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and winged halves of their precious sticks flying away without them.
"Oh! Oh!" groaned the Wizard, leaping out of the pepper bush and running for
an anguished yard or two after the vanishing staffs. "This is awful, AWFUL!
Come back! Come down!" he implored, realizing even as he shouted that the
sticks could neither hear nor obey.
"Noo then, whew are yew?" The startled Red Beard hoisted himself out of his
camp chair. "W-itches riding on br-hoom sticks? Noo then, call off yewer
dog!" The Cowardly Lion, noting the mischief already done by the Red King's
bow, had seized it in his teeth and backed rapidly into the bushes. The
Wizard, reluctantly withdrawing his gaze from the sky, now stamped over to
the astonished owner of the castle.
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"Just see what you've done," he cried angrily. "Destroyed the only winged
staffs in Oz. We flew them all the way from the Strat, and now how are we
to reach the Emerald City in time to stop the airlanders? Don't you realize
C4 but how could you?" In sudden discouragement, the Wizard broke off and
stared despondently around the rugged mountaintop. "I must tell you," he
began in a hoarse and desperate voice, "that Ozma and the Emerald City are
in great danger. Strut of the Strat and a host of his flying Stratovanians
are descending to conquer Oz and carry off Ozma's treasure. If we fail to
warn her, the city is lost, doomed, I tell you! Since you have shattered
our flying sticks, you must quickly supply us with some other means of
travel. We must reach the capital before morning!"
"MUST!" roared the Bearded Bowman. "Are yew shouting `must' at ME?"
"Be careful!" cried Dorothy. For the Wizard in his earnestness had stepped
closer and closer to the red King. But her cry was too late. Without any
warning, the King's pointed beard, rising with his wrath, pointed straight
out and struck the valiant Wizard to the earth. For a whole minute he lay
perfectly still, staring up at this curious phenomenon. Though he had seen
many a beard in his day, he had never been knocked down by one before.
"Whew are yew?" demanded the burly mountain monarch again. "How dare yew fly
over my castle and swim in my lake without permission?" Stroking his beard,
which gradually resumed a vertical position on his chest, he stared from
one to the other of the adventurers. "No use to run," he sneered as
Wantowin Battles began to back toward the bushes. "My bowmen will be here
any moment now! But WHEW are YEW?"
"Wheww!" groaned Jellia, propping the bedraggled Scarecrow against a rock.
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"A body'd hardly know after such a welcome.20Whew are hew yewerself, yew
old Redbeard?"
"I?" roared the Bowman, taken completely by surprise. "Why, don't yew know?
I am Bustabo, King of the Kudgers and Red Top Mountain."
"I don't believe it," said the Wizard, leaping agilely to his feet and
shaking his fist under Bustabo's long nose. "A $$real&& King would not
treat travelers as you have done, shoot away valuable flying sticks and
keep two lovely girls standing out here in the wind."
"How dew yew know what a King would dew?" demanded Bustabo, puckering his
forehead in an uneasy frown.
"Because," stated the Wizard, folding his arms disdainfully, "I personally
know all the most important rulers in Oz, and none of them would behave as
you have done. If you are a King, act like a King!"
"Whew are yew?" repeated the Ruler of Red Top, walking around the little
group with hands clasped behind his back.
"Oh, for Oz sake, tell him!" snarled the Cowardly Lion, poking his head out
of the bushes. "If he asks that question again, I might eat him up, pointed
beard and all!"
"Well, this is the Wizard of Oz," explained Dorothy as the Lion stalked
grimly out of the bushes. "Chief Magician for Ozma of Oz. ThisFF20C4"
Dorothy, with a wave of her hand, indicated the trembling soldier "C4FF20
this is Wantowin Battles, the Grand Army of Oz. Beside him is our famous
live Scarecrow. I am Princess Dorothy of Oz, and this is Jellia Jam, First
Lady in Waiting to Ozma. Coming toward you is the Cowardly Lion of Oz."
"He doesn't look very cowardly to me," muttered Bustabo, putting the camp
chair between himself and the approaching beast.
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"Oh, but I am cowardly," growled the lion growlishly, "and when I'm
frightened I never know what I'll do. I might even chew up the King of this
Mountain! Whoever heard of a King pointing his beard at harmless travelers?
Whoever heard of a King with a beard as hard and red as yours, anyway? It's
hard as iron from the looks of it."
"Harder!" agreed the King, evidently considering the lion's remark a
compliment. "All we Kudgers have red beards, not of soft hair like hisFF20
C4" The Red King gazed contemplatively at the Soldier with Green Whiskers
"C4FF20but of hard hair like mine. I don't suppose yew've ever seen a
beard like this before. The point's sharp as a dagger, too," he warned as
the lion sprang a pace closer.
"Oh, I'm sure it is," said Dorothy nervously. "And it's dreadfully handsome,
too. But could your Majesty please let us dry out in your castles, and then
could you show us the quickest route to the Emerald City? If you don't,"
finished Dorothy, clasping her hands anxiously, "the ruler of this whole
country of Oz may be captured and carried to the Strat."
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