“You don’t mind me asking, I hope?” Clinging to the high picket fence and looking anxiously through the bars was the Curious Cottabus. “Have you found the Greatest Common Divisor yet?” “Who’s he?” asked the Elegant Elephant suspiciously. “Isn’t there any way out of Rith Metic but this?” wailed Pompa, looking at the Cottabus pleadingly. He was too tired to mind being questioned. The curious beast was delighted to have this new opportunity to talk to the travelers. “Will you answer a few questions if I tell you?” asked the Cottabus, raising itself with great difficulty and looking over the palings. “Yes—yes—anything,” promised Pompa. “Do you care for strawberry tarts?” asked the Cottabus, twitching its nose very rapidly. “Of course,” said the Prince. “Oh! Do hurry. Count It Up will be back in a moment!” He had run ahead to arrange a new problem and the rest of the Figure Heads paid no attention to the queer creature clinging to the palings. “Are you going to invite the Scarecrow to your wedding?” gulped the Cottabus. “I don’t know any Scarecrow,” said Pompa, “so how could I?” “Are you fond of that old elephant?” The Cottabus waved at Kabumpo, who stamped first one foot then another and fairly snorted with rage. “All right,” sighed the Curious Cottabus, “that makes my fifty questions.” Hanging on to the fence with one paw it waved the other backward and forward as it chanted: “How many tics in Rith Metic? Tell me that and tell me quick! But if you can’t it’s not my fault, So simply turn a wintersault!” The head of the Cottabus disappeared. “Now isn’t that provoking,” gulped the Prince. “After it promised to help us, too!” “I meant summersault,” wheezed the Cottabus, reappearing suddenly— “And if you can’t it’s not your fault, So simply turn a summersault!” it recited dolefully, and losing its balance fell off the fence and landed with a thud on the ground below. “Here! Hurry along!” scolded Count It Up, prodding Kabumpo with a sharp pencil. “The next is a nice little problem in fractions.” “I wonder if it meant anything?” mused Pompadore, as Kabumpo approached the new problem. “’If you can’t its not your fault, so simply turn a summersault.’ Anyway it wouldn’t hurt to try. Stop a minute, Kabumpo!” Sliding down the Elegant Elephant’s trunk, the Prince put his head on the ground and very carefully and deliberately turned a somersault. At his first motion Count It Up gave a deafening scream, fell on his head and broke off his point, while the Figure Heads began to run in every direction. [Illustration: (unlabelled)]