At each dreadful question, her Maltese Majesty drew nearer to Pajuka. Snip looked appealingly at Mombi, but the old witch had forgotten them both and was seated blissfully under the catsup tree, her lap full of kittens. "As a man I was in my prime, but I'm a very old goose," panted Pajuka, edging nervously away from the greedy Queen. "I don't believe it," said her Majesty, giving Pajuka a playful poke. "What fun! A guest! A prisoner and a dinner! The witch shall stay, the boy shall be publicly chased and scratched and the goose, ah the goose shall be eaten! You may kiss my paw!" purred her Highness, advancing graciously toward Snip. "Mombi! Mombi! Do you hear that?" screamed Pajuka wildly. "I'm to be served up for dinner!" "Serve you right," yawned the witch drowsily. "I'll not let them eat you!" shouted Snip, brushing aside the Queen's paw and struggling to free himself from the cat guard. "Take them away!" commanded the Queen, with a wave of her tail. "And keep tabs on them until wanted." "You'll be sorry for this!" honked Pajuka. "I'm very bad for cats. If you eat me I'll give you fits." "Hush!" hissed her Highness haughtily. "You are now the dinner and the dinner is not supposed to converse." "Come along, dinner!" said the guard gruffly, and dragging Pajuka by the wing and Snip by the arm, he marched them sternly away, while all the inhabitants of Catty Corners howled with derision and delight. CHAPTER 7 The Magic Pudding "Snip," wheezed Pajuka mournfully, "when I am cooked and eaten, will you save a few of my feathers for Ozma? And if you find the King will you tell him that old Pajuka was faithful to--to--the last?" In spite of himself the poor goose's voice broke and ended in a great gulp. "When they get through with me there'll be just enough feathers left to stuff a pillow," choked Pajuka. "Don't!" begged the little button boy, flinging his arms around his friend's neck. "Besides, if I'm to be chased and scratched by all those cats, there won't be anything left of me at all." "I'll nip off their tails, I'll snatch out their whiskers!" raged Pajuka, thrusting his bill through the bars of their prison. The two had been thrown unceremoniously into a small summer house at the end of the Queen's garden. It was surrounded by cat guards, so their chances for escape were cut off on every side. "Maybe something'll happen," sighed Snip, pressing his nose against the slats. It had been late afternoon when they reached Catty Corners and in the gathering gloom the giant cats, parading up and down, looked like some dreadful sort of goblins. Turning back to Pajuka for comfort, Snip was horrified to see that the goose had drawn up one foot and closed his eyes. "Don't fall asleep, Pajuka," begged the little boy, shaking him frantically. "Don't fall asleep and leave me all alone."