"What in the world can it mean?" whispered Twink. Her companions had gathered about her and were reading the metal plate with wonder. "Rex and Regina," ventured the Shaggy Man, "are King and Queen--that's Latin. So evidently the head-folks of this castle are King Ticket and Queen Curtain. Hmmmm--certainly odd names for a King and Queen." "A Phontain--and we're supposed to talk into it!" sniffed Twiffle with disgust. "Whoever heard of such nonsense!" "Well," observed the Shaggy Man, "I've heard of babbling brooks, so why not a talking fountain that will carry our words?" "A phoney fountain, I suppose," said Tom, grinning. Shaggy stooped over the Phontain and spoke clearly and distinctly: "This is the Shaggy Man of Oz speaking. In behalf of my friends, Twink and Tom of the United States of America, Twiffle, late of the Isle of Conjo, and myself, I request an audience with King Ticket and Queen Curtain." Almost immediately a red neon sign lighted up over two large double doors at the opposite end of the foyer. The sign flashed the single word "ENTRANCE." "I guess this is where we go in," remarked the Shaggy Man as he walked to the door and pushed the large metal handle. They were in a small, brightly lighted theater containing about one hundred seats. On the stage, seated on two thrones, were a man and a woman--evidently King Ticket and Queen Curtain. All about the King and Queen on the stage there was a bustle of the most frenzied activity. There sounded the clash and clatter of hammers, the ripping of saws and the whirring of drills and bits. Perhaps fifteen or twenty men were hard at work knocking together and erecting a bewildering array of scenery. Calmly seated about the stage on three-cornered stools, their sewing baskets at their sides, were a number of ladies sewing on costumes. Others were apparently sewing together large pieces of canvas. Still other ladies were engaged in painting artistic pictures on the canvas which was then stretched on wooden frameworks to serve as backdrops for the stage. After Shaggy and his friends had watched this display of industry for several minutes, they advanced down the middle aisle of the theater. The King and Queen had been doing no actual work. They merely issued directions to the others who seemed not to pay them the slightest heed, but continued with their tasks. King Ticket looked up. "Well," he said to the Shaggy Man, "you certainly took your time getting here. It was at least three minutes ago that you announced yourselves on the Phontain." "Do you mean you really heard us through that water fountain?" asked the Shaggy Man. "Water hath a limpid tongue with which to lave the naked ear," said King Ticket in a voice which was meant to be impressive. "Of course we heard you through the Phontain. There are Phontains in all the rooms of the Castle--even in the theater, here--which repeat messages when we speak into them."