
+"Scrags and scrivets! What kind of birds are these?" cried a grating
+voice, and down from the ledge stepped a roughly hewn man of stone.
+Swinging Notta and the Cowardly Lion easily in one hand, he came
+crunching toward Nick and Bob.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 17
+
+The Stone Man of Oz
+
+
+Bob put his arm around Snorer's neck, and Nick, clapping his nose on
+its hook, prepared to fly from this new danger. Dangling from his end
+of the rope, Notta sighed mournfully to think he had not disguised
+himself, and the Cowardly Lion, after one look at the stone hand that
+held them, closed his eyes and began to tremble violently. The Stone
+Man was about three times the size of an ordinary man and carved out
+of a huge block of granite. His features, though rough hewn, were not
+unpleasant and Notta, after a few false starts, ventured a remark.
+
+"It was very kind of you to catch us," faltered the clown.
+
+"It wasn't kindness; it was curiosity," rasped the Stone Man frankly.
+"I've been watching you fall for some time, and I must say you're the
+oddest looking creatures I've seen in a stone age."
+
+As he said this, the Stone Man placed them on a flat rock that was on
+a level with his nose. And as he could not sit down, he leaned up
+against another rock and regarded them inquisitively.
+
+"Come on up here," he called gruffly to Snorer, "and bring that little
+fellow with you." Rather reluctantly, Nick flew up with Bob, and
+the four fallers tried to compose themselves and catch a bit of the
+breath they had lost on the trip down. The stone eyes of the Stone Man
+rested longest on the Cowardly Lion. "I like you best," he remarked
+presently. "You're better made than these others and not so likely to
+crumble. They look too soft to last long." He poked his stone finger
+experimentally into Notta's ribs, and only the clown's disguises saved
+him from serious injury.
+
+"Don't do that," growled the Cowardly Lion sharply.
+
+"What a lovely voice," mused the Stone Man almost to himself. "Tell me,
+what are you?"
+
+"I'm a Cowardly Lion," roared the big beast huskily, "so don't frighten
+me, for if you do I'll pound you to pebbles."
+
+"I don't believe he could do it," creaked the Stone Man, turning to
+Notta. "Do you?"
+
+"Well, he's a terrible fighter," admitted the clown, with a reassuring
+wink at Bob, "but let's not talk of such disagreeable things. Since you
+were kind enough to catch us perhaps you will tell us who you are."
+
+"Crunch is my name," answered the Stone Man, picking up a rock and
+crumbling it to powder in his hand.
+
+"I think we'd better be going," quavered Snorer tremulously. "We're
+late as it is." Nick had no desire to fall into the Stone Man's
+clutches.
+
+"Don't go," begged Crunch. "I haven't talked to anyone since I was
+excavated."
+
+"How long ago was that?" asked Notta, scratching his ear.
+
+"Oh, several ages ago," replied the Stone Man carelessly. "But I'm
+much older than that, for I was hacked out by a primitive Oz man to
+decorate his cave. But a landslide caved in the cave and I was buried
+for several centuries."
+
+"Who dug you up," roared the Cowardly Lion, "and how is it you are
+alive?"
+
+"A wizard named Wam dug me up," explained Crunch in his scratchy voice,
+"and brought me to life with a shaker of magic powder. I tried to thank
+him, but he ran away before I could catch him, so I've stood around
+ever since trying to find out what one does with a life."
+
+"Great Grandfathers!" choked the clown. "Fancy being alive for
+centuries and not knowing what to do. Why, there are hundreds of things
+to interest you, especially in a magic country like Oz. You could
+travel, and help other folks not so strong as yourself. You could offer
+your services to the Queen, or even build a city!"
+
+"Could I?" gasped Crunch. He stared off into space as if he saw himself
+doing all these things, and the idea was almost too amazing to believe.
+Then, bringing his stone heels together with a click, he announced
+determinedly, "I'll do it! I'll travel, I'll help people, I'll see the
+Queen and build a city!"
+
+"Hurrah!" cried Notta. "That's the way to talk. And since we are
+traveling, why not join us?" Crunch, he decided, might prove useful in
+a battle.
+
+"Can I walk beside him?" asked the Stone Man, pointing at the Cowardly
+Lion.
+
+"If you're steady on your pins," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, "and
+promise not to fall on me."
+
+"Where does the Queen of this country live?" asked Crunch, after he had
+promised not to fall on the Cowardly Lion.
+
+"In the Emerald City," piped up Bob, who had been listening to the
+Stone Man's conversation with deep interest.
+
+"Oh, that must be over there," said Crunch, waving toward the east,
+"for often at night, when I've climbed Stone Mountain, I've seen bright
+green lights twinkling in the darkness."
+
+"Why, of course it is," roared the Cowardly Lion in great excitement,
+"though why you have never gone over to find out I cannot imagine!"
+
+"That's because you were never a stone man," sighed Crunch solemnly.
+
+"Then we'll soon see Dorothy and the Scarecrow!" cried Bob, clapping
+his hands. "Come on, let's go to the Emerald City right away."
+
+Nick flew off to the top of the mountain to investigate for himself.
+
+"You forget Mustafa's enchantment," sighed Notta, pointing sadly to the
+rope that still bound him to the Cowardly Lion. "I daresay if we took a
+step toward the Emerald City, Mustafa would ring us up again."
+
+"Who is Mustafa and why has he enchanted you?" demanded Crunch, rubbing
+his stone forehead noisily. Notta explained as much of their story as
+he thought the Stone Man would understand, and when he had finished
+Crunch gave a little spring that almost knocked them from the ledge.
+
+"Why, it is as clear as cobbles," he roared, bringing down his fist
+upon a rock and splintering it to fragments. "You are weaker than I
+and, as I have fully determined to help someone, let me help you. Where
+is this Mustafa of Mudge? Take me to him and I will pound him to powder
+and disperse him to the winds."
+
+Before Notta could answer Nick came flying back to assure them that he
+had really seen the Emerald City from the mountain top and that it lay
+scarcely a half day's journey away.
+
+"Then it seems to me," said Notta, who had been doing some quick
+thinking, "that the time has come for us to separate. Bob, Nick and I
+will hasten to this Emerald City and appeal to Ozma, Dorothy and the
+Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile the Cowardly Lion can start toward Mudge and
+thus Mustafa's ring will not betray us. But before he reaches there we
+will have found a way to help him."
+
+"And I will go with the Cowardly Lion," declared Crunch promptly, "for
+I would rather help him than any one else."
+
+"Hurrah!" cried Bob Up, and so it was all decided. Then Notta sat on
+the Cowardly Lion's back and he sprang down from the ledge. Next Snorer
+flew down with Bob, and the clown untied the rope that tied him to
+the lion. Immediately he and Bob turned blue, but when the Cowardly
+Lion took a few steps south, the blue quickly faded out. Notta was so
+relieved to be free that he turned six somersaults, stood on his head,
+and ran several paces on his hands, while Bob and Nick shouted with
+glee.
+
+"Crush and crumble me!" rasped the Stone Man, eying the clown in alarm,
+"is that the way men get about nowdays? The men I watched in the stone
+age never did that and I simply could not manage it, you know."
+
+"Don't try," begged Notta, and Nick hastened to assure him that most
+men walked in the usual fashion--one foot before the other.
+
+"Mudge should be exactly southwest from here, so come on, old Cave Man,
+let's be moving. Together we'll conquer the whole tribe of Mudgers,"
+said the lion.
+
+"You won't have to," cried Notta, giving the Cowardly Lion an
+affectionate hug, "if this Wizard of Oz is as clever as he's said to
+be."
+
+Crunch waited impatiently while Nick and Bob bade the Cowardly Lion
+good-bye. Having stood around for seven centuries, he could not bear
+to waste another second, and when the Cowardly Lion at last declared
+himself ready to go he tramped off joyfully, each step shaking the
+ground like a small earthquake and enveloping the poor lion in a cloud
+of dust.
+
+"Good-bye!" called Bob Up shrilly, as they turned into a narrow rocky
+path and disappeared behind a small mountain.
+
+"Good-bye!" roared the Cowardly Lion, bravely waving his tail in
+farewell.
+
+So much had happened since their flight from Un that Notta had
+forgotten all about the time of day, but when he started up the
+mountain, he grew so faint, he had to sit down on a rock. Bob, too,
+looked pale and weary, and every few hops Nick would close his eyes and
+indulge in a tremulous snore.
+
+"Great Elephants!" puffed Notta at last, squinting up at the sun. "It
+must be nearly five o'clock and we've had nothing to eat since morning.
+Have you still got those eggs, Bob Up?"
+
+Bob felt hurriedly in his blouse and, with a triumphant smile, produced
+the eggs they had picked from the travelers' tree. They were somewhat
+squashed, but when the shells had been removed they tasted delicious
+to the famished travelers. Washed down with some water from a little
+spring, the food renewed their strength and courage for the journey
+ahead.
+
+"I hope nothing happens to the Cowardly Lion," said Bob, as they
+started up the mountain again, "for I love him."
+
+"So do I," croaked the Snorer, who was flying a little ahead, "and I
+shall miss him very much when we go to America to make our fortune.
+But, of course I could not leave _that_ beautiful person." He rolled
+his eyes proudly at Notta, and the clown quite unconsciously sighed.
+Life in a circus would seem terribly tame after this marvelous trip
+through Oz.
+
+"We ought to be home to-morrow, if everything works out," he remarked
+soberly, with an anxious glance at Bob. At the word "home" the
+little boy shivered slightly, for home to him meant a great, dreary
+institution where little boys whom nobody wanted were grudgingly
+sheltered and eternally shaken. In his heart he hoped the magic of
+this Wizard of Oz would not be strong enough to send them back. Notta
+was wondering to himself whether the managers of the home would trust
+a little boy's future to a clown and resolving darkly that, if they
+wouldn't, he'd take him anyhow. But he said nothing of this to Bob Up,
+and presently broke into such a comical song Bob forgot all about
+going back. This was the song:
+
+    "A goblin's ears are very long,
+      A goblin's nose goes wabble,
+    But what I'd really like to know
+      Is what makes goblins gobble?
+
+    "Perhaps they gobble 'cause they're imps--
+      And dreadfully imp-olite!
+    Pshaw, all they do is squabble hobble,
+     Gobble through the night!"
+
+"Speaking of night," chuckled Snorer, balancing on the branch of a low
+tree, "we'll probably have to spend it in that forest below, for it
+would hardly be safe to travel in the dark and it'll be dark by the
+time we're down this mountain."
+
+"Well," laughed Notta, "it wouldn't be the first time Bob and I have
+slept in a forest, and your snores ought to scare off any wild animals."
+
+"That's so," sighed Nick, adjusting his nose, and quite satisfied he
+flew on ahead. The path was rough and uneven and, though Notta and Bob
+frequently slipped and slid, in another hour they were safely down
+the mountain. It was dusk as they stepped into the strange forest,
+and Bob fancied the trees were peering down at him kindly. They were
+so tired Notta paused under an immense maple tree and Nick leaned up
+against the trunk and fell instantly to snoring and stamping, while
+Notta began gathering branches and leaves for beds. The clown spread
+his old lion disguise over Bob's pile and the little boy, stretching
+out comfortably, gazed up at the first star twinkling merrily in the
+evening sky and thought how strange his narrow bed at the home would
+seem after this. The wind sighed in the tree tops with a gentle and
+soothing sound, and even Nick's snoring seemed comforting and pleasant
+to Bob Up.
+
+"Bob," said Notta, as he dropped down beside him, "this is the
+friendliest forest I was ever in."
+
+Bob nodded, and at this a little rustle went rippling through the
+forest as if the trees had actually heard him, and in the same instant
+each tree quietly opened its trunk and drew forth a fiddle. Before
+Notta and Bob had recovered from their surprise a wave of music swept
+through the wood, now soft, now loud, but more entrancing than any
+they had ever heard. And the trees, swaying and bending in the dim
+starlight, plied their bows with more skill than any orchestra in the
+mortal world. For Bob and Notta, you see, had come to the Fiddlestick
+Forest of Oz.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 18
+
+Notta's Last Disguise
+
+
+Of all his adventures, Bob remembered this strange concert longest.
+The fairylike music, that even made the Moon bend down to listen, the
+drumlike accompaniment of Nick's snores and the misty faces of the
+trees themselves, bending down in the dim starlight, all added to the
+enchantment. Bob could not remember falling asleep, for all through his
+dreams marched the music of the fiddles--but he must have slept, for
+opening his eyes suddenly, he found the sun out and shining merrily.
+He looked around to ask Notta whether he had dreamed about the fiddles
+or really heard them, but Notta was nowhere to be seen. Nick, too, had
+vanished.
+
+Rather alarmed, Bob jumped up. As he did so a large green leaf with
+white lines traced on it fluttered to the ground.
+
+"You may use the Fiddlebow Boat," said the leaf and, looking up, Bob
+fancied the big tree was smiling at him. So he made a stiff little
+bow and, holding fast to the leaf, started off uneasily to find his
+friends. The sound of water rippling over stones took him to the left,
+for he was terribly thirsty and in a few seconds he had come out on a
+rapid little stream. The water was so clear Bob could see the white
+stones gleaming on the bottom. Throwing himself down, he took a long,
+satisfying drink. When he straightened up he was astonished to see a
+boat tied to a slim birch that leaned far out over the water's edge.
+
+"Why, this must be the Fiddlebow Boat," cried the little boy, hastening
+over to examine it. It was of a smooth and satiny garnet, and exactly
+the shape of a huge, hollowed-out fiddle. It rode gaily at the end of
+its pink line, and this discovery only made Bob more anxious than ever
+to find the clown. Calling first Notta and then Nick, he ran back to
+the big tree, and just as he reached it was horrified to see a witch
+bending over the pile of leaves he had slept on. With a shrill scream
+Bob turned to flee but the witch came bounding and hobbling after,
+calling to him in pleading tones not to run away. But the more the
+witch called, the faster Bob ran, and he might have been running yet,
+had he not tripped over the roots of a tree and fallen headlong. In an
+instant the black hands of his pursuer jerked him to his feet.
+
+"Bob! Bob!" cried the witch remorsefully, "don't you know me? Bob, it's
+Notta--only old Notta!"
+
+"Notta?" gasped Bob, for he was entirely out of breath and trembling
+like a leaf.
+
+"There! There!" coaxed the clown. "It's only one of my disguises." As
+Bob continued to regard him with disfavor, he explained hurriedly, "You
+see we're going to this Emerald City, Bob Up, where every other person
+is more or less magic. Now, what attention would they pay to a silly
+clown? Why, they might not even listen to me. But if I pretend to be
+a powerful witch, Princess Ozma and the Wizard of Oz, whom we've been
+hearing so much about, will hasten to do what I say."
+
+"You'll frighten them," said Bob stubbornly, but Notta shook his head.
+
+"People in fairy cities aren't frightened as easily as little boys," he
+chuckled knowingly. "And just look what I've found you for breakfast!"
+
+In Bob's cap he had gathered nuts and berries of every kind, and Bob,
+seeing Notta was determined to go to the Emerald City as a witch, said
+nothing more but began to eat hungrily. After a hearty breakfast, Nick
+came flapping back and was so startled by the clown's disguise that
+his nose fell off the hook with a crash. But Notta soon reassured him
+and, as Bob was tingling with impatience to show them the boat, they
+finished the berries in great haste.
+
+"This is the friendliest forest I ever was in," repeated the clown,
+viewing Bob's discovery with delight. "This will take us out faster
+than we could walk and it's much safer than the Flyaboutabus. Now then,
+all aboard for the Emerald City!"
+
+[Illustration: NOTTA AND BOB UP ON THEIR WAY TO THE EMERALD CITY,
+IN THE FIDDLEBOW BOAT.]
+
+Gathering up his witch skirts, Notta leaped into the Fiddlebow Boat
+and, seizing the long oar, pushed it in close to the bank. Snorer
+alighted on the end, and Bob settled himself cozily among the cushions.
+Merrily the boat went dancing down the stream, propelled by Notta's
+strong arm. The only thing that marred Bob's pleasure was the thought
+of Notta's disguise. But he determined to tell Dorothy, or the first
+person they met, that the clown was not a witch, but the jolliest
+fellow in the world. Somewhat comforted by this thought, Bob gave
+himself up to pure enjoyment.
+
+"Did you hear the fiddles last night?" asked the little boy presently.
+
+"Bob," sighed Notta, "I did, and never heard any like it in the whole
+of my travels."
+
+"It must have been my snoring you heard," said Nick, preening his
+feathers busily, for he wished to appear at his best in the Emerald
+City. Notta laughed uproariously at this and almost upset the boat.
+They all felt light-hearted and gay, and Bob was no more like the
+solemn little orphan who had fallen into Mudge than Nick's snoring was
+like the music in the Fiddlestick Forest.
+
+"I wonder if there are any other boys and girls in the Emerald City
+besides Dorothy?" asked Bob, after a little pause. "And I wonder if
+Dorothy ever heard of Un or Doorways?"
+
+"You'll have plenty to tell this little girl from Kansas, eh, Bob Up?"
+smiled the clown, and Snorer, after adjusting his nose, related all
+that he knew of the Emerald City, which unfortunately wasn't much, as
+very little news of the capital ever came to Un.
+
+"I hope the Cowardly Lion is having as pleasant a journey as this,"
+said Notta, as they skimmed along under the branches of the trees, "and
+I hope Crunch is behaving himself properly."
+
+"I should think he'd be a hard person to get along with," chirped Nick,
+giving the clown a nudge so he would be sure to see the joke.
+
+"Because he's made of stone, you mean?" replied Notta. "Well, trust
+the Cowardly Lion to manage him. Hello! Looks as if we were out of the
+woods."
+
+A turn of the rapid little stream had brought them into a broad meadow
+and the Fiddlebow Boat stopped of its own accord.
+
+"Guess this is as far as it goes," puffed the clown, after vainly
+endeavoring to push it forward with the oar. So he guided it to the
+bank and they all hopped out.
+
+"But it doesn't seem right to leave it here," observed Notta,
+scratching his ear anxiously. No sooner had he spoken than a tall
+tree near the edge of the water leaned down, seized the boat in its
+branches, and passed it along to the next tree, and in a second it was
+being tossed lightly from tree to tree, much to the amazement of Notta
+and Bob.
+
+With wonders happening every moment, you would expect them to be used
+to it, but each time they were newly astonished. When the last trace
+of the magic boat disappeared, they struck out across the meadow, for
+already over the top of a little hill they could see the sparkling
+green towers of the Emerald City of Oz.
+
+Nick, hopping sidewise, paused every few minutes to see that his curly
+nose was safely on its hook. Notta began rehearsing long speeches he
+meant to make to the lovely little ruler of Oz, while Bob skipped
+between the two, nearly bursting with excitement. On the other side of
+the meadow they came to the yellow brick road mentioned by Mustafa.
+From the windows of the little green cottages scattered here and there,
+the inhabitants looked at them curiously, and several of the quaintly
+dressed town folk whom they met on the road, at sight of a witch, took
+immediately to their heels. But without waiting to explain themselves
+or talk to anyone, the three hurried on to the gates of the Emerald
+City itself.
+
+Bob gazed with round-eyed delight, Nick began to snort with surprise,
+and Notta, who had seen in the course of his travels every great
+city on two continents, was struck dumb with amazement, for the
+capital city of Oz outshone them all in beauty and magnificence. Its
+streets of green marble sparkled with emeralds, and the palace, rising
+majestically from its flowering gardens, shone with splendor in the
+bright morning sunshine. The Guardian of the Gate was breakfasting in
+his cottage, and Nick flew over the bars and, turning the emerald key,
+quietly admitted Bob and Notta.
+
+"Let us proceed to the main tent," puffed the clown a bit nervously,
+for he felt ill at ease among so much magnificence. He had forgotten
+every word of his speech and, with a sigh, resolved to stick to his old
+rules--disguise, politeness, joke and run. "Though I see no reason why
+we should have to run," he muttered uneasily, settling his witch hat a
+bit more firmly.
+
+It was still rather early and the gardens were deserted, but all at
+once Bob, who was a bit ahead of the others, spied a little girl in
+pink, sitting on the edge of a fountain, reading.
+
+"It's Dorothy!" cried Bob, waving excitedly. "She looks just like a
+picture in the lion book! Come on!" Immediately Snorer spread his wings
+and flung himself into the air. Notta grasped his black cloak and
+catching Bob's hand started on a run for the fountain.
+
+The flapping of Nick's wings made Dorothy look up. With a little scream
+she jumped to her feet, for any little girl, even though she _is_ a
+Princess of Oz, cannot help being afraid of witches.
+
+"Help!" cried Dorothy, turning to run. But just then she caught sight
+of a gold bucket that always stood beside the fountain, and she
+remembered an experience she had had long ago with the wicked witch
+of the West. Water had melted one witch--why not another? Seizing the
+bucket, she filled it hastily at the fountain and, just as the witch,
+strange bird and little boy reached her, she flung its contents over
+the witch's head.
+
+"Oh! Oh!" screamed Snorer. "You have insulted the most beautiful person
+in Oz."
+
+Notta, taken completely by surprise, could do nothing but choke and
+splutter.
+
+"Wait!" panted Bob, for Dorothy was refilling the bucket. But he was
+too late and down splashed another bucket on Notta's head, carrying
+away his hat and drenching his black wig. Unable to speak, Notta began
+to wave his arms, and this was anything but reassuring to Dorothy.
+Snatching a little silver whistle that hung on a ribbon on her neck,
+she blew on it shrilly. The next instant running feet could be heard on
+all the garden paths and in a twinkling Bob and Notta were surrounded.
+
+"What is it?" boomed Sir Hokus of Pokes, Dorothy's Knight Errant. He
+brought his mailed fist heavily down upon Notta's witch shoulder. The
+Soldier with the Green Whiskers, not to be outdone, grasped Bob Up
+and Tik Tok leaned over stiffly and seized Snorer by the neck. More
+and more people kept arriving, and though Bob tried his best to make
+himself heard, in the general confusion his voice was drowned out, and
+in disgrace they were marched to the palace.
+
+Ozma was having a quiet game of checkers with the Scarecrow and looked
+up in amazement as the company burst into the throne room.
+
+"A witch!" shrilled the Patchwork Girl, dancing madly at the head of
+the procession,
+
+    "A witch, a witch,
+      As black as pitch,
+    Has come to steal your throne
+      And sich!"
+
+"If they would only stop screaming," thought poor Bob, looking
+anxiously at the lovely little figure of Ozma of Oz. Just then they
+did, for Ozma, glancing in surprise and displeasure at the witch,
+raised her scepter for silence.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 19
+
+In the Emerald City
+
+
+"Who found this witch?" asked Ozma anxiously, for witches of any sort
+distressed the kind little fairy ruler.
+
+"Who found witch?" repeated Scraps, waving her cotton arms wildly; but
+at a reproving nod from the Scarecrow she subsided. Before Dorothy
+could answer, Tik Tok's machinery ran down and his iron hold on Nick's
+neck relaxed, much to his relief.
+
+"Villains!" squalled Snorer, flapping into the air. "This is a fine way
+to receive friends. I've a mind to pull out your beard," he screamed
+angrily, beating his wings in the face of the Soldier with the Green
+Whiskers.
+
+"Run, Bob," he cried, as the terrified soldier let go of the little
+orphan. Everyone was so surprised at Snorer's sudden outbreak and his
+unusual appearance that they simply gasped. But Notta, realizing what a
+bad impression they were making, called pleadingly for Snorer to take
+his claws out of the soldier's whiskers, and as Bob Up added his voice
+to Notta's, Snorer let go and retired sulkily to the top of a golden
+cabinet. "They're worse than Uns," he muttered, stamping his foot.
+
+"I think there is no harm in the boy," whispered the Scarecrow to Ozma,
+for he noticed that Bob made no attempt to escape.
+
+"Why do you travel in the company of a witch?" asked Ozma rather
+sternly.
+
+"He's not a witch!" cried Bob Up miserably. "He's Notta!"
+
+"Not a witch?" puzzled Ozma, wrinkling up her brows.
+
+All the celebrities stared suspiciously at their prisoner, but as Sir
+Hokus had him firmly by one arm and the Tin Woodman by the other, Notta
+could not remove his disguise.
+
+"The boy has spoken the truth," quavered the clown. "If these gentlemen
+will let me go for a moment I will prove that I am not a witch."
+
+"Don't let go," advised the Scarecrow, wrinkling his cotton forehead,
+"for she may bewitch us. Have little Dorothy tell her story." So, while
+Bob fumed with impatience and Notta groaned at the delay, Dorothy told
+how they had come flying toward her in the garden.
+
+"But if it had been a witch, wouldn't she have melted when you threw
+the water on her?" asked Trot, who had listened so far in silence. She
+liked the looks of this little boy and felt that some mistake had been
+made.
+
+"Call the Wizard of Oz!" cried Jack Pumpkinhead. This was such a
+reasonable suggestion Bob wondered how a pumpkinhead could have thought
+of it. As there seemed no way of convincing these interesting folks
+that the clown was not a witch, Bob gave it up for the moment and began
+examining them with close attention.
+
+Tik Tok simply fascinated the little boy, and he immediately decided
+that, next to Notta, he had never seen anyone more jolly than the
+Scarecrow. Even the Knight, now that he had his visor up, no longer
+alarmed Bob Up. And when the Comfortable Camel thrust his long neck in
+through one of the windows to inquire what was the matter Bob burst out
+laughing in spite of himself. Right here the little, bald Wizard of Oz
+came bouncing into the throne room, a small black grip clutched in one
+hand.
+
+[Illustration: THE LITTLE, BALD WIZARD OF OZ CAME BOUNCING INTO THE
+THRONE ROOM]
+
+"If this person is a witch," sighed Ozma, after the Scarecrow had
+related all that had happened, "she must be destroyed. Can you discover
+by your magic whether or not it is a witch?"
+
+"Certainly," said the sprightly little wizard, laying out his tools in
+a businesslike manner. Snorer flew down from the cabinet in alarm.
+
+"Will it hurt?" he cawed uneasily.
+
+"If she is not a witch she has nothing to fear," replied the Wizard,
+eying Snorer with amazement.
+
+The Wizard, sending for a tumbler, first mixed a pink and green powder
+together and then added a drop of red liquid that immediately set the
+powder to sizzling. When it bubbled to the top he flung the contents
+of the tumbler directly in the witch's face. Sir Hokus and the Tin
+Woodman ducked and Notta spluttered, but the fiery liquid trickled
+harmlessly off his nose.
+
+"It is _not_ a witch!" smiled the Wizard of Oz, turning to Ozma.
+
+"Then why do you pretend to be?" asked the little Queen. Her voice,
+though still stern, sounded very much relieved. Taking heart, Notta
+begged his two captors to release him. This they did, and the clown
+hastily tore off his wig and stepped out of the black cloak.
+
+"Why, it's a clown!" cried Dorothy in delight.
+
+"I told you he wasn't a witch," shrilled Bob Up, wriggling away from
+the Soldier with the Green Whiskers and rushing over to Notta Bit More.
+
+"Well, bless my heart!" cried the Wizard of Oz, bounding down the steps
+of the throne two at a time. "This _is_ a surprise. Sir, let me embrace
+you!" And as Notta made no objection he gave him several good hugs. "I
+used to work in a circus myself," beamed the little wizard, "and I tell
+you a clown is a sight that makes me homesick!"
+
+"As to that," said Notta with a little bow to Ozma, "this country
+surpasses any circus I was ever in!"
+
+"Can you do funny tricks?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"He can somersault, cartwheel, stand on his head, walk on his hands
+and he knows lots of songs--don't you, Notta?" cried Bob, dancing with
+excitement.
+
+"So do I," shrilled Scraps jealously, "and if he thinks I cannot stand
+on my head, let him watch." Sir Hokus of Pokes restrained the reckless
+girl, and Ozma, tapping on the arm of her throne for order, begged
+Notta to explain his presence in the Emerald City and his reason for
+coming as a witch.
+
+"We are sorry to have treated you so rudely," said Ozma gravely, "but
+we must blame your costume for that."
+
+"Certainly," said Scraps, shaking her cotton finger at Notta. "If
+you come as a witch you must expect to be treated every witch way."
+Notta looked rather embarrassed as he explained his rules of disguise,
+politeness, joke and run.
+
+"I always seem to choose the wrong disguise," sighed the clown.
+
+"Don't you think it is better to be natural?" asked the Scarecrow in
+his jolly voice. "Especially when you are naturally so nice?" Notta was
+quite flustered at this charming speech.
+
+"First be nice and then be natural. How's that for a rule?" cried
+Scraps brilliantly, and they were all so relieved that the clown had
+turned out so well they laughed heartily.
+
+"Ver-ry good," ticked Tik Tok, whom somebody had wound up. "I am
+natu-ral-ly bright be-cause I am nat-u-ral-ly cop-per!"
+
+"Well, after this," said Notta, when the merriment had subsided, "after
+this, I will be myself, for I guess it is better to be yourself even if
+you _are_ a clown."
+
+"But how did you reach Oz? Who is this little boy? And do introduce us
+to your feathered friend," begged the Scarecrow, who had been glancing
+curiously from one to the other.
+
+"This," said Notta, drawing Bob close to him, "is Bob Up, an orphan
+from Philadelphia, and the bravest and best little boy in America."
+
+"Hello, orphan!" cried Scraps genially:
+
+    "Orphan, orphan, howdedo,
+      You love me and I'll love you!
+    First you're here, then gone again,
+      Do come orphan on again!"
+
+A stern "hush" from the Knight silenced her, and Notta introduced
+Nickadoodle from Un. Nick immediately took the floor, and carefully
+demonstrated his telephone nose, which he explained had been invented
+by Uncle Billy. So, everyone, including the Scarecrow, came down and
+shook him gravely by the claw. Then, as they were all anxious to hear
+what had brought the three travelers to the Emerald City, they grouped
+themselves about the throne and Notta started to tell the history of
+his amazing three days in Oz.
+
+But just as he was explaining in a spirited manner their flight to
+Mudge, a bustle in the great hall without interrupted the story, and a
+breathless footman came rushing in to announce the arrival of Glinda,
+the Good Sorceress, who ruled over the Quadling country of Oz.
+
+"Something must have happened!" cried Ozma, jumping up in distress.
+
+"Don't be so previous, my dear," begged the Scarecrow, himself falling
+down the steps of the throne to show how collected he was. But at
+that instant Glinda herself swept into the throne room. Twelve little
+maidens in lovely red dresses held up her long train and Bob Up,
+looking at Glinda's beautiful face and lovely flame-colored robes,
+thought he had never seen a more radiant fairy. The courtiers and
+celebrities hastily made way for Glinda.
+
+Hurrying up to Ozma the sorceress asked anxiously, "_Where_ is the
+Cowardly Lion? Has anyone seen the Cowardly Lion?"
+
+Now, strangely enough, no one in the palace had missed their big chum,
+but at Glinda's words they all began shaking their heads and looking
+uneasily at one another.
+
+"Why, I haven't seen him for two days," cried Dorothy, with a worried
+little frown.
+
+"We have!" cried Bob Up, forgetting for a moment he was in the presence
+of royalty. "We saw him yesterday."
+
+"What's happened?" cried Notta. "I see now we never should have left
+him."
+
+"Why, do _you_ know the Cowardly Lion?" asked Ozma in surprise,
+for Notta had not yet come to their meeting, nor even told them of
+Mustafa's determination to add the Cowardly Lion to his collection.
+
+So, as quickly as he could, and without stopping to describe Doorways
+or Un, the clown told his story.
+
+"Ah," sighed Glinda, as he finished, "that explains the entry in the
+Magic Record Book. Hurry up, my friends. Some of us must go instantly
+to Mudge."
+
+"What did the records say?" asked Dorothy, and all the celebrities
+looked frightened and anxious, for the Cowardly Lion was a great
+favorite. The Magic Record Book is one of the treasures of Oz. It
+tells, just as they happen, all the events in that marvelous country
+and in every other country.
+
+"It said," began Glinda in her soft voice, "that the Cowardly Lion
+is in grave danger, and unless help comes before noon he will be
+destroyed."
+
+"Wha--aat?" shrilled Notta in horrified tones, while Sir Hokus of Pokes
+began sharpening his dagger on his leg and the Scarecrow fell on his
+nose from the very shock of the thing.
+
+"Where's my Magic Belt?" cried Ozma, clapping her small hands
+frantically. "Jellia, fetch my Magic Belt!" Ozma, with this belt, meant
+to transport as many of the company as possible to Mudge.
+
+But before the little serving maid returned, Notta himself had
+accomplished that very thing. Glancing around hurriedly, he began
+touching everyone who looked as if he might prove useful in a battle.
+Sir Hokus vanished first, for Notta was very much impressed by the
+Knight's warlike appearance, then the Tin Woodman, because his ax
+looked so sharp, then Tik Tok, because he was so solid and dependable,
+then Glinda because she was a sorceress and the Wizard because he was
+also versed in magic, then Dorothy, because she was crying and Bob
+because Notta could not bear to leave him behind and then Snorer,
+because he had proven himself so faithful.
+
+Ozma, who had forgotten about the magic verse, was startled almost out
+of her senses by these sudden disappearances. She put up her scepter to
+object, but Notta ran forward and touched her too and she was gone with
+the others.
+
+"Help!" wailed Scraps, tumbling out of the window, and the rest of
+the company began backing into corners. But the clown, now satisfied
+with his army of invasion, seized the yellow hand of the Scarecrow and
+repeated his verse for the last time:
+
+    "Udge! Budge!
+    Come to Mudge!
+    Udgers Budgers,
+    We are Mudgers!"
+
+In a flash they were in Mudge--every single person the clown had
+touched. And the sight that met their eyes was simply terrifying.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 20
+
+The Cowardly Lion's Peril
+
+
+To understand how the Cowardly Lion made the journey to Mudge in one
+day instead of three, we must go back to the afternoon he started down
+the mountain with the Stone Man of Oz. Crunch, as he tramped along
+beside the Cowardly Lion, was thinking harder than in all the stone
+ages of his hard life. The Wizard Wam had given him brains of a sort,
+and though they had not been used before the events of the afternoon
+had brought them quite suddenly into action.
+
+The mountain where Crunch had stood for so many centuries, while quite
+near the Emerald City, was never visited by anyone, so that the Stone
+Man knew very little of life as it was lived in Oz. Notta's suggestions
+had aroused his curiosity, and for the Cowardly Lion he was developing
+a great fondness. As the afternoon progressed the Cowardly Lion grew
+positively embarrassed by his terms of endearment.
+
+"You are the handsomest creature in Oz," insisted Crunch over and
+over, "and if you were only of stone you would be more beautiful still."
+
+"Very still," rumbled the Cowardly Lion, putting back his ears. "Though
+I suppose," he added thoughtfully, "a stone lion is never afraid." To
+change the subject he began telling Crunch about his cowardice, and how
+he had started out originally to find himself some courage.
+
+"Would it make you happy to be afraid of nothing?" asked the Stone Man
+in his grinding voice.
+
+"Perfectly happy," sighed the Cowardly Lion, "for though I fight when
+danger threatens, I suffer terribly from a desire to run away."
+
+"Then if you had no desire to run away you would be perfectly happy?"
+asked Crunch, with a stamp that threw the Cowardly Lion off his feet.
+"Why, I can easily fix that!"
+
+"Do you mean to say you could give me courage?" roared the Cowardly
+Lion, stopping perfectly still in his tracks.
+
+"I know a trick to fix you so that you will never again be afraid,"
+answered the Stone Man, rolling his eyes from side to side. "That is
+one thing I can do."
+
+"Who taught you magic?" rumbled the Cowardly Lion suspiciously.
+
+"No one," grated Crunch, "but this hard little secret was in the brains
+Wam wished into my block head. Shall I change you now?"
+
+The Cowardly Lion sat down and scratched his ear with his hind leg. He
+had lived long enough in a magic country to believe anything possible,
+but somehow this huge, craggy giant filled him with misgivings.
+
+"I'd like to think about this a little longer, if you don't mind," he
+answered cautiously. "Tell me more about it, can't you?"
+
+Crunch shook his head solemnly. "If I told you it wouldn't work.
+Better let me change you, old fellow."
+
+"No," wheezed the Cowardly Lion uneasily, "I think I'll wait a bit,
+I tell you," he added, brightening up, "let's not try it until this
+little Mudge affair is over. It isn't quite right to think of ourselves
+when my good friend Notta is in danger. Help me first and change me
+afterward."
+
+"All right," agreed the Stone Man, starting stolidly forward, but
+several times the Cowardly Lion, glancing up unexpectedly, caught him
+moving his stiff lips and looking at him with such a stony glare that
+it sent a shiver of terror down his spine.
+
+"Now, see here," roared the lion, planting himself determinedly
+in Crunch's path. "You must promise me not to try that trick till
+I'm ready. I've been frightened all my life and I don't wish to be
+frightened into a courageous lion without knowing it."
+
+"Oh, all right," grumbled the Stone Man again, "but I don't see any
+sense in all this delay. What if your friends do turn blue? It won't
+hurt them, and why should you put yourself in the clutches of this
+wicked old Mudger?"
+
+"That is my affair," roared the Cowardly Lion, shocked at Crunch's
+unfeeling words. "I suppose a person entirely composed of stone cannot
+help being hard and unsympathetic," he reflected to himself. Aloud he
+called, "Come along, let's hurry," and hurry they did as fast as their
+legs would carry them.
+
+A Munchkin farmer, whose cottage they passed just at dusk, gave the
+Cowardly Lion a hearty dinner, but he shook his head doubtfully at
+Crunch, who had propped himself up against a barn while the lion ate.
+
+"He'll break something," whispered the farmer nervously. "He's too
+heavy to be walking about. What's he doing alive anyway? Has Ozma seen
+him? Or the Scarecrow? Here, here!" he called angrily, as the barn
+began to creak and lean to one side, "you'll have to lean against
+something else!"
+
+"I'll stand right here, and nothing will budge me," grumbled Crunch
+disagreeably. At this the Cowardly Lion swallowed the rest of his
+dinner at one gulp and started to run down the road. He knew that the
+Stone Man would follow him and he did not want the poor farmer's barn
+demolished.
+
+"I thought you were going to help people," he roared reproachfully, as
+Crunch overtook him.
+
+"No, I've changed my mind," announced Crunch with a terrible grin, "I'm
+only going to help you." The Cowardly Lion started to lecture the Stone
+Man, but, as he paid not the slightest attention, he finally gave it
+up and trotted along in silence. He was growing wearier every minute,
+and finally on the edge of a little wood he stopped altogether. Night
+was coming on, and after the flights and excitement of the past two
+days the Cowardly Lion felt he must snatch a little rest.
+
+"Crunch, old rock, will you keep watch while I get a little sleep?" he
+yawned. The Stone Man nodded impassively. He had watched men sleep in
+the long ago stone age and, though he could not see any use in this
+strange custom, he concluded it was another tiresome habit of these
+creatures not brought to life by magic.
+
+With a long sigh, for he sadly missed his jolly companions, the
+Cowardly Lion stretched himself out under a tree and almost instantly
+fell into a heavy slumber. For a time the Stone Man stood perfectly
+still. Then he began to mutter crossly to himself. The idea of waiting
+until they reached Mudge to try his trick was not pleasing to the stony
+fellow, for after the change, though he had been careful not to say
+so, the Cowardly Lion would be absolutely in his power. And, with the
+Cowardly Lion, he meant to return to his lonely mountain and stand
+happily ever afterward.
+
+Already the thought of offering his services to the Queen and building
+a city had begun to bore him. This pounding about chipped his toes and
+jarred his granite. Why had he ever made that ridiculous promise to the
+Cowardly Lion? But made it was, and a Stone Man can no sooner break his
+promise than his head. Kicking the earth up fretfully, Crunch tried to
+think of a way out of the difficulty. Just as the twentieth star came
+pricking out in the Heavens, he had an idea. Crunch, being of stone,
+never tired and could therefore travel indefinitely. If this Mudge
+business had to be got through with, then the sooner they arrived in
+Mudge the better. He knew that he could go three times as quickly as
+an ordinary flesh and bone man, therefore he ought to reach Mustafa's
+Kingdom by morning.
+
+Snatching into the air a startled Munchkin shepherd, who was strolling
+along with his hands in his pockets, he asked him the way to Mudge.
+When the lad's teeth stopped chattering long enough to tell him, he
+dropped him carelessly on the ground and picked up the Cowardly Lion.
+The next instant he was running with all his might toward Mustafa's
+dreadful desert, trampling under his feet any fences or small buildings
+that got in the way, and jarring the whole country with his heavy
+strides. The Cowardly Lion awakened almost immediately and tried to
+wriggle out of his grasp, but escape from those mighty arms was an
+impossibility.
+
+[Illustration: CRUNCH, THE STONE GIANT, PICKED UP THE COWARDLY
+LION, WHO TRIED TO WIGGLE FROM HIS GRASP]
+
+"Where are you going?" he growled angrily, the words being fairly
+jolted out of him.
+
+"To Mudge!" shouted Crunch without slackening his speed. "I promised
+not to change you to a courageous lion till we finished with Mustafa.
+Well, now, I am going to finish Mustafa."
+
+"Stop!" implored the Cowardly Lion, but he might as well have argued
+with the wind, and to continue the argument, when Crunch's every
+step deprived him of his breath, took the whole of his strength
+and determination. But continue it he did, with roars, threats and
+rumblings. To these the Stone Man paid not the slightest attention, and
+finally the Cowardly Lion was too exhausted and shaken to utter another
+roar.
+
+"There's no use reasoning with me," Crunch had insisted stubbornly,
+"for I am a hard mass of mineral matter. I will take you to Mudge
+because that I promised to do, but as soon as we reach Mudge you will
+be mine forever!"
+
+The Cowardly Lion had not even strength to tremble at these awful
+words, so he closed his eyes and tried not to think about Mustafa and
+his nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions, nor Crunch and
+his terrible threat. It would be impossible for Notta and Bob to reach
+Mudge in time to help him now, so the poor Cowardly Lion resolved to
+fight as long as he could, and then bravely resign himself to whatever
+fate had in store for him. At every step of the Stone Man, he more
+bitterly regretted the moment he had trusted himself to the company of
+this treacherous giant.
+
+Whether he fell asleep, or was shaken into unconsciousness, the
+Cowardly Lion never knew. The next thing he remembered was leaning
+up against an iron enclosure and hearing Crunch calling loudly for
+admittance into Mudge. For the Stone Man had run, without turning so
+much as an inch out of the way, directly to the land of the Mudgers.
+
+The sun was high in the Heavens, and winds from Mustafa's desert blew
+hotly in their faces. The Mudger Guard, hearing the terrible clamor,
+came running to see who was hammering on the gates, and when they saw
+Crunch and the Cowardly Lion they turned and flew toward their master's
+striped tent.
+
+Mustafa, still gazing fixedly at his ring, hardly heard their terrified
+description of the stone giant. All that he heard was the wonderful
+news that a lion, undoubtedly the Cowardly Lion of Oz, had at last
+been delivered into his power. Calling Panapee, and running so fast
+he lost both of his sandals, Mustafa rushed out to the lion enclosure
+and with trembling hands unlocked the gates. Fortunately the nine
+thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions were in another part, and
+when he waved for Crunch and the Cowardly Lion to enter, they did so
+without disturbing Mustafa's ferocious pets. The Cowardly Lion wobbled
+slightly, for he was still shaken by his terrible journey, but the
+Stone Man tramped defiantly toward the blue whiskered monarch of Mudge.
+
+"Welcome!" wheezed Mustafa, waving his scimitar. Panny, with an
+outraged glance at the Stone Man, climbed the nearest palm tree.
+
+"I understand you wished to have me captured," growled the Cowardly
+Lion, trembling slightly, but resolved to go through with this
+disagreeable business.
+
+"Don't say captured," cried Mustafa slyly. "Let us say that I wished
+to have my court honored by your cowardly and perfect presence. I
+understand you are a terrible fighter," he added, tugging at his
+whiskers joyfully.
+
+"Shall I crush or crumble him?" asked Crunch, interrupting Mustafa's
+further remarks and ramblings. And then Mustafa for the first time
+became really aware of the Stone Man. The more he examined, the more
+horribly aware of him he became.
+
+"Panny!" he shrilled, looking all around for his chief chamberlain,
+"Panny, call out the Guard!"
+
+"Call them out yourself," chattered the trembling chamberlain,
+frightened out of his usual submissiveness. "I'll not stir from this
+tree." Crunch made a snatch at Mustafa, but the Cowardly Lion hastily
+intervened. Wicked though Mustafa had been, the kind-hearted lion was
+not going to stand by and see him crushed to a crumble. He motioned for
+Crunch to follow him a few steps aside and quite sulkily the Stone Man
+obeyed.
+
+"This is my fight," puffed the Cowardly Lion. "Now be a good fellow and
+keep out of it till I need you."
+
+"How long will it take?" grated Crunch, slightly mollified. To tell
+the truth, he wanted to think over the formula needed to change the
+Cowardly Lion. One of the magic words had slipped his stone memory.
+
+"Oh, an hour or two," answered the lion uneasily, determined, if he
+could, to escape from both of these treacherous villains.
+
+"All right, old fellow," Crunch smiled as he said this. He felt he
+could afford to be generous, for in a few hours the Cowardly Lion would
+belong to him for good. So he leaned stolidly against the enclosure,
+while the Cowardly Lion hurried after Mustafa, who was running in a
+cloud of sand toward his tent.
+
+"Where's that animated tombstone?" gasped Mustafa, sinking down on his
+throne.
+
+"Outside," panted the Cowardly Lion, too tired to notice the signal
+that passed between Mustafa and two Guardsmen in the opening of the
+tent. In an instant a gold collar and chain had been clapped 'round his
+tawny neck.
+
+"Now then," exulted Mustafa, "who says you're not captured." Forgetting
+all about the Stone Man and his threats, he bade the two Guardsmen
+drag the Cowardly Lion to the royal enclosure. As they left through
+an opening in another side of the tent, Crunch knew nothing of their
+going. The Cowardly Lion planted all four feet and roared terribly but
+six more Guardsmen came to help the others and ignominiously he was
+dragged along.
+
+"Now we shall see a famous fight, and discover whether this Cowardly
+Lion is as brave as he is said to be," chuckled Mustafa, shuffling
+along beside him. The part of the enclosure to which they were taking
+the lion was widened out into a regular arena. Already the nine
+thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine lions, with noses pressed against
+the bars, were watching the approach of their rival. For Mustafa had
+talked so long and tiresomely of the Cowardly Lion, who was coming to
+fight the whole company of them, that they considered him an enemy to
+be destroyed upon the spot. They did not have long to wait, for while
+two Guardsmen opened the gates of the enclosure, six more with the
+ends of their scimitars urged the Cowardly Lion forward. Stars! What
+an array of eyes, tails and gleaming teeth! What a thunder of savage
+growls, roars and rumbles!
+
+Before they made a spring at the Cowardly Lion an unexpected
+interruption startled them. It was Sir Hokus of Pokes, falling down
+like a ton of kitchen tins beside the monarch of Mudge. And before
+the lions had stopped blinking at that, down rattled the Tin Woodman
+and Tik Tok, Glinda and the little Wizard of Oz, followed by Dorothy,
+Snorer and Bob and last of all, Ozma, the Scarecrow and Notta Bit More.
+
+"Help!" screeched the Guards running in every direction.
+
+"It's raining royalty!" shrilled Tazzywaller, who had sneaked out to
+witness the fight. "Fly for your life!" The fat little lion feeder
+tugged at Mustafa's robe, for he had at once recognized Princess
+Dorothy and Ozma of Oz. But before Mustafa could flee, or the company
+from the Emerald City had caught their breath, Mustafa's lions,
+recovering from the shock of so many fallers, sprang with nine thousand
+different dreadful roars toward the Cowardly Lion.
+
+Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow recklessly tried to squeeze himself
+through the bars, but before anyone from the Emerald City could raise a
+hand, Crunch, aroused by the thumps and roars, came pounding upon the
+scene. Just as the Cowardly Lion crouched to meet the overwhelming rush
+of Mustafa's lions, the Stone Man held up his arm and shouted seven
+magic words!
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 21
+
+Oz Magic Triumphs
+
+
+Seven magic words! No sooner were they uttered than the nine thousand
+nine hundred and ninety-nine lions were turned to so many stone
+statues--some just as they were about to spring, some half way in the
+air, so that they came clattering heavily down one on top of the other,
+and the poor Cowardly Lion at the bottom of the heap!
+
+"Somebody stop him!" gasped Ozma who was sitting exactly as she had
+fallen on a small sand dune. Sir Hokus of Pokes sprang bravely at
+Crunch, but his sword snapped at the first thrust, and the Stone Man,
+paying no more attention to the people from the Emerald City than if
+they had been so many flies, began bending out the iron bars of the
+lion enclosure. Mustafa, petrified with terror, might have been a
+statue himself, and the Mudger Guards had long since taken to their
+heels.
+
+"What have you done?" wailed Notta, trying to attract the Stone Man's
+attention. He seized an iron bar that Crouch had loosened and began
+valiantly belaboring Crunch about the shins.
+
+"Oh, hello!" rasped Crouch, glancing down at the clown. "Back again?
+Well, I've taken your advice, you see."
+
+"My advice!" groaned Notta.
+
+"Yes." Crunch, who had now broken an opening for himself, stepped into
+the enclosure. "I've helped the Cowardly Lion by changing him to stone.
+Now he will never feel cowardly again, and what's more, he belongs to
+me!" Leaning over, he began tossing Mustafa's lions aside as if they
+had been so many paper weights.
+
+"Oh, help!" screamed Snorer. "Aren't there any wizards here to stop
+this fellow? Are you going to sit like images while he runs off with
+the bravest lion in Oz?"
+
+"I must think!" groaned the Scarecrow, putting his white cotton glove
+to his head, while Dorothy and Bob ran close to the bars and looked
+anxiously for the first glimpse of their old friend.
+
+But Glinda and the Wizard of Oz already had their heads together.
+"First," whispered the little Wizard of Oz, "we will let him find the
+Cowardly Lion, for those statues would be too heavy for us to lift.
+Then, we will deprive him of all power to move."
+
+Tik Tok and Sir Hokus had followed the Stone Man into the enclosure,
+but a stone lion flung carelessly to one side, knocked Tik Tok head
+over heels, and Sir Hokus, deciding that flight was the better part
+of valor, retired to a safe distance, where he began threatening the
+Stone Man with every sort of destruction from hammering to hanging. But
+Crunch continued calmly tossing the lions about, and at last uncovered
+the Cowardly Lion himself. He recognized him at once, for his mane, a
+mass of stony waves, stood straight on end. The Cowardly Lion, you see,
+had been petrified in one of his most trying moments, and, while he was
+preparing to fight with all his might, he could not control his mane
+and hence looked as natural as possible.
+
+Dorothy could not help crying as Crunch tucked this lifelike image of
+her old chum under his arm and prepared to tramp off. But he got no
+further than two steps, for at the second step the combined magic of
+Glinda and the Wizard of Oz deprived him of all power to move. Crunch
+dropped the Cowardly Lion with a crash that chipped off a piece of his
+mane, and with one foot raised in the air stood perfectly motionless.
+The Stone Man was no longer alive!
+
+"Oh!" cried Notta, frightened by the ease with which Glinda had
+deprived the stone giant of life, "who will bring the Cowardly Lion to
+himself again?" And at once everyone ran over to the poor petrified
+lion, and tugging and pulling, managed to get him to his feet.
+
+"It was the only thing we could do," puffed the little Wizard of Oz,
+gazing up worriedly at the huge statue of Crunch. "He did not know how
+to use the gift of life, and would only have brought more trouble upon
+us."
+
+"Isn't this trouble enough?" cried Dorothy, throwing her arms around
+the cold, still figure of the Cowardly Lion.
+
+"There, there, my dear! Glinda will find a way out of all this,"
+comforted the Scarecrow, and Notta and Bob joined him in his efforts
+to console the little girl, while Sir Hokus and the Tin Woodman ran to
+help Tik Tok to his feet.
+
+"All this has happened because of you!" declared Ozma, stamping her
+foot for the first time in her gentle little life, and looking sternly
+at Mustafa.
+
+"And for a punishment," she pointed at the huge, craggy figure of
+Crunch, "for a punishment this Stone Man shall stand forever in Mudge,
+a monument to your greediness and folly."
+
+"Take away his ring," whispered Bob, tip-toeing up to the little
+fairy ruler, for he had seen Mustafa slyly beginning to take it off and
+Bob knew its dreadful power. Without losing a minute, Ozma commanded
+Mustafa to hand over the ring. Tremblingly, the wretched old Mudger
+obeyed. So much had happened in the last few minutes, he was positively
+stunned by his misfortune. Not only had he offended the ruler of all
+Oz, lost the Cowardly Lion and his ring, but all of his other lions
+were turned to stone. Jerking his turban over one eye, the miserable
+monarch shuffled mournfully to his tent, and no one cared enough to
+stop him. Then, as the whole party was heartily disgusted with the hot,
+desert city of the Mudgers, Glinda, by a quick transportation phrase,
+wished them all safely back to the Emerald City.
+
+There, for several hours Glinda, the Wizard of Oz, and Ozma worked over
+the Cowardly Lion, but all of their magic failed to undo the Stone
+Man's spell, and it looked as if the huge beast would have to spend the
+rest of his life as a garden ornament. Twenty of the palace servants
+bore him down the steps and placed him gently in the center of a large
+flower bed, and all the inhabitants of the city came and gazed sadly at
+their once lively and cowardly comrade.
+
+"He is the image of himself," choked the Scarecrow, hanging a wreath
+of daisies round his neck, which was still adorned with Mustafa's gold
+collar.
+
+"But I don't want an image," cried Princess Dorothy and, climbing on
+the Cowardly Lion's stone back, she cried as if her heart would break.
+Notta and Bob were too overcome by this dreadful misfortune to think
+about themselves. It did not even seem right to enjoy the lovely sights
+in the Emerald City, so the clown and little boy sat on a bench in the
+garden and gazed sorrowfully at the monument of their faithful old
+friend.
+
+[Illustration: DOROTHY CRIED AS SHE CAME UPON THE PETRIFIED FIGURE
+OF HER FRIEND, THE COWARDLY LION]
+
+Then, all at once Bob jumped up with a little shout. "Look," he cried,
+waving his cap joyfully. "Look! He's coming alive again!" And so he
+was! For tears are more magic than anything else, when it comes to
+melting stone, and every spot where Dorothy's tears fell was beginning
+to quiver with life. When Notta ran to the palace with the news, the
+excitement was tremendous. Everyone, from Ozma down to the littlest
+kitchen maid, came to weep over the Cowardly Lion, and bring him back
+to life. The Tin Woodman cried a perfect torrent of tears and quite
+rusted his chain. The Scarecrow and Scraps had not a tear in their
+cotton constitutions, but Snorer made up for this by crying enough
+for three. Everybody cried, and in less than a minute the dear, old
+kind-hearted lion opened his eyes. Shaking himself sleepily, he looked
+inquiringly at the weeping company and wanted to know what was the
+matter. All talking at once, and each trying to hug him first, they
+explained what had happened. The Cowardly Lion remembered nothing after
+being pushed into the lion enclosure. You can well imagine his relief
+when he discovered what a hard and horrible fate he had escaped.
+
+"All this comes of my foolish wish for courage," roared the Cowardly
+Lion, shaking his mane, which was quite perfect except for the piece
+Crunch had broken off. "I would rather be a Cowardly Lion for five
+minutes than a stone lion for a century. Why, a stone lion has not
+enough sense to be frightened."
+
+"Hurrah for the Cowardly Lion of Oz!" shouted the Scarecrow, and Bob
+Up, who felt more at home among these odd and friendly people than he
+had ever felt anywhere in his life, climbed on the Cowardly Lion's back
+and hugged him with both arms. Dorothy hopped up again too, and in
+triumph they all trooped back to the throne room.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter 22
+
+A Happy Home in Oz
+
+
+"And now," sighed the little Queen of Oz, sinking down among the soft
+cushions of her emerald throne, "let's have the whole story!" Nothing
+could have exceeded her amazement, as Notta told of their marvelous
+adventures in Oz--of Doorways and Un and Preserva the Great, of the
+Flyaboutabus and the Fiddlebow Boat. Dorothy was so curious about the
+Skyle of Un that they all ran to look in Ozma's Magic Picture, which
+shows any place or person one wishes to see.
+
+"Show us the Uns," commanded Ozma breathlessly, and Bob and Notta
+almost tumbled over backwards when the Magic Picture showed them
+I-wish-I-was and his Featherheads. A great battle was in progress,
+for I-wish-I-was was furious at the loss of the Flyaboutabus. The
+Guards and their friends on one side and the wicked ruler on the other
+were fighting tumultuously. Sticks and feathers were flying in every
+direction and they were even pulling down their tree houses.
+
+Ozma shook her head gravely, but Bob Up, who had been thinking about
+the only good Un ever since they left the skyland, suddenly remembered
+his name and triumphantly whispered it to Ozma. Instantly Ozma, with
+the help of Glinda and the Wizard, commanded the good Un to come out
+from his hiding and sit upon the throne. The fighting ceased at once
+and the Uns began to look at one another with puzzled expressions, as
+if they could not remember what they had been quarreling about. Bob and
+Notta and the Cowardly Lion shouted with approval, forgetting in their
+interest that the Uns in the picture could not hear them.
+
+The good Un's name was Unselfish and, as Glinda assured Ozma that the
+skyle would thereafter be ruled wisely and well, they all returned
+to the throne room. After Dorothy had hugged Notta a dozen times for
+his devotion to the Cowardly Lion, and the clown had turned his best
+somersaults, told his best jokes and generally made himself so funny
+that everyone was doubled up with laughter, Ozma again raised her
+scepter for silence.
+
+"I suppose," said the little fairy regretfully, for she had taken a
+great fancy to the clown and Snorer and Bob Up, "I suppose that now
+you are anxious to return to America."
+
+Notta took off his cap and scratched his ear, a habit he had when
+puzzled or embarrassed.
+
+"Don't go yet!" begged Dorothy, seizing the clown's arm imploringly. As
+for Bob Up, he retired behind an emerald pillar so that no one could
+see that he was crying.
+
+"Oh, yes," cawed Snorer, flapping down from the back of a tall chair
+where he had been enjoying a noisy little nap. "Oh, yes, we must go to
+America and make our fortune. I am going to have my nose patented and
+teach the people there how to snore properly."
+
+"That's right," agreed Notta soberly. "I'm a family man now and must go
+back and earn enough to send Bob to college, and I must save up for my
+old age, for clowns can't be tumbling around the country forever."
+
+"Why, it's nothing but fun," cried Scraps, who had been quiet as long
+as she could contain herself.
+
+"Not always," sighed Notta. "Making people laugh is the hardest work in
+the world. Look how easy it is to make them cry? But come along, Bob
+Up. It's high time we were going, and if this little lady will just say
+the magic word we'll bid you all good-bye. I must be saving up for my
+old age," he repeated mournfully.
+
+When Notta was sad, he always thought about his old age, and the idea
+of leaving the Cowardly Lion and all of this merry and childlike
+company made him sad indeed. And Ozma, who is the cleverest little mind
+and heart reader anywhere in the world or out--Ozma guessed his secret.
+
+"Don't go!" cried the little Queen impulsively. "Stay with us and you
+won't have any old age. Stay in Oz, dear Notta, and be happy forever."
+
+At this the excitement was terrific. Every man, woman, child, animal,
+and celebrity added his or her voice to Ozma's, and when the clown,
+with tears in his eyes, accepted the little Queen's generous offer,
+they seized hands or paws, as the case might be, and danced merrily
+'round Bob, Snorer and Notta Bit More.
+
+"You shall have the jolliest cottage in Oz," promised the Scarecrow,
+when the excitement had subsided a bit.
+
+"A tent would seem more homelike," whispered Notta in the cloth ear of
+that charming gentleman. And a tent he did have, on the outskirts of
+the Emerald City--a tent shared with Snorer and Bob, where, with the
+help of the charming and unusual inhabitants of Oz, the clown gave the
+most surprising shows that had ever been seen in that magical country.
+
+Bob, in his good fortune, did not forget the half a lion, and the
+Wizard of Oz reunited the unfortunate creature, after bringing both
+halves, with the aid of Ozma's magic belt, to the Emerald City. The
+poor beast, whose hind quarters had fortunately escaped Crunch's stone
+spell, was so overjoyed to see his tail again that he raced round in
+circles for several hours after his reunion.
+
+As for Mustafa, he grew amazingly rich from the sale of his stone
+lions, and you can see them any fine day, guarding the doors of public
+buildings or standing proudly in the various parks of Oz. But in spite
+of his great wealth, he was far from happy, for his eyes, from staring
+so hard at his ring, had become hopelessly crossed, and cross-eyed he
+remained to the end of his days.
+
+Bob Up is friends with everyone, but most of all with Button Bright, a
+little boy who once visited Sky Island and who could not hear enough of
+the Skyle of Un.
+
+Notta has saved up enough for Bob's entire education and has gone off
+to confer with Professor Wogglebug, President of the College of Art and
+Athletic Perfection, about the future of the little boy.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Cowardly Lion of Oz, by Ruth Plumly Thompson
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58765 ***