Fantasy fiction; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
With a discouraged sniff Kabumpo began poking in the boxes behind him.
Finding one full of excelsior, he started to stuff the choking material
into his mouth with his trunk. Randy was sure the excelsior would
disagree with him, but when Kabumpo was in such a mood, it was quite
useless to argue with him; so, beckoning for Thun to light the way, he
and Planetty set out on a second tour of investigation.
Randy paused dubiously before a collection of squat bottles and jugs.
He was convinced they contained liquids or vapors powerful enough
to help them, but the directions on the labels were all in some
strange magician's code and Randy hesitated to open even one of the
magic bottles. Experience had taught him that a wizard's wares were
dangerous, and he himself had seen the Red Jinn subdue whole armies
by releasing incense from a blue jug. So, selecting two pocket-size
jars, to use only in case everything else failed, Randy moved on to
the other side of the cellar. Here on top of a chest he discovered a
small red hand-bag. Instead of the usual fastenings, two real hands
formed the clasp, and when Randy opened the bag it quickly jerked out
of his grasp and began springing all over the cellar on its hands,
pouncing gleefully on papers and bottles and stuffing them into its
side pockets. It did look so comical, Planetty burst into a peal of
merriment. Even Randy could not keep back a grin. It was a relief to
see the little Princess more like herself again, for since the loss of
her voral staff she had been unnaturally quiet and sad.
"Wait, I'll catch it for you," offered Randy, dismissing for a moment
all thought of the dreadful danger they were in. "It must be one of
Jinnicky's inventions. Look, Kabumpo, a bag that really packs itself."
"Watch out it doesn't pinch you!" warned Kabumpo morosely. He
had already begun to regret the excelsior and was rumbling with
indigestion. "I was never one to hold with hand luggage, myself."
"Oh, yes you were!" crowed Randy, falling on the bag as if it had been
a football and coming up triumphantly with it clutched to his middle.
"You use your trunk for a hand, Kabumpo, and doesn't that make it hand
luggage? Hey, hey, hurray! Never thought I'd make a joke in this dismal
place!"
"It's a pretty dismal joke, if you ask me." The Elegant Elephant heaved
himself stiffly off the wash-tub. "Keep it away from me!" he warned
crossly, as Randy, paying no attention to the thumps of the hand-bag,
managed to get it shut again. As soon as it was closed the bag
subsided and seemed absolutely unalive. "Here!" puffed Randy, holding
it out to Planetty. "This bag will pack itself, madam, and you can use
it every time you go on a journey."
"Can I? How nite!" Planetty beamed at her young companion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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