[Illustration: (unlabelled)] “You’re a good girl, Peg,” said Kabumpo, sighing with contentment. “I don’t care whether you never were alive before or not, you’ve more sense than some people who’ve lived for centuries. I’m going to give that gnome something on my own account. Dared to shake you, did he? Well, wait till I get through shaking him!” “It didn’t hurt,” said Peg reflectively, “but it ruined all my clothes. Do you think Prince Pompadore minds having me look so shabby?” [Illustration: (unlabelled)] Kabumpo shifted about uneasily. “Will this help?” he asked sheepishly, pulling a lovely pearl necklace from his pocket. “Ozma doesn’t need everything,” he muttered to himself. “Oh! How perfectly pomiferous!” cried Peg. “Lift me down so I can try it on.” In a trice Kabumpo swung her down from the tree and awkwardly Peg Amy clasped the chain about her wooden neck. Then she flung both arms round Kabumpo’s trunk. “You’re the biggest darling old elephant in Oz!” cried Peg happily. Kabumpo blinked. He was accustomed to being called elegant and magnificent but no one—not even Pompa—had ever called him an old darling before and he found he liked it immensely. While Peg ran to look at her reflection in a small pool he resolved to get the Wooden Doll a position at Court, for, in spite of her stiff fingers, Peg was very deft and clever. “And she shall have a purple plush dress too,” said Kabumpo grandly. Just then Pompa and Wag returned in a high good humor. The Prince had tapped on the door of a small farm house and the little Winkie lady had been most hospitable. Not only had she given the Prince all he could eat, but she had allowed Wag to go into the garden and pick two dozen of her best cabbages. His size had greatly astonished her and she had insisted upon measuring him twice with her yellow tape measure but finally, without revealing the purpose of their journey, the two managed to get away. As all were now refreshed and rested, they decided to start on again. “We ought to reach Ev by evening,” puffed Wag, between hops. “But I wish we could open the Magic Box,” sighed Peg, holding on to Wag’s ear, “for in that box there’s Flying Fluid!” “We’d make a remarkably nice lot of birds,” chuckled Kabumpo, looking over his shoulder, “now wouldn’t we?” “You would,” laughed Pompa. “What else was in the box, Peg?” It was hard to talk while they were being jolted along, but Peg, being of wood, did not feel the bumps and Pompa, being a Prince, pretended not to, so that they continued their conversation in jerky sentences. “There’s Vanishing Cream, a little tea kettle and some kind of rays and a Question Box,” said Peg, holding up her wooden hand. “A Question Box that answers any question you ask it.” “There is!” exclaimed Kabumpo, stopping short. “Well, I wish we could ask it whether Pumperdink has disappeared.”