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## A DREAMER IN OZ

BY

AARON JENKINS

ILLUSTRATED BY

TARYN SANDERS

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## LIST OF CHAPTERS

I. The Runaway Raft

II. Kukiri the Monkey Boy

III. A Wicked and Greedy Witch

IV. The Masker-Raiders

V. The Master Masker

VI. The Eatabages' Inn

VII. The Witches' Secret

VIII. Polychrome's Great Fall

IX. The Land of Caves

X. Polychrome Picks a Bulb Fruit

XI. Journey Through the Ugly Cave

XII. The Goblin City

XIII. The Great Goblin Fairy

XIV. The Kingdom of Dreams

XV. Bettyby Listens

XVI. Prince Bobo of Boboland

XVII. Oz Intervenes

XVIII. The Craft of Kaleendeen

XIX. The Party Convenes

XX. The Emerald City Sleeps

XXI. The Trick of the Light

XXII. The Marvelous Land of Oz

XXIII. Dreams Come True

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###### I. The Runaway Raft

Samantha Daly, who was but ten, lived in a small cabin in the woods with her mother and father in the bright state of California. Her father was a workman and every day he had to get up before the sun rose, while Samantha was still sleeping in her little bed, and travel to a big factory where he toiled all the day into night and didn't come home until long after the moon and stars had appeared in the sky and Samantha had gone to sleep again.

Though she didn't see him as often as she liked, the girl loved her father quite dearly and knew that he had no choice in the matter, for that was the way the world worked, as her mother imparted to her. Her mother stayed with Sammy, as she was affectionately called by her parents, all day, and when she wasn't tidying the house or preparing meals, would play with her and take her for walks through the backwoods to the dainty brook behind their house.

Occasionally, she would leave Sammy at the brook with her own thoughts and musings if she promised not to stray. The girl would find a good-sized stone and sit herself upon it. There, with her hands in her lap, she would look out to the gentle brook and imagine that she was an adventurer. She would sail across the creek in a large wooden ship, and though the water was but knee-high, the girl had quite a considerable imagination and would use it to make things bigger than they were in actuality. Accompanying her was a crew of forty sailors, all girls her own age, sitting in rows on either side of the ship, twenty on the port and twenty on the starboard, rowing the oars of the massive boat as Sammy gave them their orders to "Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" for they were off, off, off! to the end of the world!

Of course, this was all a fancy, but the girl hardly regarded it as such, and spent much of her waking hours engaging in such adventures; it was to this end that her mother had come to ascribe her a dreamer. As she lived far out in the woods away from any towns or cities, the little girl had no friends to speak of but her parents. But this hardly disheartened little Sammy, as her mind was able to invent more playmates than she could have possibly asked for.

Her parents, though, worried of her having no real-life companions, and so on her tenth birthday took her to the local park so that she could associate with animate children rather than those she had fashioned in her mind.

Sammy, though, having heretofore spent most of her days in the company of only herself or her mother, found that she was not as good a socializer as most of the children her own age, and that she had very little in common with her peers. Why, they spoke of television and movies and video games, all novelties her parents could not afford for Sammy, nor had she any desire to obtain. So she spent most of the day sitting on a park bench not far off from the children who were amusing themselves over discussions of their favorite television programs, braving imaginary storms in an imaginary ship with an imaginary crew who wanted nothing to do with television and video games, for they were off to conquer an evil troll who had enslaved Sammy's very own mother and father!

That is where Sammy's parents found her when they returned in the mid-afternoon, fantasizing of adventures in faraway lands, removed from the other children in the park. They were fairly concerned that their daughter had decided that she preferred to invent friends more than she did make them. But the girl assured them that she was having quite a lovely birthday imagining adventures in the comfortable atmosphere of the green park and, as her parents had another activity planned for the day, they were not allowed to fret over it for long.

Instead, they led Sammy away from the playground and to a pier which stood over a long and winding gentle river. There, tethered to one of the pier's supporting piles was a little yellow rubber raft, bobbing up and down in the water, as if nodding pleasantly at Sammy, and this thought made the girl smile. Standing on the pier was a tall man in white shorts and a puffy orange life preserver strapped around his chest.

"Oh, and what's all this?" inquired Sammy as they stepped onto the pier.

"Why, this is your birthday present, Sammy," her father answered affectionately.

"Is it?" the girl wondered, for she had thought that the trip to the park alone was her gift, and was more than pleased by it.

"Indeed so," her mother confirmed. "It's a river rafting trip, dear. You're going to sail across this river in that raft there in the water."

The little girl's eyes sparkled when she heard this, for it reminded her of her own imaginings in which she sailed across the ocean. Doubtlessly, it was hearing the girl speak of such daydreams that gave her parents the inspiration for such a gift.

"Oh, how delightful!" exclaimed the girl, clapping her hands together.

To see their daughter so elated made her parents smile gaily, for they wanted nothing more than to please Sammy on her birthday and had been planning the event for several months.

At that time the man approached Sammy and, kneeling down next to her, proceeded to strap a small life preserver such as the one he was wearing to her back and across her chest. As he did so, her father explained: "The instructor here is going to take you across the river. It's not so boisterous as others, so you shall be quite safe so long as you mind him."

"Aren't you coming with me?" asked the girl.

"I'm afraid not," replied her mother. "You see, Sammy, we could only afford a trip for one, but the instructor will watch over you and keep you safe as he is quite experienced with these things, and we'll be waiting for you when your trip ends so that you can tell us all about your adventure."

The girl was a bit disheartened by this news. "It's a shame you can't come along. I shan't know what to do should something go wrong."

"Don't you worry over that," said her father, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. "Everything will be all right. Just stay brave and true and you shall be fine." Then he handed her a little backpack filled with a jacket and some eatables and juice boxes should she get hungry or thirsty during the adventure, for, her father explained, the trip was to last for nearly an entire hour.

The instructor then explained all of the important procedures the girl would need to know, adding that he would be doing most of the paddling, as he was more knowledgeable in the ways of handling oars. After the lesson was completed they were ready to set off, and Sammy gave her mother and father each a big hug and kiss, and with the help of the instructor climbed down into the little rubber raft. The stream that the raft drifted upon was not so violent, but every few seconds the river's swells bounced the raft back and forth as if the rubber boat were a tennis ball and the waves tennis rackets. The girl held stiffly to the ropes laced into the sides of the raft and waited patiently for the guide to climb aboard.

A moment later, the instructor did just that. He had with him two paddles and he handed one to Sammy, explaining that if she wished to, she could paddle as well, but it was not necessary as the river's currents were not so strong and that he would be able to do all of the paddling for the both of them. Then, after making final inspections of the raft to make certain it was safe for travel, the instructor unfastened the raft from the pier and told Sammy to wave goodbye to her parents. This she did and in an instant they were off, coasting pleasantly down the gentle river, bobbing up and down every now and then, and pretty soon the pier and her parents had disappeared altogether.

The instructor would, from time to time, use the his paddle to redirect the raft if it began to get a bit too close to the edge of the river, and as the stream was just as gentle as her father had said, he had little trouble in doing so. As the trip went on, the girl began to feel more comfortable; indeed, she began to quite enjoy it, and it was not long before her imagination had convinced her that this trip was yet another perilous quest that she must venture to bring peace to all the world.

Now, if you don't know, the state of California is known to have a rumbling from deep down inside the earth every so often that causes much damage to the land above it. This mischievous destruction, known as an earthquake, cannot be stopped or halted in any way, and so it is best to find safety in whatever way possible until such tremorings have ceased.

It just so happened that at the time that little Sammy was riding through the rapids on her little yellow raft an earthquake began to rumble about. As you can imagine, being on a rubber raft is not so safe a place to be during such an occurrence, and Sammy, having never been on a raft before, was not sure what to do. The instructor, who had been on a raft many times, but never when an earthquake was awakened, was so frightened by the sudden shifting of earth that he stood up to try to stop the raft from moving any farther by use of one of the ores. But this only succeeded in the poor man being thrown headlong from the raft and into the water, where he managed to grasp to a rock protruding from the water's surface and hold fast to it as the rubber boat sped away down the river.

This earthquake was a particularly nasty one, for it was so violent and it shook the ground below so vigorously that it cracked up the earth's surface. This caused a chasm in the ground beneath the river to break open so that all the water from the stream began to escape through it, pulling Sammy and the raft down into the abyss.

Sammy still clung to the side of the raft, for she wasn't such a good swimmer and did not want to be thrown from it. She dare not try to stop the thing as the water led it through the passage that the earthquake had broken open, for she had seen what had happened to the guide.

It was at this time that she began to think of her poor mother and father. She wanted them to be safe and she didn't care much what happened to her as long as no harm came to them, for the girl knew she would be quite miserable without her parents.

As she thought about this and many other thoughts, the water poured through the hollow and pulled the raft down with it, the little rubber boat riding the cascade like a great waterfall. It was a long fall down this cavern, but soon the raft alighted in the water below with a gentle plop. The waves were even angrier here and so the river pulled the raft along with such force that Sammy could not stop it in the least even if she made an attempt. Instead, she held tightly to the ropes, as the instructor had told her to do, and waited anxiously for the adventure to end.

Presently it grew darker and darker until the poor little girl could hardly see anything at all. The earth was still rumbling all around her so that now and then a few pieces of granite would come loose and fall from the ceiling and sink into the water around her. Soon, however, the earth stopped shaking and not long after that the waves calmed and the stream took her along peacefully.

The girl had not been thinking of a way to stop the raft and knew that it would be nearly impossible to come back the way she had come. So, as the waves took the little yellow raft along, the girl found herself being rocked to sleep by these now gentle waves. She lay down and pulled herself in close to the right side of the raft, wrapping her arm around the rope so she would not fall out. Then she closed her eyes and, using the pack her father had given her as a pillow, drifted into dreamland.

###### II. Kukiri the Monkey Boy

The girl wasn't awakened for some hours, and as the ordeal of the temblor had worn her to a frazzle, she was compelled to sleep for quite an extended length of time. It wasn't until the raft had come to a halt that Sammy sat up and rubbed the dreaminess from her eyes. When she did rise and stretch, she saw before her a ground of crumbled rock. After examining the cavern she was now in and finding no alternative passage to take (as there was but miles of water behind her), the girl cautiously climbed out of the raft and stumbled onto the rocks.

There was ground below these crumbled pieces of gravel and this is where the water from the river had stopped flowing. The rocks must have fallen from the roof of the little cave and so the ground was quite uneven to walk upon. The girl stumbled forward and, looking about the cave, saw very little of anything and began to fear that she would have no means of escape. But she remained stout of heart, as her father had told her, and decided, as the unexpected journey beneath the earth's surface had made her both chilly and hungry, to take from the pack her father had given her the pink jacket he had packed and a bag of chips. She took to a corner of the somber cave and, wrapping the jacket about her shoulders, sat down upon the wet and hard rocks and had her snack.

When she was finished and had a more spirited humor about her for having a full stomach, Sammy decided to wander about the cave, for she knew it would do little good to sit in one place. The girl went to her feet and slowly began to examine the walls of the cavern, brushing her hands against the rock surface. As it was quite dark, Sammy could not much make out what she was feeling, but after a length of groping about clumsily, Sammy discovered a hole that was just wide enough for her to fit through in the farthest wall. However, it was so dark that she could hardly see what lay below and so she was hesitant to venture through the hollow, for it was a straight inclination down.

Being quite a clever child, Sammy concluded that it was possible that either water or rock lay below ground, and how far below it lay was a mystery. She knew just how to uncover such a riddle, though, and bending down she lifted up a sizeable rock from the ground and flung it into the gorge. After a moment, she heard a soft plop! and new instantly that water lay below. She was saddened by this revelation, for she knew that to travel down the hole would result in far more trouble than she was already in, and it seemed that she would forever be trapped in her cavern.

It was such a sad thought that Sammy was certain tears would flood her eyes. But she held them back, and instead decided to return to the shore of the cave and pull the raft onto land so that it did not float away. Then she settled into the raft and began to muse over all her misfortunes and this time she could not hold back her tears, for it was such a sad state of affairs which fate had presented to her.

After a long while of shedding tears, the girl wiped off her cheeks and decided that the best thing to do was take action. She could not return the way she had come, for the current was moving in the opposite direction and the hole she had fallen through was much too high and much too far off in the distance for her to reach. And, as there was no other means of escape from the cave, the girl concluded that she must abandon the cavern and explore the new opening she had discovered, water below or not.

Slowly dragging the raft behind her, she approached the hole and peered down inside. She could not see at all what lay below, it was so dismal, and she feared the tunnel was farther down than she hoped. She first dropped the raft into the water below, and she heard it land softly in the water, for she was certain she would need it once she came to the end of the channel. She then ran her fingers along the bottom edges of the hole and, finding it jagged enough to get a firm grip-hold, the girl began the climb down. The hole wasn't as far down as she had thought it might be and it was just a few struggling minutes before she reached the bottom.

She could just make out her raft, swaying gently in the pool, and she found it quite easy to drop into the water and swim, with the preserver keeping her afloat, to the rubber craft and climb aboard. Then, using the paddle the instructor had given her, she pushed the raft across the still water, all the time the ground inclining farther and farther upward.

It was some long struggling minutes before the water ended and firm ground lifted up once more. Here she climbed out of the raft and examined the area about. The ceiling was but a foot above her head and the cave here was well-lighted, for there were many cracks in the ceiling above now. This the girl was happy to see, for this had to mean that she was close to the earth above. But there were no more holes to travel through in this cave, and so her only way out was up. She made an attempt, and began to poke at the ceiling above with her paddle. But she found the roof to be quite hard and too sturdy for a small girl such as herself to break apart. Again, she took to her raft and, crossing her legs, she sat down inside it and began to think.

Though there was much more light and much more fresh air in this part of the cave, and though she felt so much closer to the earth's surface, the girl still felt sad, for her home still seemed so very far away and it seemed nearly impossible for her to invent a scheme to reach the surface, despite her colorful imagination.

She sat there in her raft for some time, musing and wondering and distressing, and never ceased until she heard an odd noise coming from just above. It was much like the sound of scraping and clawing, and the girl at once began to fear that a beast was trying to break through the ceiling. But, as she had nowhere to escape to, the girl stayed where she was and after a few moments a little hole began to form in the roof of the cave and slowly, slowly it began to widen until it was large enough for a small person to fit through. Then a head popped out of the hole. Indeed, not any head, but a furry head, with a body attached no less, and this body, not noticing Sammy at first, dropped itself cautiously onto the cave's floor.

This person looked like a child, a boy, except that he was covered all in brown fur and his face resembled a monkey in some ways and a human in others. He wore a white button-up shirt and purple trousers with a little sailor's cap atop his head, and a long curving tail poked through the seat of

his pants, which waved back and forth as if it had a mind of its own. Sammy stared with wonder at the boy for a long time, for she had never seen a creature so queer before. The boy, at that time, began to examine the cave himself, and this was the first time that he laid his eyes upon Sammy.

"Oh!" cried the monkey boy, startled, for he had thought (reasonably) that he would be alone in the desolate cave. "Who are you?"

Sammy hesitated to answer, for she felt it was a dream that she had yet to awaken from. But after a moment she stood and politely curtsied, as her mother had taught her to do when introducing herself, and said: "My name is Samantha Daly, but I am known as Sammy."

"Oh," said the boy. He took the little cap from atop his head and chewed on the brim nervously. "Do you live here?"

"Oh no," answered the girl. "I live up above the earth's surface, but was trapped here during an earthquake."

"How long have you been here then?" asked the boy after a moment of thought.

"Oh, just a short time now," answered Sammy honestly. "The current brought me here and I've been pondering a way to return to the land above for some time now, as I am really not very fond of damp and dark places." And all this was quite true.

"I see," replied the boy. "Then I suppose it is no more your home than it is mine."

"Not at all," the girl shook her head, though she didn't understand why anyone would want to make the ugly cave into a home.

"If you wish, Sammy," the boy continued, "you may use the tunnel I used as an entrance for an exit. It shall take you sraight up to the earth above. And if you don't mind, I shall like to claim this cave as my new home."

Sammy was quite pleased to hear this. "Oh, it is quite all right!" she exclaimed. "But tell me," she said shortly, "why would you want to live in such a horrid place? The earth is much more comfortable, for it has the air and the sun and the trees and the sky, and this place is quite lonely. I wouldn't want to spend any more time down here than I would have to, after all."

The boy's eyes shifted back and forth, as if he were searching for something or someone, then he answered quietly: "I'm running away."

"But why?" inquired Sammy with much interest, and though she was shy, she found the boy so queer that she felt as if she was daydreaming, and it gave her the confidence to be forthcoming.

"I must," said the boy, "or that old witch would have destroyed me."

"Witch?" asked the girl. "I had no idea such things were real."

"They are quite real," returned the boy. "It was the witch Kaleendeen who transformed me into the furry creature you see before you."

"You look much like a monkey," said the girl, examining the boy from head to tail.

"Indeed I am," said he. "A monkey boy, or so the witch proclaimed. She said I was as foolish and mischievous as a monkey and so she transformed me so that my appearance would resemble my personality. She had a good cackle of it, too, the rotten creature.

"She had meant to imprison me as she had my father, who is the king of our land, but while she was snickering over her wicked deed, I escaped, and it was then, as I was fleeing my land, that I heard her shout after me that should I ever return she would use her magical arts to put an end to my life. So, knowing that to return would be my end, I began to dig a whole in the beach, for I had heard stories of unexplored caves hidden below the sand, and as my hands were now paws and had claws attached, I found it quite easy to dig, and so stole into this cave to escape that nasty witch."

Sammy found the story to be quite unusual, for it sounded more like something she would imagine. "Did she really imprison your entire land?"

"Yes, indeed," the monkey boy confirmed. "She imprisoned my father in our jail house and commanded my people not to abandon our town, for she meant to rule over them as their new queen, and promised that if any of them attempted to escape that she would have them all turned to slugs. She wanted to conquer my father's land, for its caves are rich in jewels and precious stones and it was these that she was to present to the Great Goblin Fairy, who recently came to earth from the sky and claims herself ruler of all witches. She has promised to make Kaleendeen a full witch should she bring her back an assortment of beautiful and valuable rocks and prove herself to be a mighty creature.

"My father sent out our army to overcome her, but as my people know little of magic, the witch conquered them easily. I tried to put an end to her wicked deeds by shattering her crystal in which she stores all of the magic she has accumulated in her life, but she discovered this and transformed me into a monkey boy for my defiance. Now my father and his kingdom are lost forever!"

Upon finishing his grave story the boy monkey began to sputter and weep. The little girl draped her arm over the boy's furry shoulders and, in a soothing tone, said: "There, there now. I'm sorry for your people, for to be trapped by a wicked witch is quite a terrible thing, I can imagine. Which land is it you said you come from?"

"Waxille," the boy answered with a gulp. "It was quite a lovely kingdom, too, until that dreadful witch came along and vanquished it."

"I've never heard of such a land as Waxille," said Sammy curiously. "Tell me, in which country does the land reside?"

"Boboland," answered the boy.

"I have never heard of such a country," Sammy mused. "I must have floated a good distance away from California, for I don't believe that I've ever noticed any place such as 'Boboland' on any map I've ever read. Tell me, is this country near the United States of America?"

The boy monkey considered this for a moment. "I'm not certain. I have never heard of such a country."

"I thought everyone had heard of America," Sammy said with wonder. "It's quite an important country, after all."

"It mustn't be as important as you suppose, then. Perhaps your people hold themselves in higher esteem than they are deserved."

"I'm not certain," answered Sammy. "We are quite proud. Still, I'm sure we are more well-known than any Boboland."

The boy monkey huffed defensively. "I should say, you're one to talk ill of nations you know nothing of. Are all your people like this?"

"Oh, I meant nothing by it ..." here she paused. "How rude of me! I beg your pardon, but I never inquired your name."

"It is Kukiri," supplied the boy.

"Well, Kukiri, I suppose it is quite rude of me to speak ill of things I know little about. Did you say that this Waxille land is just above our heads?"

"It is," confirmed Kukiri. "But it is now quite a dreadful place, for the ugly witch Kaleendeen has claimed it as her own kingdom and has thieved it of all its lovely jewels and gems, which are the hallmark of my land. It may be best if you stay down here with me, Sammy, for it is much safer down here than it is up there."

"Oh, but I can't stay here," Sammy objected. "Why, I'd miss my home too much. And I'd surely starve to death, for I haven't enough snacks to last me for all my life."

"Why, you needn't worry of death," Kukiri replied. "Nobody dies in Boboland at all, you know. Do you die in your own land?"

"I haven't yet," said Sammy, "but it's quite an inevitability. Tell me, how is it possible that you can live forever in your land of Waxille?"

"It is quite a common thing," answered Kukiri with a waggish grin. "If people die in your country, then it must be quite plain and ordinary. Boboland, you see, is a fairy country. Hasn't your land ever been enchanted?"

"No, never," admitted Sammy. "I didn't know such things as fairies and witches were real until I came here."

Kukiri released a short chortle. "I don't see why you hold your country in such high regard, then. It must be as plain and simple as this awful cave. If it is not a fairy country, it must not amount to much, and must endure much hostility and malevolence, for there is no magic to make your land as lovely as my own."

"I don't see how this land is so lovely," Sammy said with indignation, pressing her hands on her hips. "What with all the witches and goblins conquering your land, I'd much prefer America to any magical kingdom where evil creatures such as witches reside."

"All lands are inhabited by some form of evil," said Kukiri solemnly, "for the world is quite balanced, or so my father tells me, and for all good things there are always some bad. It just so happens that in fairylands most people are content, for we can live as we choose without oppression. But it is those wicked creatures who ruin it for all and which have forced me to live in an ugly cavern for all time!"

"It's a shame," said Sammy. "I do wish I could help, but I'm afraid that I am too delicate to do battle with a dreadful witch."

"I should think so!" replied Kukiri. "You are but a mortal girl, and a witch would make quick work of you, especially one as nasty as old Kaleendeen. That is why you should remain here with me, Sammy, for here you will be safe and that witch shall never find us."

"But I must get home," Sammy answered sorrowfully. "My parents will worry over me if I should never return and I shall be quite unhappy if I never see them again. I just must get back to California. Do you think, Kukiri, that if I left this cave, that the evil witch would transform me into a monkey as well?"

"Perhaps not a monkey," decided the boy. "She may transform you into any number of things of her desire, and then confine you in our prison with my father. It would be for the best if you remain here and live with me. The cave shan't be such a bad place if we fix it up some."

"I just can't stay here, Kukiri," returned the girl positively. "Living in an ugly and lonely cave forever isn't much of a life, anyhow, and I'd prefer to be imprisoned than to be coerced by some vile witch to live in a dark and ugly cave for all time against my will."

With that, she returned to her raft and, discarding the life jacket she wore, proceeded to let the air out of it. She then folded it up into her pack and, as her jacket was now removed and on her back, there was just enough room for the craft all folded up, and she wedged it inside, rearranging her eatables and drinkables, and then zipped the pack up once more and returned it to her shoulder.

"Wish me luck, Kukiri," here she blew a kiss at him and then approached the hole that the boy monkey had just dug.

As she gaped up at the hole, wondering what would be the best way to get herself in it and through the tunnel, the boy monkey suddenly sprinted at her, on both his arms and legs, and leaped before her. The girl was startled at first and released a sharp cry of surprise, for she hadn't seen the boy monkey advance upon her, he was so quick and light-footed in his enchanted form.

"Are you really going to up to Waxille?" he inquired tentatively.

"I must," the girl confirmed earnestly.

"Then I shall go with you," said the boy monkey valiantly. "I am a perfect coward for abandoning my people and my father the way I did, and this dreary cave shall be no substitution for my beautiful fairyland of Waxille. If we are to be imprisoned, then so be it, but I shall not have it of my own design."

"Good!" Sammy clapped her hands cheerily, for she really didn't want to travel to the strange land alone. "I'd be happy to help your people, if perhaps you can assist me in returning to my home in California."

"I have never heard of the place, but I will be sure to assist you in any way that I can, for I shall be much obliged for your service should we manage to relieve my people without the witch enchanting us," said Kukiri with a bow.

"Very well," agreed Sammy. "Shall you go first?"

Without a reply, the boy monkey sprang up with a great leap, for his enchanted body was quite agile, and disappeared into the hole. Then, he lowered his tail from the hole and said: "Grab onto my tail. Don't worry, it will not hurt much."

The girl obeyed, taking the boy's tail as if it were a rope and holding tight. Then Kukiri scurried up the tunnel he had dug, the girl hanging onto his tail just behind, and climbed up to the earth's surface.

###### III. A Wicked and Greedy Witch

It didn't take long for the nimble monkey boy to carry Sammy up through the tunnel and above ground. Here the pair found themselves on an expansive beach, its shores quite fresh and beautiful looking. All around there was the smell of fresh sea air and for the first time in some time Sammy felt like she was at home. Kukiri set himself upon the beach to rest, for the climb had tired him a good deal, having to carry the extra weight of the little girl behind him.

After he had caught his breath, Kukiri stood and surveyed the land around. "I don't see that old witch anywhere."

"We should be thankful for that," said Sammy. It gave the little girl chills just to think of encountering an honest-to-goodness witch.

"Perhaps she returned to the Goblin Fairy's Kingdom," Kukiri said hopefully. "If so, we should hurry, for she is sure to return. We must try to free my father from the town's prison forthwith."

There was no argument from Sammy, and so the two went forward, the boy monkey leading the way across the sandy beach.

It wasn't long before the beach gave way to a cobblestone floor and the adventurers found themselves in the land of Waxille. It was a queer place, for there was not an inch of grass or vegetation about. There were only long stretching trees, reaching into the sky with long spreading branches and large hanging leaves. All the houses were made of stone, some brown, some gray, some black. The more expensive homes had lovely jewels ornamented upon the doorways and windowsills as decoration to help to enliven the drab colors of the bedrock village. The roads were paved with flat smooth rock and there were lampposts dotting these roads, each one topped with a large jewel of various colors that only need be lighted to cast its lovely glow. Sammy thought that it must be quite a spectacle to see at night, with all the assorted radiance reflecting upon the town, and she supposed that the place was much prettier then than it was in the day.

"Let's hurry," suggested Kukiri, who then bounded off toward the center of the town. "Follow me!" he called behind him.

This Sammy did, and she dashed after him. She had nearly lost him, he was so swift and the land was so strange to her, but she caught sight of him as he was turning a corner onto a new street and was able to reach him where he had stopped just before the grand rock palace that stood directly in the center of the city. The boy monkey gazed up at it longingly, for it had been his home up until that very day when the witch had invaded his land and enslaved his father.

"My father's castle," said Kukiri presently, motioning toward the building. "I suppose that old witch Kaleendeen intends to make it her own home now. To think that she should become our own ruler!" The boy shuddered at the thought. "We just must stop her, Sammy. Look how she's stripped every palace wall of its beautiful jewels! It looks as if it is nothing more than an ugly mountain."

Indeed it was true. The castle was as plain as any rock building, the jewels and gems that had once been adorning the exterior walls now removed, in their place only niches carved into the stone surface made especially for their placement. It was quite drab all around, and tears swelled in Kukiri's eyes upon the sight, for to see his once grandiose home defaced in such a manner was something he had never fancied.

Sammy attempted to console her new friend and reminded him that they must hurry if they wanted to save his father. That thought instantly made Kukiri compose himself, and without so much as a sniffle, he bounded off again, and Sammy again resumed her chase of the boy monkey.

It just so happened, though, that Kaleendeen, the awful witch who had conquered Kukiri's land, hadn't yet left to present the jewels she had collected from Waxille to the Great Goblin Fairy. Presently, she was sitting in the former Waxille king's throne, drumming her long, oily fingers upon the arm of the royal chair, pondering to herself of what she should do next. For the Great Goblin Fairy had also told her that jewels and gems would not be enough to persuade the ruler of all witches to make her a full witch, and it was this above all other things that Kaleendeen greatly desired.

No, the powerful and wicked Fairy also demanded that Kaleendeen prove herself worthy of such an honor, and the old witch felt that to simply conquer a little rock land in the country of Boboland would not be enough to secure such a privilege. It was at that time, while she sat upon her new throne, reflecting upon this demand, that three gray doves came flapping into the closest window in the tower and sat themselves upon the arm of her throne.

"What is it?" barked the witch. She had convinced the doves to serve her and keep watch over the country for anything that seemed suspicious, and they were obliged to obey, for they knew that the old witch was powerful enough to put an end to them should they refuse her.

"Two persons," announced the middle dove, cocking its head up to view the witch. "They have traveled from the beach and have just passed the castle."

"They dare disobey me?" roared the witch, rising to her feet and shaking her fists in the air. "The beach! Who lives on the beach?"

"I'm not certain," said the left dove. "But they are both children, one a girl, and the other looks much like a furry monkey."

The witch smiled wickedly upon that announcement. "Oh, the monkey boy!" she cackled to herself. "Has he returned? It shan't take much to do away with him and the lass who's accompanying him, I should imagine. Bring them to me!"

The doves did not obey instantly, and it was the right dove that explained: "The boy monkey looks quite vicious. I don't believe that we could bring him down at all, your Royal Witchedness."

Kaleendeen rolled her eyes at this statement, but did not deny the truthfulness of it. "Very well," said she, waving a hand at the birds. "Be off with you. Continue your survey of my country. I shall see to the boy monkey and the girl myself."

The doves bowed obediently and fluttered out the window. The witch, taking up her own crystal which held all of her evil powers, and a bag of magic powder, which she used for transformations, then cast a spell to transport herself to the location of our adventurers and she disappeared in half an instant.

Kukiri, at that time, had just turned onto the rocky street in which the town's jail was located, and Sammy was skipping just behind when suddenly they were surrounded by a wisp of smoke, twirling about their forms, until it all collected into one mass and suddenly became the wicked witch Kaleendeen.

Kukiri released a frightful gasp upon sight of the creature, and nearly tore away for the beach. He would have done so, had he not remembered that Sammy would be left behind, and being a mere mortal, would be doomed, for the witch would easily destroy a meek little girl without any hesitation whatever. So he stayed, knees trembling as they were, and tried to be brave for the sake of his new friend.

The witch grinned wretchedly at the two, stroking her precious magic jewel in her hands over and over again. Her skin was of an orange complexion, not pretty in any way, and nearly the color of dried mud. She had a long, turned-up nose that pointed at the sky and a long, pointing chin. She had atop her head the King of Waxille's crown, and though it was quite a lovely quartzite crown, the very fact that the witch wore it made it ugly.

"You," she pointed her bony finger at the boy monkey. "I thought you were told to never return. You disobey me?"

Kukiri could not find the words to speak, and the boy monkey seemed to slump and shrink away, hoping that the witch would forget that he stood before her.

"For that," cackled the witch, "I shall make you into an ugly spider and squash you under my heel! That should be a fine retribution for your defiance."

The witch reached into her pouch of magic powder to grab a handful, and as she did so, Sammy stepped forward and cried: "Now, you can't do that!"

"Oh, and who are you to stop me?" demanded the witch.

"I'm Samantha Daly," announced the girl. "People I'm friendly with may call me Sammy, but I believe you should call me Miss Daly, seeing as how I'm not too fond of you myself."

"Why, you've got a mouth!" chided the witch. "You would be wise to be amiable to those more wicked and more powerful than yourself. Insolent whelps are liable to receive a just punishment, and a just punishment from a witch is quite a wicked punishment indeed!"

"As for that," said Sammy, "you are quite a wicked creature and you have captured my friend's land unjustly and, thus, must return it to him at once and set all of his people free again."

The witch suddenly crowed with laughter when she heard these words, and the little girl and her companion had to cover their ears, for when the witch raised her voice so high it pierced their eardrums like a shrill whistle.

"You're quite a surly young imp," said the witch in a hissing voice. "Perhaps I shall transform you into a goat as I believe it fits you quite well."

"But I don't want to be a goat," Sammy stomped her foot with annoyance.

"Then it is a fine punishment," decided the witch, removing a clump of dust from her pack. "For if it was something you would like to be, it wouldn't be much of a punishment at all. Now hold still so I may enchant you."

"You cannot," cried Kukiri, stepping before Sammy as if to shield her from the witch. "She is but a mortal girl and you have no right to transform her."

"I have every right!" returned Kaleendeen coldly. "I am the ruler of this land and it is my rule which must be obeyed. Away with you, you scampish rascal."

Kukiri stood boldly, but with a flick of the witch's thin wrist the boy was hurled to the ground. Without further delay, the witch held out the palm of her hand in which she had gathered a small pile of the magic powder of transformation and blew at it. The dusty magic swam into the air and began to surround the girl all around. But it just so happened by coincidence that a strong gust picked up then and, as the witch was looking through a little book of magic which she had stolen from an elderly wizard hundreds of years ago, the powder was blown away from Sammy's person and dusted the witch instead. So preoccupied was she with flipping through the pages of her magic book, searching for the appropriate incantation, that the old witch did not notice this occurrence.

Finally she found the correct spell and, placing her finger under the text, read it aloud:

"A bird which flies, a fish which floats!

Transform this lass into a living goat!"

But, low and behold, just as Sammy was certain she was to become an ugly goat, she found that her features did not alter at all. Instead, it was the evil witch who found herself suddenly transformed. Thick and ugly brown fur grew out of her skin and her nose turned round and black, and two long winding horns grew out from the top of her head.

"Baah!" cried the witch in a shrill reverberating voice. "What treachery is this? How is it that I am a goat and you are not?"

Sammy stared blankly back at the funny looking creature, she herself not knowing quite what had happened.

"Surely you are no simple mortal as I had first assumed!" groaned Kaleendeen frantically. "Why, you must be a witch yourself, or some sort of magic-maker at the least! No mortal could have prevented such an incantation and then inflict the enchantment upon my person in turn!"

The witch's sheepish face grew menacing, but there was some fear in her eyes, for she had no idea what creature stood before her presently, and the unknown is quite a frightful thing. But she remained as wicked as before and calmly growled at the girl: "I'll return, you can be sure, and be done with you after I am made a full witch! Then we will see what sort of fay you are!"

With that, the witch raised her arms into the air and mumbled a little rhyme, and was suddenly gone in a puff of smoke.

Sammy was so taken aback by the entire situation that she could not move for a long while. But then she remembered her new friend and hurried to help him to his feet, for he had taken quite a tumble when the witch had slung him aside. The boy monkey arose clumsily with the girl's assistance and, shaking his head, asked: "Is it true, Sammy? Are you a true fairy?"

"No," said Sammy instantly. "Not that I know of, anyhow."

Kukiri was saddened to hear this. "But," he piped, "how did you prevent old Kaleendeen's enchantment? I am but a boy who lives in a fairyland, but I am no mortal either, and I could not have prevented such an enchantment in the least. You must have magic of some sort in you."

"I don't believe so, Kukiri," returned the girl honestly. "I think," she mused, "that the wind just happened to come by and blow the powder away from me. If the witch had been paying any attention she may have realized that herself."

"Then I'm surely glad she wasn't," replied Kukiri. "It is fortunate for you. You would not like being enchanted. It is not a pleasant experience, much the way one may feel when wearing someone else's clothes, but greatly magnified."

"I can imagine," nodded Sammy sympathetically. "I wish I were a fairy, Kukiri, then I could disenchant you and put an end to that wicked old witch."

"That would surely resolve our dilemma. But any assistance you can give is more than I should hope for. But let's hasten, while the witch is gone. We must free my father. Perhaps he will have some thoughts on how we can stop that dreadful witch. This way!"

Kukiri bounded forward again and Sammy followed him just behind and it wasn't long until they came upon the little rock prison. It had one door and one sole window with bars carved out of granite in it, and when Sammy peered through the slats she saw a little round man, sitting on a hard rock cot, clothed in a beautiful brown robe laced with a golden fringe, looking awfully glum.

"Is that your father?" she asked Kukiri.

The boy monkey glanced into the window and nodded. "Indeed it is. That is my father, King Menias. Oh, he looks so undignified without his crown!"

The boy monkey bounded to the prison's door, but found that no matter how hard he pushed against it that it would not come open.

"It is locked," Kukiri reported, then darted to the window and, sticking his nose between the bars, called inside: "Father! Father! Can you see me? Are you all right?"

"Who said that?" inquired the former king, looking up to the window. "You sound like my son, Kukiri, but all I see is a vulgar monkey. Have you eaten my son, you savage beast?"

"No, father! I am your son!" exclaimed Kukiri. "That evil witch transformed me into this ugly creature you see before you!"

"I am sorry for you, my son," said the king solemnly. "That old witch has caused us nothing but trouble. I wish there was something to be done about it, but none of our people have the ability to rival her conjuries. It is a shame, but I fear that our land is lost! You'd best run off and find some new country to take you in. I am sorry that you must live as a monkey, but that is better than to live under the rule of wretched witch and live as a monkey, I suppose."

"I shan't go without you father," said the boy monkey instantly.

"It is no use," returned King Menias. "The witch has enchanted the lock, as she has on all the houses in our kingdom. We may only leave our homes when the witch chooses us to, and I suppose that will only be to act as her servants. To think, from royalty to peon! What a dreadful turnabout!"

"But isn't there anything that's to be done, father?" begged Kukiri. "I mustn't abandon my country, you know, lest someone call me unpatriotic."

"I'm afraid not, son," returned his father. "You see, the only way to free us would be to conquer the witch herself and have her destroyed. That would put an end to all of her wicked enchantments. But it would require magical abilities to do so, of which none in our land has; otherwise, we would never have been occupied like this."

"The witch believes that I have magical powers," said Sammy, standing on her tip-toes to see into the window; "though in reality I am just a mortal girl."

"A mortal girl? Why, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear," said the king genuinely, and here he stood and bowed politely. "We don't get mortals in our domain often, and if I weren't confined as I am now I would treat you to a grand luncheon, for it is said that all mortals who come from the outside world are great luck and bring prosperity to the land in which they arrive."

"As for that, all I'd really want is to return home, but I thank you for your graciousness, anyhow," said Sammy politely.

"Any time," answered the king. "You know," said he thoughtfully, "if you are a mortal then perhaps you can help us, after all. The first mortal that ever came to our region slew two wicked witches and brought much rejoicing to the land of Oz, which is north-east of our country of Boboland. For many years those horrid creatures brought misery to the land, and not even the great Wizard of Oz could put an end to their mischief, nor Glinda the Good or the Good Witch of the North. But it was a mortal who saved the Land of Oz and perhaps you can do the same for our land of Waxille!"

"I don't see how," sighed Sammy. "I've no magic of my own, and I'd be a goat presently hadn't a gust of wind perchance arisen when that evil witch tried to enchant me. I certainly couldn't destroy anything, especially not such a powerful witch!"

"Perhaps I was being too brash," apologized King Menias. "But you may be able to help us anyhow. You see, I've heard it told that there is but one way to destroy a wicked witch, but it is a closely guarded secret that few know. But, so it is rumored, the windmill watcher in Cadancal, which is in South Boboland, knows this secret, for he once served for an evil witch before she was expelled from his country."

"Then we must go to Cadancal," determined Kukiri, "and have the windmill watcher tell us the witches' secret so that we may dispose of Kaleendeen properly and rescue my people! Perhaps if we hurry, we can discover the secret and put an end to the witch before she arrives at the Great Goblin Fairy's kingdom. One shouldn't venture into that wicked creature's domains unless they must."

"The Great Goblin Fairy?" cried the king and he leaped into the air with a start. "Does that mean that she wishes to become a full witch?"

"It does," said Kukiri positively. "She said so herself."

"What a horrible thing that would be!" exclaimed the king. "If she were to become a full witch, there would be no natural way to put an end to her. Once she is made a full witch, the only way to destroy such a creature would be with magic, or so I've heard told. Then we would be doomed for all time, for we possess no magic to speak of."

"Then we must hasten," said Kukiri decidedly. "We must discover the secret and dispose of the witch before she visits the Great Goblin Fairy, or my land will be lost forever. Sammy, will you come with me? I'd hate to journey alone."

"Of course," returned the girl. "There's not much to do in this land anyway, what with the witch having imprisoned everyone, and I'd simply lose myself if I journeyed alone in this strange country."

"Good!" exclaimed the boy monkey. "I will protect you every step of the way, for in my enchanted form I can be quite ferocious when I want, and have sharp claws and teeth. I shan't let you be harmed at all. And as soon as the witch is destroyed and our land is liberated, I and my people shall do everything in our power to help you return to your country, for we will be indebted to you for all time."

"Indeed," confirmed the king. "Any help at all we may lend, we shall!"

"Thank you," said Sammy. "Shall we go?"

"At once," nodded the boy monkey. "Follow me, Sammy, and we'll be in Cadancal in no time!"

This the girl did, and the king watched from his window as the queer couple dashed away down a cobblestone road, toward what adventures he wasn't certain.

###### IV. The Masker-Raiders

Late afternoon fell to early evening as the pair progressed through the country of Boboland, having some while ago left Waxille behind. The ground was much more uneven in the wilderness outside Waxille and there were no paved roads at all. Because there had been many other occasions of wretched beings attempting to thieve the land's precious jewels, the boy monkey told Sammy, it had been ordained that no one unless invited should enter Waxille, and so the city had been cut off from the rest of the country of Boboland some many years ago. But, added he, since Sammy was from a non-fairyland and could not know of such a decree, there was no reason to hold her accountable, considering her intentions were not wicked in the least.

After they had traveled for nearly three hours on foot, Sammy stopped to eat some more of the snacks that were in her pack and drink the juice drinks she had been given. She offered some to the boy monkey who took a bit, but not much, for the girl needed it more than he, as she was accustomed to eating three times a day, while the boy monkey could go for some days without becoming so hungry, and would never grow ill or die without food in his stomach.

After they had rested under a tall, sloping tree for some time, the party made off again toward Candancal which was near the shore in the southern region of Boboland and, explained Kukiri, would take them nearly half a day to reach.

Soon the sun set and night came, and Sammy presently grew tired and could no longer contain the yawns that crept up her throat and stretched through her mouth.

"Are you tired?" inquired the boy monkey, for he was still full of energy and vigor, no doubt thanks to his new form which seemed to make him twice as vibrant as he had been when he was a human boy.

"Yes," admitted the girl, closing and opening her eyes, for they were too heavy to leave open for long. "I don't think I can walk much longer, Kukiri. Mayn't we stop and rest? I believe it's well past my bed-time."

"Mine too," said Kukiri. "But I'm not tired at all yet. And if we go to sleep we may never reach the Goblin City before Kaleendeen. As it stands now, we are already farther behind and must move quickly if we are to catch up."

"But I don't think I can move quickly at all unless we stop and rest," objected Sammy. "Just for a while, perhaps."

"Very well," said Kukiri, understandingly. "I shall stay up and keep watch, and after a while I shall awaken you and we will begin again. But we mustn't stop for too long, or my land will be lost forever."

"That's fine," said Sammy happily. "I only need to rest for a bit. Are there any towns near here where we may find a place to sleep?"

"No," answered Kukiri positively. "We are still far removed from any other countries that I know of. But, perhaps you can blow up the raft you floated to my country in and use it as a bed. That would be better than sleeping on the hard ground, anyway."

"Yes," nodded Sammy. "That will be just fine."

They then found a small cleft that was formed in the junction of two low-standing mountains and settled into this. Sammy began blowing up the raft, and the boy monkey took over when she was out of breath, and they alternated like this until the raft was completely full of air again. Then the girl settled into the craft and, using her pink jacket as a blanket, quickly fell to sleep.

The boy monkey kept watch just as he had promised and, as he wasn't tired in the least, did a fine job. But then, only a half hour after the girl had dozed off, the boy monkey heard a low mumbling coming from not far off, and then a collective thump of marchers coming nearer to them. He kept quiet, in hopes that the band would pass their hovel without any notice of their presence.

First came an odd man, about two feet taller than Kukiri, chanting loudly over and over: "March! March! March!"

And behind him came his company, marching just as they were ordered. There were two dozen in all and they were the queerest creatures Kukiri, having never been out of his land of Waxille, had ever seen.

Their chests were shaped like boxes so that their bodies were more square than round, and they had thin, long arms and legs. They wore long wooden masks over their heads with colorful faces painted upon them, so that Kukiri could not see their features underneath.

As they crossed before the burrow Sammy and Kukiri had snuggled into, the leader of the group suddenly shouted: "Halt!" and his army did so instantly.

The commander raised his hand and said loudly, in his booming voice: "What say you, gentleman? What of this land?"

He then turned to face his men and they all gazed around, surveying the area, and then vigorously nodded their approval without speaking a word.

"Very well," bawled the commander. "Flag-bearer! Come forth!"

Then a man who was at the front of the company of marchers scrambled forward and saluted the commander.

"Bring out the flag," called the commander. "We shall claim this land in the name of the Masker-Raiders!"

The flag-bearer nodded and then, placing his hand on a little knob that was located on the center of his chest, he pulled on it and his breast opened downward like a little door to reveal a hollow inside him. The man dug into this hole, and after a few moments, removed a pole with a rectangle flag attached. The flag was all black, except for the design, which showed round, red eyes and bright, clear teeth, neither smiling nor frowning, upon it. The commander took the pole from the flag-bearer and planted it in the ground, and the entire order jumped up and down excitedly as the flag waved back and forth in the wind.

"Now," said he proudly, "this land is ours for all time."

As he was just about to give the order to march again, he suddenly caught sight of Kukiri and Sammy sleeping in her raft, within the little groove.

"Ho!" he cried loudly. "I see inhabitants! Bring them to me at once!"

Kukiri leaped to his feet immediately, having every intention of battling each one of these odd creatures to the death. But they were much stronger than he and overpowered him easily. Sammy was awakened intrusively from her sleep and lifted to her feet and made to walk before the commander. Here she saw the strange creatures for the first time and she gave a little gasp, for she had never seen anything like them in her life, not even in her own imaginings.

"What do you mean by this?" demanded Kukiri, struggling to escape from the beings that were now holding him steady. "Release us!"

"I am afraid," shouted the commanded, "that I cannot do that. You see, we have conquered your land and so you are now our prisoners."

"You didn't conquer anything," retorted Kukiri impatiently. "There was nothing to conquer."

"Precisely," boomed the commander. "Therefore, we have discovered it and it is now our land."

"We discovered it before you," said Kukiri sharply.

"Then you may battle us for it if you wish, but our numbers far outrank yours," said the commander, sweeping his hand about his army of men as evidence. "Do you wish to challenge us for this land?"

"No, not at all," said Sammy, shaking her little head. "Take it, if you want. Just let us alone."

"We cannot," said the commander loudly. "It is our duty to take captive any citizens of the lands we have conquered so that they may be tried and convicted by our king."

"But this land doesn't belong to us," explained Sammy. "We were just borrowing it to rest. You can't rightly enslave us since you have not conquered our land, but only a land which we have no allegiance to one way or the other."

"In that case," returned the commander, "then you are trespassing on our land, and must be held accountable for that. And that, you know, is a far worse offense than to simply have your land conquered by us. The king will have to punish you more severely now."

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Sammy with annoyance. "This wasn't your land when we came here."

"It is now," answered the commander. "And you are trespassing. That should be a lesson: never enter the domains of an area that is bound to be captured."

"And how should we know which domain you are to capture?" demanded the girl.

"I don't care," snapped the commander. "That is not my business. My business is to capture domains and those occupying them, and I shall do my business justly. Company!" he shouted at his men. "Forward, march! Back to Masker-Raid!"

With that, the procession turned about and began marching in the opposite direction, dragging Sammy and Kukiri with them.

"What shall we do now, Kukiri?" the girl whispered to her companion.

"We must get free somehow," determined Kukiri. "Wherever this Masker-Raid place is, it seems to be in the opposite direction of where we intend to go."

Indeed, the army was leading them back the way they had already come.

"Please!" Sammy shouted to the commander. "You must let us go! We must travel to Candancal if we are to free Kukiri's land."

"Has it been raided?" inquired the commander without looking back.

"Yes, indeed," nodded the girl emphatically.

"Company, halt!" shouted the man. The assembly stopped immediately and the commander turned and went to Sammy. Looking down upon her, he stated: "It is our business, you understand, to raid every land we come to. That is why we are called the Masker-Raiders. So you see, it is only in due time that we will have raided every land in the country and will have conquered this entire nation for ourselves. So you mustn't worry about this land you speak of, for whoever raided it will not be in power for long, as we will, in some time, come to this land ourselves and steal it from that person and claim it in our own name."

"Oh, but this conqueror is a witch," asserted Sammy. "You couldn't possibly conquer a witch. She is too magical, you know."

"We could conquer an army of witches!" bellowed the commander proudly. "That is our business, and we are the best at it in all the land. There isn't a territory that we've come upon that we haven't conquered."

"There hasn't been anyone to conquer in that territory either," returned Sammy huffily.

"True," said the commander. "But that is no matter. By the time we come to those populated lands, we will have conquered so much of this country that is not populated that we will be considered the nation's ruling people, and no one shall dare challenge us then."

"I think your being awfully presumptuous," said Sammy matter-of-factly.

"We are quite a sumptuous people, and have been since before our birth, so I suppose we are quite pre-sumptuous," said the commander approvingly.

"That's not what I meant," began Sammy.

"Then you shouldn't have said it," answered the commander. "However sumptuous you believe us to be, it does not matter. Some day all folks of this country will be under our rule, and so you should be quite honored to be the first to be captured by us. Many are sure to follow, you can be sure. Now, enough of all this! Company, march! To Masker-Raid!"

Again, the army began to march as commanded.

"These people don't seem to have their wits about them, Kukiri," sighed Sammy with frustration as they were marched forward. "What are we to do? We cannot convince them to free us, nor are we mighty enough to free ourselves by force."

"Then we must go with them," said Kukiri sadly. "It is a shame, but we have no choice in the matter. Perhaps the king will be more agreeable. If he is to judge us, then he must be impartial, and if we explain to him our ordeal, perhaps he shall set us free."

"I suppose it is our only choice," agreed Sammy unhappily.

###### V. The Master Masker

It was about an hour's walk to Masker-Raid and by this time both Sammy and Kukiri were quite miserable. The girl, having only slept for a short time, was still as tired as ever, and could hardly keep herself upright. But the Masker-Raiders were not so mean-spirited, and held most of the girl's weight for her, so that she didn't have to carry it all herself.

By and by, they came to a tall iron gate and the commander of the Masker-Raider army cried: "Halt!"

He then stepped up to the face of the gate and announced loudly: "The Masker-Raid Brigade of south-western Boboland, Unit 4 is reporting. Entrance into Masker-Raid is requested."

With that, the doors to the gate swung open and the commander of the Unit 4 brigade ordained: "Company, march!"

The army obeyed and the entire company tramped through the ingress.

They followed a path through the city of Masker-Raid and Sammy and Kukiri gazed about in wonder of this strange land. All of the homes were dark and drab and not one had any windows to see out of. They all had but one door, which had a drawbar attached so as to prevent anyone from entering. There were no people in the streets and the girl and the boy monkey would have thought the whole kingdom to be abandoned had they wandered to the place on their own.

"It's so quiet," said Sammy sleepily.

One of the Masker-Raiders shook her gently and put a finger to the painted lips on his mask as if to tell her that she should be as well. The girl obeyed, as she had no reason not to considering her fate was in these strange creatures' hands, and she did not speak at all unless addressed, and Kukiri followed suit.

Presently they came to a tall-standing palace, which was no less drab or windowless than the other buildings in the town. The lead Masker-Raider stepped forward and, with his back to the company, removed the mask he was currently wearing. Sammy nor Kukiri could see the man's face, for he did not turn to look before them, as the commander opened the compartment in his chest, placed the mask inside, then came out with another mask, and placed it gently on his face. Then he went to the door of the castle, which was barred just like all the homes in the town, and placed his painted mouth before a black curvature which looked much like the receiver of a telephone of old. He whispered something into this, then stepped back. A moment later, the bar before the door lifted on its own and the door swung in. The commander stepped forward into the palace, and it seemed he need not give a command, for the army followed him through the doorway, bringing Kukiri and Sammy with them.

They walked along a white carpet. The walls and floor and ceiling were all painted a light black and made the building look very ominous and frightening, so that Sammy and the boy monkey knew not what to think. When they came to the farthest wall in the room, they found a grand throne standing before them, and a dark figure was sitting upon it.

The commander of Unit 4 stepped away from his army and quietly lighted a match and, with it, a hanging candlestick nearby. Then he went about the room and lighted each candle in succession until the room was brightly lighted, and the king of the Masker-Raiders could be clearly seen.

He was no different than the party that had captured Sammy and Kukiri. The only exception was in his dress. While the Masker-Raid Brigade wore epaulets upon their shoulders and black gloves and boots upon their hands and feet, the king of the Masker-Raiders wore a dark cape about his shoulders and held a little billet-like scepter in his hands. The wooden mask that he wore had a pleasant smile upon it, and the top, instead of becoming round like the other men's masks, came into points, so that it appeared that he wore a crown.

Said he, in a very pleasant voice: "Unit 4 of my Masker-Raid Brigade, what have you brought me here?"

The leader of the Brigade approached the king just as he was fastening a new mask to his face. This one, Sammy noted, had a straight, opened mouth painted upon it. The commander bowed and said in an even voice: "Slaves. They were on the land that we raided, great Master Masker, and so we took them captive and brought them here for your judgment."

"Oh, splendid!" exclaimed the Master Masker cheerfully. "Our first captives! It is coming together far faster than I had supposed it would. Tell me, were these the only folks who populated the land which you raided?"

"We didn't populate the land," objected Sammy. "It wasn't our land at all, and your people have enslaved us unjustly."

"Little girl," said the Master Masker in a friendly tone, "don't you know that it's not polite to speak to a king when he has not spoken to you?"

"No, I didn't," said Sammy truthfully. "We haven't any kings in my country."

"But your country is now my country, for my Unit 4 Masker-Raid Brigade has captured it," said the king of the Masker-Raiders. "Therefore, I am your king, and it is a rule of my kingdom not to speak to His Highness unless spoken to."

"But you haven't captured my country," returned Sammy.

"Oh no?" The king turned to look at the commander of Unit 4. "Haven't you captured her land?"

"No," admitted the commander. "We had captured the land which they were residing, but it was not the land in which they were born. But," added he, "they were still residing on this land after we had captured it, Your Highness."

"Oh," said the king, nodding his head. "That the girl did not mention." He turned to Sammy. "Don't you know, then, that you were trespassing on our land?"

"No," said Sammy. "We were not trespassing on your land, for it wasn't your land when we came to it."

"But it was our land before you left it," the Master Masker said. "Thus, my army had every right to capture you, for you had traversed a piece of our own country uninvited and unwanted, and now we must punish you justly."

"Now, see here," came in Kukiri. "It is not fair of you to punish us. Had we known it was your land we never would have traversed it."

"It was a mistake, no doubt," said the king. "But it is a mistake you must still be punished for. What do you suggest, General?" he asked the leader of Unit 4.

"If I may, Your Majesty, I would suggest we remove the masks they are wearing and all others which they may have on their persons and replace them with more good-natured ones. These seem to make them quite cross and disagreeable. Then, we should assign them to the Masker Hall so they may be taught the ways of our country and how to be fine Raiders, so that they may one day, when they've grown, join our army. Once they're educated in the politics of their new country, then we may return to them their masks," suggested the general.

"That seems to be a fair judgment," decided the Master Masker. "General, remove their masks."

The commander of Unit 4 then approached Sammy and Kukiri and, kneeling down, he took the ears of the boy monkey and pulled. Kukiri gave a little yelp of pain and tore away from the general. The army caught him before he could get any farther and escorted him back to the front of the throne.

"How queer!" exclaimed the general. "His mask is glued to his face!"

"He's not wearing a mask," explained Sammy. "Nor am I. These are our faces."

"Impossible!" cried the Master Masker, his voice still quite jovial. "General, what is this nonsense? Remove their masks at once!"

"It's no nonsense," said the general, astounded. "These masks are attached to their faces! These masks, Your Maskety, are their faces!"

If the Master Masker was distressed to hear this, none could tell, for the same painted smile remained on his wooden mask. He rubbed the wooden chin of his mask thoughtfully and stood from his throne and came down the steps. He surveyed Kukiri and then Sammy and puzzled to himself.

"This is the queerest thing I've ever seen!" exclaimed the Master Masker. "To think, their masks are attached to their faces! Tell me," he looked down upon Sammy and Kukiri, "how do you change expressions?"

"It depends on our mood," said Sammy.

"Yes, but when your mood changes, how do you change your face to match?" inquired the king of the Masker-Raiders.

"Oh, well we just change them," answered Sammy. "When we're happy, we smile," here she demonstrated by grinning widely. "And when we're sad, we frown," and here she frowned. "And when we're surprised, our mouths and eyes become round," and this she demonstrated as well.

"Stop! Stop!" commanded the king. "It is such an odd thing, to see such expressions appear when the mood does not match! My good General, see this! They have face-changing masks."

"How horrible!" exclaimed the commander.

"How do you change expressions?" asked Sammy.

"Simply," said the king. He took a step back and said: "You see, when our mood changes, and we become happy or sad or angry or surprised, all we do is remove our masks and interchange them for the mask that corresponds to our mood. So you see, as I'm feeling quite surprised at the moment, I'm obliged to change my mask to match that mood."

With that, the king opened the compartment in his chest and he removed the mask he was currently wearing. As he placed the mask inside the compartment, Sammy and Kukiri saw the man's true face for the first time. It was blank! Not an expression on it. No mouth, no nose, no eyes, no ears, nothing! It was a smooth surface, the same pale color of the king's skin. His head was shaped like a cone and came to a soft point at the top, and Sammy and Kukiri thought it to be the oddest thing, to see a man with no face at all.

The Master Masker fished around inside his chest compartment and, bringing out a new mask, placed it upon his head. This mask had a wide, round mouth painted on it, with round, shocked eyes, so that when the king put it on, he appeared to be quite surprised. When he spoke, the wide mouth opened and closed, just as any others, and he blinked from time to time, just as one would do with a normal face.

"And now you see," said the Master Masker in a voice of amazement, "my face now matches my mood, so that I am now as surprised as I feel. How queer you all are, to not have masks!"

"We're queer!" exclaimed Sammy. "I should say, you're the queerest creatures I've every laid my eyes upon."

"I suppose queerness is in the mask of the beholder," said the king. "You know, to have a mask such as the one that is attached to your face can be quite a dangerous thing."

"You should be so lucky," answered Kukiri. "Then you wouldn't have to change faces all the time."

"But then," objected His Highness, "you could change your face on a whim and mask your true mood with a false appearance."

"We can," confirmed Sammy. "But can't you do the same? All you need do is put on whichever mask you wish someone to believe your mood is."

Suddenly, the Master Masker took off his surprised mask and, digging through his chest, removed a new mask and placed it on his face. This mask was more menacing than the last two, with a turned down brow and a ferocious frown. "That, my girl," cried the king angrily, "is unlawful! Law Seven of the Master Masker Mandate, 'One shall not misrepresent themselves with any mask that is not of one's current disposition, nor deceive or delude one's fellow Masker-Raider in such a fashion!' Such offense is punishable by beheading!"

"Your Highness," said the general plainly. "Be reasonable. These folks have just been made Masker-Raiders today. They had no understanding of such law until you just announced it to them."

"Then, General, what do you suggest be their punishment?" demanded the king angrily.

"I suggest, great Master Masker, that we remove their faces," said the commander. "We may remove their faces and carve them masks from the enchanted tree which was planted for us so many hundreds of years ago by a kind fairy so that us faceless creatures could show expressions as we desired. Thus, this will be their official initiation into our country."

The Master Masker nodded once and removed his current mask and replaced it with a mask with a plain face, showing neither happiness nor sadness nor anger painted upon it. "Very well," said he. "Take them away, General, and have their faces removed. I suppose, if we capture others like them in the lands we raid we will have to do the same."

"What a dreadful thought," said the general. "More of these odd creatures? I should hope not!"

"Hold on!" cried Kukiri. "You cannot remove our faces."

"No?" inquired the king. "Why not?"

"Because they are ours and we like them," answered the boy monkey boldly.

"But you no longer need them," said the Master Masker. "Now that you are inhabitants of Masker-Raid, you must abide by our laws, and thus, must have your 'shifting faces' removed."

"We like our 'shifting faces' just fine," said Sammy indignantly, "and have no desire to have them removed or to become citizens of your Masker-Raid. We must travel to Cadancal so that we may find a way to destroy the wicked witch who has enslaved Kukiri's land."

"Whether you wish to be Masker-Raiders or not is irrelevant," said the Master Masker calmly. "You are now our prisoners and we can do with you as we see fit. And we see fit to rid you of your awful faces and make you true Masker-Raiders, and there is nothing, my dear, that you can say or do to prevent it."

The calm face of the king of Masker-Raid stared at Sammy blandly, and to the little girl he appeared to be mocking her. It so infuriated her that she reached out and lifted the mask off of the Master Masker's face and tossed it away in a fit. "I hate your ugly masks!" she cried. "And I don't want one of my own, either!"

The Master Masker threw his arms up into the air in a panic and quickly dug through his chest to find a new mask. He came up with his "angry mask" and placed this on his face.

"Law 1, my dear!" screamed he. "'No one shall ever remove another Masker-Raider's mask, and especially never the king's mask!' Such law is punishable by death!"

"But no one can die in this country," said Sammy, shrinking away from the furious ruler of Masker-Raid.

"No!" shouted the king. "But, we can cut you into a thousand pieces, so that you're just as good as dead, and that, my dear, is a fate worse than death!"

"You shan't harm a hair on her head," said Kukiri, scrambling before Sammy and holding his arms out as if to protect her.

"Seize them!" commanded the king. "Seize them and destroy them!"

The commander moved to obey, but the boy monkey was much too nimble and swift. As the general lurched forward, Kukiri leaped at him and, with a swipe of his paw, knocked the mask he was wearing off of his face. When the commander reached into his chest to find a new mask, Kukiri quickly reached in and began tossing the masks about until they were scattered all throughout the throne room and not a single one was left in the man's compartment. The faceless creature bumbled about uneasily and, having no eyes to show him where he was going, tripped upon himself and fell faceless-first to the floor.

"Seize them!" commanded the king. "Unit 4, seize them at once!"

But as the army advanced upon him and Sammy, the boy monkey leaped onto the back of the king and braced his hands about the mask which was currently upon his face.

"Not a step forward now," commanded he, "or I shall toss the Master Masker's mask away and all his others, too, so that he is as helpless as the general. And then, I will do the same to you all!"

The army halted in their steps and awaited their orders.

"Off of me, imp!" commanded the king, flailing his arms hopelessly.

"No!" shouted the boy monkey defiantly. "You will release me and my companion so that we may continue on our journey."

"But you are ours!" cried the Master Masker. "We raided your land and captured you fairly! We cannot return you now! It is against Law 14: 'All captives taken in a raid shall become, and forever remain, members of the Masker-Raid race.' I cannot break my own law!"

"If not, then I shall break your mask," returned Kukiri bitterly, "and every mask you own, so that you are as useless as you were before the kind fairy planted the magic tree."

"Don't do that!" wailed the king with anger. "Be free! What do I care? You queer folks are of no value to us! It is your land we want, not the silly fools who inhabit it! Be off, and don't ever return!"

"Do not send your army after us, or we shall remove their masks as well," threatened Kukiri.

"No, no, of course not!" cried the king. "Just begone! You Masker-Shifters are of no importance to my people! Begone at once! Begone, I say!"

With that, Kukiri left the Master Masker and scampered up to Sammy. "Let's go, Sammy," he whispered into the girl's ear, "before they change their mood again."

He took the girl's hand and the two ran off, the army of Masker-Raiders parting as they dashed toward the palace's exit.

As they emerged into the city of Masker-Raid, Sammy dared a glance behind her and saw that the Masker-Raid Brigade had now collected itself outside the palace, with the Master Masker standing just before them, all now wearing masks showing their fury and outrage. But they did not give chase, and only watched with painted, gritting frowns as the pair darted down the road and through the front gate, out of Masker-Raid.

###### VI. The Eatabages' Inn

The pair ran as fast as their legs could carry them for a good ten minutes before they finally stopped to rest under a tall apricot tree.

As the girl was catching her breath, she said between inhales: "That was the most awful experience of my life! What horrid creatures they were, Kukiri!"

"They live in a fantasy," replied the boy monkey. "If they had any brains in those faceless heads of theirs, they ought to know that all they're raiding will result in nothing. My father's army would have massacred that Masker-Raid Brigade with ease! But it's over now, so let's just try to forget it."

"I hardly got any sleep at all," said Sammy unhappily. "And now we're even farther off than before. What shall we do now?"

"We can't begin again until you've rested," decided the boy monkey, for he had grown quite fond of Sammy and meant to take the best care of her, even if it meant not reaching the Goblin City in time to put an end to Kaleendeen. "But now you've nowhere to sleep. And I don't see any cities nearby, do you?"

"No," said the girl with disappointment as she gazed around. "But, wait! I see a light in the distance!"

She pointed ahead, and when Kukiri squinted his eyes he could see it, too.

"It may be a cottage," said he hopefully, "as it is not big enough to be a city. Perhaps its occupiers will take us in and shelter us for the night. Once we are rested, we can begin again."

"Oh, but if we sleep the whole night that evil witch may reach the Goblin City long before we do," objected Sammy. "I need only an hour or two of rest, Kukiri."

"After that ordeal with the Masker-Raiders I'm feeling a bit drowsy as well. I think it would be best to get a good night's rest. The witch still has a long journey ahead of her, and perhaps something shall happen to lead us to the Goblin City before her yet," said Kukiri. It was not the whole truth, for he was still not sleepy, but rather worn from the confrontation with the Masker-Raiders, but he could tell by the girl's frazzled appearance that she needed a whole night's rest to recuperate her strength. After all, it wasn't often that mortals went on such queer quests, and their bodies were not built for such stresses.

Had she the energy she may have argued, but the girl simply, with much effort, nodded her head in agreement, and the boy monkey took her hand and led her forward, toward the light.

As they advanced forward the light grew brighter and nearer, and presently they came upon a sign which stood before a little cottage, lighted from inside, a few paces away. Gazing through the soft haze of light, Kukiri read the words on the sign and this is what it said:

"The Eatabages' Inn

Only food is served here."

"An inn," repeated the girl. "Then it must have a place for us to sleep."

"Of course it must," nodded Kukiri. "They must admit us, then."

"I'll be glad to get a warm breakfast, too," said the girl, and the boy monkey sprang forward and opened the door to the inn. "I'm glad they serve food."

"So am I," said Kukiri as he opened the door for her. "I hate to feel hungry."

Sammy stepped through the doorway and Kukiri followed after her. It was only one room altogether, with nothing but rows of cabinets lining the walls; no chairs, or couches or even beds!

"What a sorry inn!" exclaimed Kukiri. "There's no place to sleep! And no one to greet us!"

"Maybe the Eatabages are out just now," suggested Sammy. "You know, I was really looking forward to a nice soft bed to lay in, too."

"And you're in no condition to travel any farther tonight," said the boy monkey positively. "Here, you may use my coat to sleep on," said he, taking his coat off of his back. "And you can use your jacket as a blanket, and your pack as a pillow. It shan't be as comfortable as a bed, but it should still get you some rest."

"But how will you sleep?" asked the girl.

"I don't need a soft bed," returned the boy. "I feel that I could sleep on the ground outside, if I needed to. I think it may have something to do with the enchantment the witch cast upon me. I don't think monkeys are used to sleeping in comfort, so I believe that I could make out just as well."

The girl did not argue with him, for she was too tired to object. Instead, she laid out Kukiri's jacket as he had suggested and, settling upon it, pulled her pack under her head and wrapped her jacket about her form, and was asleep within moments.

Kukiri intended to stay up and watch her, in case more unwelcome visitors came to them in the night, but by and by he grew drowsy as well, and curled up in a ball in a corner of the room and fell to sleep.

When morning came and sunlight shone through the windows of the little cottage, Kukiri was the first to awaken and he was as refreshed as ever, and more than ready to begin again. He thought of waking Sammy, but she looked so peaceful and content that he decided to let her sleep a while longer, and went off to the cabinets to search for the food mentioned on the sign outside.

Indeed, within every cabinet he found a vast array of foods, and he quietly began to collect them. As there was no stove, he found things that could be prepared raw and brought out four slices of bread and a jar of peanut butter to make sandwiches. He also found two refrigerators in the cottage, and from these he took a bowl of salad, a whole ham, which he planned to cut slices from and make into sandwiches and two fresh apples. The foods had all been resting on some plate or another, and so he used these to collect the eatables and prepare the meals.

As he was just laying out everything for their morning breakfast, Sammy aroused from her slumber. Stretching to awaken her muscles, the girl espied Kukiri. After watching him for a moment silently, she got up and went over to him and sat down by his side.

There was no silverware, but Kukiri had a pocket-knife, and he used this to spread the peanut butter onto the bread. As he was doing so, he heard a low grumbling and suddenly a shouting. The two looked about, but they could not tell where the noise was coming from.

"What is that?" asked Kukiri, gazing about the room.

"I'm not sure," answered Sammy. "It sounds as if it's coming from inside."

"Down here!" came a gruff voice, and the two looked down to see that the peanut butter that Kukiri had just spread was speaking! Two chunks of peanuts were its eyes, and these stared fiercely up at the pair, and a little space that Kukiri had yet to spread onto the bread was the thing's mouth. "Now, see here!" cried the peanut butter angrily. "What do you mean by removing me from my jar and spreading me on this bread I hardly know."

"Are you alive?" asked Kukiri curiously.

"But of course!" returned the peanut butter with agitation. "Now put me back in my jar!"

"How is it that you can talk?" inquired Sammy, peering down at the peanut butter.

"The same way you can!" said the peanut butter.

Just then they heard another voice, this one more gay and girlish. "Oh, now what's going on? What's this on me?"

Kukiri turned the bread he had smoothed the peanut butter over and saw that a face had formed on the rind piece he was holding. The bread had specked eyes and a mouth made of a crack in the eatable.

"Are you alive too?" said Kukiri with amazement.

"But of course!" cried the feminine piece of bread. "Who is it that you've spread on me? Remove him at once!"

Kukiri obeyed, and quickly used his knife to remove the peanut butter from the bread's surface and put it back in its jar.

"That's better!" cried the bread happily. "You shouldn't spread folks over others when they haven't become acquainted yet. Haven't you any manners?"

"Had I known you were alive I never would have done so," apologized the boy monkey. "You see, my friend and I were hungry and thought that you were eatables supplied by the inn's keepers."

"Certainly not!" exclaimed the bread. "We are not eatables, but Eatabages! And we are not to be eaten, for we are guests ourselves!"

"Are you?" said the boy. "How are we to know what's to be eaten and what's to not be disturbed?"

"You shouldn't eat any of us!" came another voice, and when Sammy and Kukiri looked toward it, they saw that the ham was now speaking, its face forming in the flat end. "Didn't you read the sign outside, you despicable cretins?"

"Why, they all talk!" cried Sammy with astonishment.

"We did read the sign," answered Kukiri, addressing the ham. "And it said that 'only food is served here,' and thought that we would be given breakfast as well as a place to sleep the night."

"What a silly twit!" exclaimed the salad in a sing-song voice. "Don't you know that people aren't allowed in this inn? It is exclusive to Eatabages!"

"What's an Eatabage?" asked the girl, becoming quite interested in these strange talking foods.

"We are," said one of the apples, pointing with its stem at the surrounding foods that Kukiri had laid on the floor.

"But how is it that you talk?" inquired Kukiri. "Most foods, as far as I know, keep quiet most of the time. How is it that you are different?"

"As for that, we all have different tales," answered the peanut butter, whose voice echoed from within its jar. "Some of us happened to come to life by luck, or happened to be enchanted at some time or another, and we all find living to be such fun that we refuse to be eaten by anyone, which is why we come to the Eatabages' Inn, which was built by Loafer many hundreds of years ago, who has since gone moldy and died."

"I didn't think anything could die in the country," said Sammy thoughtfully.

"It is different with things that aren't supposed to be living," snapped the peanut butter. "Food goes bad, you know, and when that happens, we become cranky and irritable, and soon after become extinct. But this inn has become a wonderful home to all Eatabages, as the grand Loafer named us magical foods, and we live our life in peacefulness without any harm of being eaten, usually. Today is a rare occasion, and you should be quite ashamed of what you have done. Had you eaten one of us, that would be murder, for it is wrong to extinguish the life of any creature, no matter how they came upon that life."

"Not if they're evil," returned Kukiri instantly. "Then they are deserved of death."

"Perhaps," mused the peanut butter. "But in any case, none of us Eatabages are evil in the least and it would have been downright detestable of you to have eaten us."

"We're quite sorry," said Sammy apologetically. "We promise, we won't eat a single one of you. You are strange creatures, all right, and it would be a shame to have you destroyed in such an ugly fashion."

"Thank you," said the peanut butter appreciatively.

"And," said the girl, rising and going to her knapsack, "I still have food in my pack, so I needn't eat anything that's alive, anyhow."

The girl took from her pack a baggy of nuts and without any thought began to snack on them.

"Horrors! Horrors!" the Eatabages began to cry, and they shouted so dreadfully that Sammy stopped immediately and asked:

"What is the matter?"

"Do you think we like to see you put to death our own kind?" demanded the peanut butter with anger.

"Oh, but these nuts aren't alive at all," said Sammy.

"No, but neither were we all, once, and it is still a vicious act, even if it is not murder," said the peanut butter.

"I am sorry," said Sammy. "But I can't help it, for I need food, you know, and since these things aren't living, it is better to eat them than to eat you."

"To be sure," answered the peanut butter. "But, please go away and never return! We think those who eat our own kind are the most horrid creatures in all the land, even if it is a necessity, and we'd prefer not to bear witness to such a heinous crime. Please, return us to our cupboards and begone."

Sammy and Kukiri obeyed and they quickly collected the foods and returned them to their proper places in the cabinets and refrigerators and left the Eatabages' Inn.

"How queer they were," said Sammy as they walked away from the cottage with the early morning sun shining upon them. "I've never met any foods that speak and think like humans do."

"Nor have I," said Kukiri. "But nothing should surprise in a fairy country, for anything is possible when magic's involved, you know."

"I suppose that is a lesson to learn," nodded Sammy. "It must not be a very good life, to be a living eatable."

"It is better than being an unliving eatable," replied Kukiri. "If they had been unliving, we surely would have eaten them, and I don't suppose that is a very pleasant feeling at all."

"But if they are not living they cannot feel anything at all," said Sammy, who was becoming remorseful at the thought of all the poor foodstuffs she had consumed in her short life.

"Of course not," said Kukiri.

"I would have felt awfully terrible if we had eaten any of them," said the girl with a sigh.

"Certainly," replied the boy monkey. "But I'd rather have lived and be eaten, than to never have lived at all, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," decided Sammy, who glanced behind her, and seeing that the cottage was no longer in sight, took the bag of nuts from her jacket pocket and resumed eating them.

###### VII. The Witches' Secret

They journeyed the rest of the day, only stopping when they were tired or felt hungry, and weren't greeted with any more intrusions whatever, and by mid-afternoon they had come upon the city of Cadancal. Kukiri led the way down the path into town and they found this country to be quite pleasant. The grass was green all about, and the houses were of many varieties, big and small, red and blue, tall and short, and all the people who were out about the square were quite polite and welcomed them to their town, offering their assistance in anything that they needed.

Kukiri inquired of the first person who had extended his service as to where the windmill was located. "Away yonder," the man answered, "near the end of town. But ol' Pimok, the Windmill Watcher, he's not too cordial and doesn't fancy company. If there's anything I can help you with, I'm sure I would prove more amiable."

But the boy monkey declined, stating that only the Windmill Watcher could give them the advice they sought, and the two continued through the town until the buildings surrounding grew scarcer and the road gave way to an empty and ugly grey field. Farther off, they could see the Windmill, tall and gray, the blades spinning slowly around, and this part of the country seemed much colder and far less welcoming than the chipper and sunny downtown they had just passed through.

Sammy crossed her arms and held them close to her body. "This place isn't very inviting," said she, rubbing her hands over her arms.

"No wonder the Windmill Watcher is so cold," said Kukiri, who had shivers despite the layer of enchanted fur that now covered his body. "I don't suppose anyone could be very pleasant if they called such a dreary place home."

The two didn't speak further of it, and instead walked silently to the door of the windmill, which was made of thick oak and was quite large and heavy. Kukiri knocked on it as loudly as he could, but there came no response from inside.

"Perhaps he's not home," suggested Sammy.

"That would be fine luck," said Kukiri, scrunching his face with agitation. "To think we came all this way and the Windmill Watcher is nowhere about! Well, we may as well make certain."

With that, the boy monkey pushed with all his strength and propped open the door. Sammy entered first and the boy monkey followed. It was quite empty and dusty inside and not at all appealing. It didn't appear that anyone had lived in the place for ages, and the only thing at all that was to be seen in this giant room, save the cobwebs, was a spiral staircase, stretching up and up to the top floor. This the two adventurers decided to climb, and it was such a long ways up that Sammy began to get dizzy, for she was not used to such heights, and Kukiri had to assist her the rest of the way. When they came to the above floor, they quietly stepped in and curiously gazed about.

The room was hardly furnished, and the only two articles present were a little bed and a small wooden desk and stool. There was but one window in this room, and this looked out the back of the windmill, to an ugly rock face, for there were nothing but miles of mountains beyond the windmill, and the view wasn't at all attractive.

But the furniture was not the only thing in the room, for the windmill watcher himself was there as well, and was slumped over his desk, scribbling something upon a notepad. He wore a drab suit, the jacket buttoned to the collar, and he had not a hair on the top of his head. He seemed very old, for his face was quite wrinkled and unfriendly.

"Excuse me," said Kukiri, clearing his throat. "Are you Pimok, the Windmill Watcher?"

The man suddenly slammed down the quill he had been writing with and turned to look upon his visitors. "Mister Pimok. Children should address their elders with a title, but I don't suppose that your parents taught you any manners, now. And for that matter, I don't recall allowing you permission to enter my windmill. This is a direct intrusion! So begone, begone at once and never return to my windmill! I care not for your impertinence!"

"But we must humbly ask for your assistance," said Kukiri with a bow. "We apologize for being so bold, but you didn't answer your door when we knocked."

"For I did not want company," said Pimok grumpily. "Now go off!"

"We understand that you know how to destroy a witch," said Kukiri, ignoring the man's obstinate request.

"Indeed I do, for I learned it while serving for a witch named Dirroh, who confided it in me, as I was her closest servant," said the Windmill Watcher proudly.

"Then, please, if you will, reveal to us this secret," said Kukiri pleadingly.

"And what business is it of yours?" demanded Pimok with a snort.

"A wretched witch named Kaleendeen has captured my land," answered the boy monkey. "And we mean to capture her and destroy her."

"Then tell me, why should I tell you when I have told no others?" inquired Pimok, taking off the glasses he wore and cleaning them with the tail of his coat. "For my part, I hold no animosity toward any witch, for Dirroh was a good master and a fine friend, and I was quite upset when she was expelled from Cadancal as she was. So I do not see the purpose in revealing such a firmly held secret to you when I have refused others of more importance in the past."

"Because if you don't," spoke Sammy, "then Kukiri's land will be ruled by the witch for all time. She has enslaved all of its people and shall force them to serve her, and this will make them unhappy for the rest of their lives. That is an injustice that should be corrected, you know, as Kukiri's people are good-natured, and the witch is a despicable creature."

"You have not convinced me in the least," said the Windmill Watcher with a huff. "I am no ally of witches, for I am an ally of no one, but I do have a loyalty to the witch who was but my only companion, and none to you non-witches, so I see no reason to reveal the secret to you."

"And what of Kukiri and his people? Shall you let them be miserable for all time?" demanded Sammy.

"It is none of my concern," replied Pimok with a wave of his hand. "If the land's people allowed themselves to be captured by a witch, then I suppose they are deserved of being captured, and I see no reason why they're captor should be destroyed."

"Why, you are as wicked as the witch herself!" cried Sammy.

"That is your opinion," answered Pimok. "I have done no wrong. I have captured no people, nor made any unhappy."

"But you could save them and set them free," returned Sammy.

"I do no bad deeds, nor good, little girl, for I am only concerned with my own well-being," said Pimok plainly.

"Well, you're quite selfish, then," said Sammy indignantly.

"Yes, I am," nodded Pimok. "I care not for others, and they care not for me. Now be off or I shall have you all arrested for trespassing."

"I think it's absolutely horrid of you to not to tell us the witches' secret!" exclaimed Sammy. "We only wish to save Kukiri's people and his father, you know."

"It is none of my concern," answered Pimok, who seated himself before his desk again and returned to scribbling across a sheet of paper.

"It is no use," sighed Kukiri. "He will never tell us the witches' secret, and so my land shall be lost forever. I suppose that dreadful witch will strip it of all its jewels so that it is nothing more than an ugly sierra."

With that, the boy put his hands to his face and began to weep, for he knew that he would never see his father again, and that he could never return to Waxille as long as the witch ruled it.

Pimok suddenly stood then and, turning to face Sammy and Kukiri, said: "Let me inquire, is it true that your land is filled with jewels?"

"Many," nodded Kukiri with a sniff. "But I don't suppose it will be for long, once the wicked witch Kaleendeen has mined them all and given them to the Great Goblin Fairy."

"All I've ever really wanted in my whole life is to be secluded and separated from the rest of this boring country of Cadancal, for I enjoy my self more than I enjoy any of those foolish cretins," said Pimok seriously. "But to do so, I would need to acquire the land my windmill sits upon and build a sturdy wall before it so that I would be forever separated from this dreadful town. But, as I am a poor Windmill Watcher, I never had the capabilities to do so."

"Then," said Kukiri, wiping away his tears, "we may make a deal. If you will tell us the witches' secret, then I shall promise you enough jewels to purchase this land."

"And," added Pimok gruffly, "enough to build a grand wall from. No bright jewels though, only dark and ugly ones for I hate the pretty light, and would much prefer an ugly wall that will cast a dark shadow upon my windmill."

"It is an odd request," said Kukiri, "but I shall oblige you. After we have defeated the witch, I promise that we will return with a wagon of jewels and gems just for this purpose. So, what say you to that?"

"I say that it is an even trade," decided Pimok, "for I shall never give a service for free, but only if one intends to compensate me in return. But how shall I know you are not deceiving me?" demanded the Windmill Watcher. "How should I know that you shan't take the secret with you and never return?"

"I'm afraid I can only offer my solemn oath, for I have no jewels with me to give you," said Kukiri after a moment's consideration.

"I have a thought," said Pimok, who then reached across his desk to take up a clean quill and, stepping up to Kukiri, pricked the skin of his furry finger.

"What was that for?" asked the boy monkey, who hadn't been expecting the prick.

"This quill," said Pimok, "is an enchanted quill, made for me by my very own Dirroh. Now that I have pierced your skin with it, you must do exactly as is written on this paper, or you shall be turned to stone." Here Pimok scribbled across the paper and then held the sheet up so that Kukiri could read it. It said:

"The boy monkey shall, in due course, bring to Pimok, the Windmill Watcher of Cadancal, all the jewels which are necessary to purchase the land he lives upon and build an immense wall to separate himself from the Land of Cadancal. In exchange, Pimok shall reveal to the boy monkey the way in which to destroy a wicked witch. Should the boy monkey's intentions ever change so that he chooses not to obey this precept, he shall be turned to stone and remain as such for eternity."

"So," said Pimok after Kukiri had finished reading, "once I reveal to you the witches' secret, you will have no choice but to bring to me these jewels, or you should be turned to stone by the magic of the witch's quill. Does that suit you?"

Kukiri swallowed hard, for he did not like the thought of becoming stone, but he slowly nodded his head, for he could not foresee any other option, and said: "Yes. That is acceptable."

"Very good," said Pimok with a smile. He then folded the sheet of paper and carefully placed it in an envelope and sealed it with a drop of wax. Then, after placing the envelope in a drawer in his desk and locking it, he turned to Sammy and Kukiri and said: "Now I shall reveal to you the witches' secret, the one true way to destroy a wicked witch. It may not destroy a full witch, mind you, nor a witch full of righteousness or goodwill, but only those half-witches, who practice magic but are not filled with it."

"We understand," said Kukiri. "Please, tell us!"

"Very well," said Pimok. "All wicked witches can be destroyed in the same manner, and it is by the method of water. For you see, all evil witches are allergic to water, and should even a raindrop touch their skin, they shall shrivel and melt away and be no more. For this was a curse put on all evil witches many years ago to prevent them from practicing their evil arts, and it is only recently that the Great Goblin Fairy has discovered a way to enchant these wicked witches so that nothing may destroy them. That is the way to destroy a witch."

"Water," repeated Kukiri with amazement. "Then that is the witches' secret!"

"I suppose that is why that old witch stays covered from head to toe all the time," said Sammy thoughtfully. "It must be a dreadful task to avoid water for one's entire lifetime, for it is such a common resource."

"Now don't forget my jewels," said Pimok gruffly. "Hurry on now. The sooner the witch is destroyed, the sooner I may live alone, away from this dreadful country!"

"Yes, let's hurry, Sammy," said Kukiri, taking the girl's hand. "If we are to destroy that wicked Kaleendeen, then we must do so before she comes to the Goblin City."

The two then bounded down the steps and left behind the windmill and its watcher, and they were not at all sorry to be rid of him. They then went to the first home they came upon on their way back through Cadancal and asked if they could be given a container of water. The townsman was happy to oblige them, and went back into the house and returned with a glass jar of water, which Sammy set in her pack where it would be cozy and safe until it was time to be used.

###### VIII. Polychrome's Great Fall

Kukiri led the way, as he had for their entire adventure, and explained to Sammy that the journey to the Goblin City would be a long one, nearly half a week if they kept pace, but perhaps longer, as he did not know the area well and they were bound to be lost. But Sammy wasn't disheartened, but all the more eager to continue on, for she knew that the nearer they came to the Goblin City, the closer she came to returning home.

It was scarcely fifteen minutes from the time that they had left the town of Cadancal that the clouds above them turned gray and ugly and little drops of rain began to fall from the sky. The two quickly made way for refuge under a stone ridge. Just as they ducked underneath the overhang, there came a loud clap of thunder and a shock of lightning, and a downpour of rain began to fall like a thousand tiny fireworks exploding.

Sammy took out her jacket from her pack and placed it over her shoulders, and the two waited in silence for the rain to cease. It was a quick and furious storm, for, as they later discovered, the Rain King, who ruled the sky, had stubbed his toe, and in his anger had scared up the storm. But he soon soothed himself and the storm subsided and the sky grew blue and cheery once more and the sun re-emerged from behind the clouds.

Sammy and Kukiri stepped out from their harbor, and for a moment paused to admire Mother Nature. Before them they saw a beautiful rainbow form, and it was closer than either of them had ever been to a rainbow, for it was nearly right on top of them. As they gazed at this lovely sight, they heard a frail cry, not frightened at all, but more surprised, come from the sky, and a dainty figure floated gently down from above and landed softly on the ground before them.

This newcomer was a slender girl a few years older than Sammy, as radiant and beautiful as

either of them had seen. Her gown seemed to be mended of shining silk, and reflected the colors of the rainbow. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were violet, and Kukiri new instantly that this was a fairy, for no plain folks could mirror such fairness even in their own imaginings.

The girl's back was to them as she stood and blinked up at the sky. She frowned as she saw the rainbow which had just formed melt away into the sky and disappear, and the girl released a light sigh and turned around to notice the queer twosome for the first time.

"Oh!" cried the fairy girl. "I hadn't seen you before. Here I thought I was all alone."

Neither of the pair had time to respond as the fairy girl suddenly sprung away from them and, like a ballet dancer, twirled about across the ground. She paused in her dance and said: "I don't believe I've ever fallen in this land before."

As she continued to dance across the hard floor, Sammy presently asked: "And who are you?"

"Oh, I beg your pardon," said the fairy, who then stopped dancing. "I am Polychrome, a daughter of the rainbow. You may call me Polly if you wish."

"Very well, Polly," Sammy said cheerfully, for this rainbow's daughter was so radiant that Sammy found it impossible not to be gracious. "My name is Samantha Daly, Sammy if you prefer, and this is my friend Kukiri, who has no other name, and currently appears to be a monkey."

"Is he not?" asked the girl, who continued to prance about the two adventurers.

"Indeed not!" spoke Kukiri. "I am but a boy in monkey's fur, thanks to that wicked witch Kaleendeen!"

"Wicked witches are the worst kinds of witches," said Polychrome in a sing-song voice.

"You are right," affirmed Kukiri. "And we are presently on our way to the Goblin City to destroy her."

"I don't much care for destroying," said the fairy, as she skipped about. "In the sky, where I live, there is no need for it."

"How is it that you happened to earth then?" asked Sammy, who was becoming more interested in the lovely fairy person.

"I fear I was dancing too close to the edge of my father's rainbow again," sighed Polychrome with a frown. "We hadn't even touched the earth's floor when I happened to slip and fall off the edge of my father's bow. He's warned me many times to be more careful, but I cannot help but to dance, for it is such a fun thing to do. Still, I did not mean to fall off in the least, especially so high in the air. But, perhaps my father shall reach his bow down again to rescue me."

Here the girl stared longingly up at the sky, but not a single ray of the beautiful bow appeared. Turning her gaze away, she sighed gravely and said: "My father's quite busy. He has a schedule to keep, you know, as issued by my uncle, the Rain King. I'm sure he'll be back here some time, but he must go round the world, dazzling the dreary skies with his rainbow, and so he may have to venture for a while longer. I wonder what I should do until then?"

"You may come with us," Sammy suggested politely.

"Are you going to destroy the wicked witch of whom you spoke?" inquired Polychrome with concern.

"Of course," piped Kukiri without hesitation. "She must be destroyed, you know, or my country shall be entrapped forever and I will have to live as a monkey for all time!"

"I'm not very fond of destroying things or hurting such wicked creatures if it can be avoided," said Polychrome. "Then I would be no better than the wicked creature whose life I am ending, and that my conscience could not bear."

"Then we must bid you farewell," said Kukiri with a bow, "for we must destroy the witch if my kingdom of Waxille is to be liberated."

"Goodbye then," Polychrome said, dancing around the pair. "I shall have to find some other adventure to keep me occupied until my father returns, I suppose."

During this conversation Sammy had remained quiet and thoughtful, and just as Kukiri was reaching out to take her hand, the girl exclaimed: "Kukiri, we just can't destroy Kaleendeen!"

The boy monkey's eyes bulged, and he could not, at first, find the words to respond. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Have you forgotten what the evil creature has done to my land and to myself, and how she had every intention of transforming you into a living goat, and would have, too, if not per chance a gust of wind had come by?"

"She is quite a wicked thing, indeed, and I have not forgotten that," replied Sammy calmly. "She deserves to be rightly punished for her awful deeds, but Polly is right. It would just be deplorable of us to destroy the witch, no matter how wicked she is. She is, after all, a living thing, and just as deserving of life as any one of us."

"I hardly think so!" Kukiri stamped his foot indignantly. "Such a wicked thing is more deserving of death in any regard, I would think, and Boboland would be much better off if we were to put an end to her altogether. Otherwise, she would terrorize other kingdoms and make many more lives miserable, and that would be even more deplorable."

Sammy considered this, and she could not decide what was the best thing to do. She knew in her heart's heart that to destroy anything, be it a bug or a witch, was not right, yet the witch was evil, and to put her to an end would be to everyone's benefit, to be sure.

"What do you think, Polly?" asked Sammy of the fairy, who happened to dance by her at that moment.

Polychrome paused in her flit and mused over the question. "To destroy the witch," said she, "would be an awful thing, and I would never take part in such a quest. But it wouldn't be so terrible to simply disenchant the wicked thing. For then, she would be harmless to all, and she may have all the time in the world to reform."

"But how would we go about that?" inquired Sammy curiously.

"If she is not a full witch, then her magic-ry cannot be within her own form, as is the case with true fairies, and thus must rely on magical instruments to perform her wicked-ries."

"Then, all we must do is take away her instruments and she would become harmless!" cried Sammy. happily clapping her hands together.

"But," inserted Kukiri, "that will not disenchant me in the least, for even if we were to rid Kaleendeen of her witchery, her enchantments would still hold firm."

"As for that," answered Polychrome, "I'm sure that, if you were to entreaty them, the kind folks of the Land of Oz would give you all the assistance that you would need. Glinda the Good, who is the most powerful sorceress of all the fairylands, could surely disenchant the spells of such a second-rate witch."

"And why would the good witch Glinda assist us?" demanded Kukiri.

"Because she is kind, and I know the people from Oz," answered Polychrome. "They would help anyone who needs their assistance, you know, if they were to be made known of it."

"This Oz sounds like quite a wonderful place," said Sammy.

"Indeed it is," replied Polychrome. "It is the most wonderful country in the world. It's a wonder you've never heard of it."

"Sammy comes from the mortal world," Kukiri explained. "Once we have freed my people, we are going to do everything in our power to help her return there, too."

"Oh, a mortal!" Polychrome exclaimed pleasantly. "Dorothy would be delighted to meet you, so few mortals come to fairylands anymore."

"Is Dorothy a fairy?" asked Sammy.

"Not at all, dear!" said Polychrome. "She is a mortal herself, come here from Kansas in a great tornado at one time, and has since settled in the Emerald City with her aunt and uncle to live forever."

"Why, Kansas is in America!" Sammy cried happily. "Do you suppose that Dorothy could help me return home?"

"Of course! She goes back to America sometimes, but finds that the more time progresses, the less lovely the country is. She quite prefers Oz. But all she need do is strap on her magic belt and it shall be a simple matter to send you back to whence you came."

"You won't abandon me now, will you, Sammy?" asked Kukiri sadly, for he feared his friend would no longer follow him if she had a real means to return home.

"Of course not!" assured Sammy. "You're my friend, after all, Kukiri, and I would never leave you."

This the boy monkey was relieved to hear.

"But, see here, Kukiri, we mustn't destroy the witch," determined Sammy. "If you feel you must, then I shan't be able to go on with you, for I could never bring myself to do such a horrid deed. Instead, we must disenchant her. And I'm sure the people of Oz will help liberate your land after the witch is made harmless, right, Polly?"

Polychrome nodded once in response, than began to dance merrily around the adventurers once more.

"I would much prefer to destroy her," said Kukiri, thoughtfully, "as even if she were to lose her magic, she would still be quite a dreadful and awful creature, and would still try to cause whatever mischief she could. But I suppose if she did, my father could easily imprison her for such deeds.

"All right, then!" agreed the boy monkey. "We shall do whatever we can to divest her of her magic. Then the Great Goblin Fairy cannot make Kaleendeen into a full witch and Waxille shall be saved from persecution!"

"Good!" Sammy said triumphantly. "Polly, will you come with us then?"

"I've no objections to rendering a witch powerless," said the rainbow's daughter, "if they do not behave themselves and use their powers for wicked purposes. It's been some time since I've been on a real adventure, and I think I'd enjoy it. I'm sure my father will be able to find me, wherever I am, and send his bow down to rescue me then."

Sammy was quite pleased to have Polychrome join them, for she was such a beautiful and lovely fairy, and Sammy thought her to be much more right-minded than the girls she had met in California, and thought she would make a true friend.

"Well, let's not delay any longer," said Kukiri. "It is a long journey ahead of us, and we should embark upon it forthwith if we are to defeat the witch before she reaches the kingdom of the Great Goblin. We will all be in great straits if she should be made a full witch."

This neither the fairy nor the mortal girl could argue with, and so they began again, Kukiri leading the way, and Polychrome skipping at Sammy's side, humming a fairy tune that Sammy found to be quite beautiful.

###### IX. The Land of Caves

They walked for some hours and didn't stop to rest until noon was upon them and the sun was high in the air and breathing its warmth across their backs. Here they settled under a sweeping willow tree and Sammy had herself another bag of chips and a juice drink. Kukiri had a bit, but not much, and when she offered some to Polychrome, she declined, as she didn't care much for mortal food and didn't eat much anyhow. Instead, she simply danced about the hard ground, bouncing lightly to and fro, and Sammy and Kukiri leaned against the tree's trunk and watched her perform.

Soon it was time to continue on again, and off they were once more. Polychrome would keep them entertained as she tripped about, and when she became tired, she would tell tales of the sky and of her father and uncle and sisters and the other fairies, which delighted Sammy to hear and reminded her of her own fantasies. They traveled for some hours like this until the sky began to grow dark and day had left it.

As Polychrome was pointing out that her grandmother had just awoken and was slowly stretching herself across the land (Granny Evening, she called her), the group of adventurers came the entrance to a town. There was no door, nor gate, but only a deep rock tunnel before them and a sign, which read:

"This way to Shutall - the Land of Caves"

"Have you ever heard of such a place, Kukiri?" Sammy asked after glimpsing the sign.

"No," said the boy monkey. "I am afraid I am not a very accomplished traveler. I know some of the more popular towns and cities, but those more obscure places such as this Shutall I have no knowledge of."

"I am an accomplished traveler," piped in Polychrome. "But Boboland is not one of my accomplishments. I wonder what sort of town Shutall could be."

"Do you suppose the people are hospitable?" inquired Sammy, who did not rejoice in the idea of sleeping on the hard ground that night.

"They may be," thought Kukiri, who could tell his mortal friend was in need of a full meal and a soft bed. "Let's find out," added he.

"But there's still light out," objected Sammy, and it was true. Though the sun was setting, there was still an hour or two left of dim light to travel by, and the girl knew that the more distance traveled the better, for Kaleendeen had begun her journey before they and, having dealings with witchcraft, already had an unfair advantage.

"There may not be another town for some miles," said Kukiri. "This is the first one we've come upon all day. We should at least explore it. Perhaps its people can tell us how far we are from the Goblin City and assist us in our journey in some way."

"And if they are like the dreadful Masker-Raiders?" asked Sammy, shuddering at the very thought of the awful creatures.

"Then we shall make examples of them as well," said Kukiri boldly, though his humor did not mirror his gallant front.

"It should make for an interesting experience, anyhow," added Polychrome.

Sammy did not argue with them, for she did not have the energy and knew that she could not travel much longer. She followed them into the cave, Polychrome lightly stepping in first and Kukiri, taking Sammy's hand, leading the girl after her.

As they walked onward, the tunnel's floor slowly stretched downward, deeper and deeper into the bottom of the earth. The cave grew darker and darker until they could hardly see their own forms, and had to walk slowly, hand in hand through the cave to avoid tripping over some loose rock or losing each other in the vast darkness.

"It's so very cold down here," said Polychrome with a shiver. "I'm afraid dancing shan't be able to warm me so deep below the earth's surface."

"Are you cold?" asked Sammy.

"Earth always feels cold to me," replied she. "I'm used to living in the sky, you see, just near the sun. I don't know how you groundlings stand living so near to the cold floor."

"I suppose we're used to it," mused Sammy. "The sky would likely feel awfully hot to us, if we were to visit there, just as the earth feels so cold to you."

"That may be," thought Polychrome. "I wouldn't advise traveling to the sky, though, Sammy dear, as you are just a mortal girl. If you were a fairy like me, you may have a gay time, but that's because fairies cannot be harmed by such things as heat and cold, while I'm certain mortals can be."

"If there is too much of it," nodded Sammy. "Still, it sounds like a wonderful place."

Here Sammy took from her pack her own little pink jacket and offered it to Polychrome. The rainbow's daughter accepted it gratefully, and wrapped the girl's jacket about her slender shoulders and at once felt warmer.

They traversed the cave for some time longer and, after a while, the ground leveled off and became flat and even once more, and a dull light could be seen emerging in the distance. The dim light came closer and closer and soon the entire company found themselves out of the damp, little cave and looking upon a green and lovely valley just beyond.

It was immediately evident why the place was designated "the land of caves," for the dipping hollow they had just traveled was only one of many chambers leading from the town. Tall-stretching mountains surrounded the Shutall valley on every side, blocking the light from the currently-fading sun and the rising moon, and if they didn't know better, they would have thought it was midnight, it was so dark.

The only light came from the houses, shining brightly from within and peering through the glass windows and casting an eerie haze of luminescence across their forms.

Every one of the surrounding mountains had a number of caves reaching into its base with dirt paths leading directly to them, and each one was labeled with a wooden street sign to show their destination. Looking above them, the group of travelers could see a post with a sign that read "Central Boboland" which stood just before the cave in which they had come.

The little Shutall town was quiet. No person could be seen on the dark streets and the entire land seemed deserted of any citizens.

"Perhaps they've all turned in for the night," suggested Sammy, who yawned at the idea.

"There is light coming from some of the homes," said Kukiri as he gazed down upon the little town. "So there must be some inhabitants of this land, anyway."

"There is only one way to be certain of that," said Polychrome wisely.

"Then let us go to the first home we come upon and ask for accommodations," decided Kukiri.

The boy monkey led the way and the two girls, hand in hand, for it was quite dark and they didn't want to loose themselves, followed closely behind. They went down the inclining cliff, stumbling across the uneven rock surface until they came to the entrance of the Shutall village and stepped onto a more finely paved rock road.

"I certainly hope these Shutall folks are more agreeable than some of the other persons in this land," said Sammy as they advanced upon the nearest house.

"Not all people in Boboland are so unpleasant as those we've encountered thus far," Kukiri said. "Many are quite amiable and good-natured. Boboland is a very fine fairy country with very hospitable people. I hope you don't let the few wicked experiences we've had influence your perception of it."

"All countries have their unpleasantries," Sammy answered. "Certainly life would be quite boring without some adversity, and an adventure just wouldn't be an adventure without some peril."

No one argued this point and soon they found themselves before the door of a little Shtuall cottage made of black oak. Kukiri knocked on the hard wood door and a few moments later the door opened and revealed a queer creature, so shocking to view that they at once hid their eyes from sight of it.

"I must apologize," said he in an echoing voice. "Please, allow me to dim my bulb."

With that the man reached up to the top of his head and turned the object that was screwed directly into his skull, dimming the light that was brightly shining from it.

Now the company turned their gaze back to the man and studied his person more thoroughly. His body was much like that of a human, dark-skinned and dressed in faded work clothes. His head started out normal enough, with a chin, a mouth, a nose and two eyes, but when it came to his forehead the man's flesh ceased and turned to metal.

The metal reached nearly two inches above his head and had circular grooves winding round it. Screwed into this metal base was a giant glass bulb, and this was filled with a great shining light, so bright even now that he had unscrewed it and, thus, dampened its glow, that the travelers felt compelled to gaze upon the man with a hand over their brows, to cast a shadow upon their eyes.

"You're awfully bright," remarked Sammy.

"It's kind of you to say so," smiled the man pleasantly. "You yourselves are quite dim. You are travelers no doubt."

"Indeed we are," the boy monkey spoke. "I am Kukiri, this is Sammy, and this is Polychrome, daughter of the rainbow. We are on a quest to conquer a wicked witch who has enslaved my land."

"A witch?" said the man with interest. "That is quite a journey. I suppose you need a lodge for the night and, as you seem quite genial, I would be happy to offer you such, though my home is not all too big."

"We needn't much room," Kukiri quickly said. "We would be much obliged to accept your invitation."

"Very good," said the man. "I am Philip E. Lectronic. Please, come in."

The three adventurers followed the man into his home and he led them to a little table in the kitchen.

"I am just now preparing supper. I am certain you must be hungry," said he, and went to the stove.

"Oh, yes," said Sammy, who was glad to have a hot meal. "You're certainly very kind, Philip, to take us in like this."

"As for that, we Bright Bulbs always try to be courteous to travelers," returned Philip. "Especially to sky fairies, to whom we are much indebted."

"Oh, are you indebted to Polly?" asked Sammy curiously.

"Not the rainbow's daughter directly, no," answered Philip, as he began to cook a slice of ham in a frying pan. "But you see, it is the fairies of the rays, who make the sun itself shine, who we owe our current shape to, and is why we Bright Bulbs appear so different from normal folks without screw-in bulbs."

"Will you tell us, then, how the ray fairies made you Bright Bulbs?" Sammy asked with fascination.

"Very well," said the Bright Bulb. "I will tell you as I prepare our supper, and I will try to be as brief as possible, for I can tell you are all quite weary and would like to eat and put yourselves to bed as soon as possible.

"This land of Shutall, as you have likely seen for yourselves, is surrounded by high-reaching mountains, so tall that not a bit of sunlight reaches the land. The Shutalls, as our people were called at that time, knew nothing of night and day and only knew of darkness. We wandered clumsily about, bumping into things, and could not make usefulness of ourselves, for we could not see anything we were doing.

"As you are aware, the mountains surrounding our great village are lined with many caves which lead to many strange places, but we could not know that then, for we could not discern the caves from the rock they were bore from. If we had known of any means to escape our dark and dreadful land, we surely would have, for we were quite miserable then.

"Every so often a Shutall would find a cave and step through it, and when he appeared on the other side he no doubt found a place with much light. He dared not return to Shutall for fear of never finding the cave again and once more being trapped in our dark land, and so those unlucky enough to never have come upon such a cavern knew nothing of their existence.

"As it happened, the ray fairies happened to rise above our land one day and notice that they were not able to cast any light beyond the mountains' boundaries. This caused the sun's rays much sadness, for their whole purpose in life was to cast light upon whatever they could, and so they journeyed to our land, for they wanted to do whatever possible to bring light to it.

"The fairies' shine instantly brightened our city, and we begged for them to stay, for we never wanted the light to vanish from our country again. But alas, they could not, for they had to travel to other parts of the world and shine upon them, and so we feared that we would forever be trapped in darkness once more.

"The ray fairies knew our plight and, bless their fairy souls, refused to abandon us just as miserable as we were before they came. Instead, they called to Mother Nature, who is an ally of the sky fairies, to give us a little oasis, and Mother Nature did so gladly. Then the sun's rays did something quite wonderful. In this oasis they sprinkled their fairy dust upon the ground and told us: 'From this ground will appear bulbs of light fruit, and these will forever grow as long as the sun shines.'

"And sure enough, from the ground sprouted a great plant, with large bulbs of glass fruit, each with a great shine emitting from it. It seemed all our troubles were at last gone, but alas! the birth of this great bulb fruit was not without complication. For when the bulb fruit was picked the light almost instantly faded away, and so the fruit could not be transported away from the magic oasis the fairies had granted us, leaving our land of Shutall completely enveloped in darkness still, save for the pretty oasis itself.

"But the ray fairies understood this, and so they enchanted us with the power to light the bulbs ourselves. Our craniums were instantly replaced with a magic metal which would summon the power of the sun's rays and allow the glass bulbs to shine when screwed directly into our heads.

"So you see, though the sun never shines on our land of Shutall, we now have the magic of the sun in ourselves, thanks to the lovely ray fairies, and shall forever as long as the sun will shine."

"How queer!" exclaimed Sammy when Philip had finished his story. "But I suppose it can be an advantage to be able to light up wherever you go."

"It certainly is," returned the Bright Bulb, who was now bringing over food plates for his guests. "And now that our people can see what our land is like, we can travel through our caves, which are so dark and dreary that they are nearly impossible to explore without some light. We have nearly explored every cavern in our land now, you know, and they all lead to such queer places, some friendly and some not."

Here he sat a plate of sliced ham and mashed potatoes before Sammy and Kukiri, and before Polychrome he placed a plate of bread and butter, for he knew that sky fairies didn't care for human food, and preferred more delicate eatables.

Now they all sat down and ate, and when they finished their meals the Bright Bulb showed them to their room, which was a little den with one couch and a bookshelf. Philip brought them as many blankets and pillows as he could find and apologized for not having enough furniture for them all to sleep on.

"In the morning," said he, "you can tell me about your own adventure and where you wish to journey. Perhaps one of our caves may lead to that land, or one quite near it, and so you may be able to use it to travel by."

They thanked their host for his hospitality and Kukiri prepared a bed on the floor and Sammy was allowed to sleep on the couch. Polly didn't need to sleep and she was restless anyway, and thought she might pass the night exploring the town and dancing, to which neither of her companions objected.

It wasn't long before sleep came upon them, for it had been some time since they had a comfortable night's rest, and when the Bright Bulb unscrewed his bulb there was hardly any light visible to disrupt their slumber.

###### X. Polychrome Picks a Bulb Fruit

The next morning they awoke and found that Polychrome had still not returned from the night before. They may have worried if they didn't know she was a sky fairy and were certain that nothing would harm her. Sammy and Kukiri washed their faces and hands and Philip the Bright Bulb prepared them a wonderful breakfast of waffles and eggs, and they were very grateful for it.

Polychrome lightly stepped into the kitchen just as they were finishing their meal and assured them that she was not hungry, for she had consumed a few dewdrops from some plants shortly after the sun had risen.

With breakfast finished, they all went to the Bright Bulb's sitting room to relate their adventure thus far to Philip.

Kukiri told the story and when he finished the Bright Bulb stroked his chin musingly. "You've had quite an adventure so far. And it is far from over, for this Goblin City you are venturing to is fraught with danger. I know this, you see, because the cave that leads there has been barred from travel."

"That's too bad!" Kukiri said, disappointed. "We shall have to travel in some other way to the Goblin City, then."

"That may not be wise," returned Philip. "You see, young Kukiri, from what you have told me, it is quite evident that the witch Kaleendeen will arrive at the Goblin City before you. Your only hope to overtake her is by way of magic. And, if you don't know, the caves of our Shutall mountains are magic caves."

"They are?" asked Sammy. "Why, I didn't know that!"

"Yes, indeed," said Philip. "How they became enchanted in such a way we are not certain, but you see, the country of Boboland, from whence you came, is really quite a distance off from Shutall, and would have taken you some time to journey here, if you hadn't passed through the magic cave. If you were to continue with your travel as you are now it would take you many long and weary days to reach the Goblin City and Kaleendeen's magic would certainly aid her in arriving there long before your journey is completed."

"Then our only hope is to travel through the magic cave," decided Kukiri. "Shall we be able to pass through it?"

"Though it is barred from travel, I believe you shall be able to pass, for you are travelers and are not required to obey such laws," said the Bright Bulb after some consideration. "But the cave leading to the Goblin City is long and filled with tricks planted by the Goblin Fairy herself, for she does not want any persons to enter her grounds uninvited. It shall not be a journey of leisure."

"It is a journey we must endeavor," said Kukiri sternly.

"I wish that there was some way that I could assist you," said the Bright Bulb, "but our people have no magic to speak of, except for our bulbs. Aha! That's a thought! Perhaps I can assist you, yet!" cried he suddenly, and his bulb grew quite bright then, for he had just invented a wonderful idea.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Sammy.

"As you are aware, the magic caves are quite dark. If you wish to venture through one so perilous as the cave which leads to the Goblin City, you will certainly need your own source of light."

"Yes, it would be quite difficult to make the journey in the dark," agreed Kukiri. "But the light of the glass bulb fruit fades after it is picked. Certainly they would not be of much help."

The Bright Bulb considered this deeply for a time. "Yes, it would certainly be futile to bring a bulb fruit without a Bright Bulb present to keep the light shining."

"Then we may have to wander the cave in the dark," said Kukiri with a frown.

"If I could journey with you myself I would," said Philip E. Lectronic, "but the Goblin City is a terrible place and if we were to be attacked by some strange creature I may break my bulb, and I would have a terrible time finding my way back through the cave to Shutall."

"That is something we cannot ask you to do," objected Sammy, who did not want to put their hospitable host in harm's way.

"Then I'm afraid I may not be able to assist you in any fashion," said the Bright Bulb with a sigh.

"Ah, but you forget, Philip, that I am a sky fairy," piped in Polychrome, who had been listening intently to their conversation.

"What good is that to us?" inquired the boy monkey.

"You see, Kukiri, it is the magic of the sky fairies which allows the glass bulbs to continue to shine once they are picked," explained the daughter of the rainbow. "I am a sky fairy myself, after all, and have fairy magic as well. I believe it shan't be so difficult to cast a spell to make a glass bulb glow after it is picked, as long as I am near to it. However, if I were to be separated from the bulb it could not shine, for without my sky magic, it would loose all its luminosity."

"Oh, Polly, I didn't know you could do such wonderful things!" Sammy clapped her hands together, pleased. "You really are a fairy, aren't you?"

"I am," nodded she. "Though my magic is meager compared to others', it can be useful in some situations, and this happens to be one of them."

"I am glad to hear this," the Bright Bulb said and rose from his seat. "I am very pleased that I can assist you in your journey in some way."

"Oh, but you've already assisted us by being so kindly," returned Sammy.

"In that case, I am glad that I may further assist you," said he. "Come, let us go to the oasis and pick out a bulb fruit. Then you may begin on your journey through the cave at once."

This they happily agreed to and so they followed Philip the Bright Bulb to the oasis, which was in a far off corner of Shutall. The streets of the land of caves now were bustling with some of its Bright Bulb citizens, who waved to them and smiled upon them, and Sammy was glad to be in such a friendly country after their previous encounters. The bulb heads of the people shined greatly and together lighted the entire country, so that one could scarcely know that the sun did not reach into their valley when they were all out in the open and their shine not enclosed behind the walls of their homes.

They soon came upon the oasis, and it was separated by a great rock wall, so that it seemed that no one could possibly enter. But as they approached the barrier they saw a passage appear from as if from nowhere and Philip explained that the ray fairies had enchanted the wall to protect the glass bulb plants, and that only the light of the sun's rays would reveal the entrance to the oasis. In this way only Bright Bulbs would have access to the passage and so no harm would come to the light bulb crops by some malicious strangers.

They entered through the passage and beyond they found a glorious meadow, with bright and crisp green grass and a clear pond in the center, which sparkled like the sun's rays itself, for the dust of the ray fairies had been left on its surface. From the ground grew the bulb plants, and they were long and thick stalks, with heavy glass bulbs hanging from their stems, some quite large, others small and still not ripened.

The bulbs that were ripe and ready to be picked glowed brightly and the shine of all these bulbs made the closed-in oasis so bright that it burned their eyes to gaze for too long, for it was nearly like staring at the sun.

"You may choose any bulb you wish," said Philip.

Polly examined the ripened bulbs carefully, for being a sky fairy, the blinding glow did not cause her harm. Finally she selected a thin bulb, less bulky than the others and a bit smaller, though fully ripened.

"This will be fine," said she, and Philip led them out of the oasis so that they could open their eyes once more and examine the bulb more fully.

It didn't fade in Polly's hands as it would in any others', but remained as brightly lit as it had been in the bulb garden.

"And now," Polly said, "I shall enchant the bulb so that it is quite small and may be carried in hand. Though, to do this will make its light fade faster, for the bulb fruit does not burn forever. But we shall need the light only for a short time, and it will be much too difficult to carry such a large bulb with us."

This was true, and they did not argue with the rainbow's daughter, who was far more knowledgeable in such things. Polychrome then twinkled her fingers at the bulb, batted her eyes and wiggled her nose, and the bulb shrunk so that it fit in her hand, though it still shined as brightly as before.

"Now I shall keep it on a string around my neck so that I cannot be separated from it and the light will not go out," said she, and she pulled a string from her gauze dress and tied it to the bulb and placed it around her neck, so that the little glass fruit rested against her bosom.

"Then it seems that you are now fully prepared for your journey through the cave," said the Bright Bulb approvingly. "If it's so, I shall lead you there and you may begin immediately."

"Lead the way," spoke Kukiri, who was eager to defeat the wicked witch.

Philip led them to the cave, which was burrowed in a mountain in a dark corner of the Shutall land, devoid of any houses or people. Above it was sign that read:

"The Goblin City - A Land so Dark that Not the Brightest Bulb Shall Brighten it."

"It doesn't seem to be a friendly place," said Sammy hesitantly.

"Of course not," said Kukiri, who was afraid himself, but knew he must put up a brave front for his mortal friend. "It is a land ruled by a wicked fairy, and is no doubt filled with much wickedry. But I cannot turn back now."

"And I shall not abandon you either," Sammy added bravely.

"Then let us enter the cave," said Polychrome and she crossed before them and stepped boldly into the aperture.

"I guess being a sky fairy can make one awfully audacious," thought Sammy.

"It's helpful certainly, when you have any sort of magic," said Philip Lectronic. "You are quite lucky to have the rainbow's daughter in your company. In a fairyland, it is always wise to have some form of magic at one's disposal."

"I am glad Polly's here," said Sammy, "for her courage makes me more bold of heart myself. In my imaginings, I am usually quite brave, but in reality it is something quite different, for the danger is real."

"That is the difference between imaginings and reality," said Kukiri. "Now let us hurry, before we loose sight of Polychrome."

They then waved goodbye to Philip and thanked him for his service, and hand in hand, the boy monkey and Sammy stepped into the dark and ugly cave.

###### XI. Journey Through the Ugly Cave

Polychrome was waiting some distance away, where the light from the Bright Bulbs of Shutall could not reach into the cave. Sammy and Kukiri approached behind her and looked forward down the cave's path to see what lay ahead, though the light of the necklace bulb did not reach far enough down the dark tunnel to tell all.

"There is wicked magic in this cave," whispered Polychrome. "Dreadful magic it is, and we must be careful and stay together, or else this ugly cave will be our undoing. Fear not for your safety, for the tricks are not meant to injure, but to deceive. If they succeed, we may never escape this awful cave."

They considered her words gravely and they were made anxious by such thoughts. But they knew they could trust the rainbow's daughter, and when she stepped lightly forward, they followed her closely and did not dare leave her side.

Up the cave reached higher into the earth, and they walked slowly, observing the inside of the cave with much diligence to be certain they were not passing into some enchanted trap. They walked for a half hour without any disturbance, and still it seemed the cave's egress was a long way off.

After some more time of walking, Sammy suddenly stopped and strained her ears, for she was certain she heard something in the distance. When her companions noticed this they quickly went to her, for they were not to be separated, and asked her what was the matter.

"I hear a rumbling," replied she. "It's far off, but coming closer."

Kukiri, who's enchanted monkey ears could hear for great distances, listened intently himself. At first he could perceive nothing, but by and by he too heard the low rumbling, and they both couldn't fathom what it could be.

But Polycrhome, the rainbow's daughter, did not hear the sound for some time, and when her ears finally did discover the noise, she was more certain than ever of what it was.

"It is magic," said she. "Dark magic, for I cannot perceive it well. The very fact that the sound was blocked for so long from my ears is proof of that, for my own magic did not allow me to be deceived until the wicked spell was nearly upon us."

"What should we do, Polly?" asked Sammy, who was becoming worried, for the low rumbling was now resonating about them and was shaking the rock walls of the cave so fiercely that she could scarcely keep her balance.

"We must not fear it," determined the sky fairy. "It is an illusion, meant to unnerve us and turn us back. We must face this magic spell bravely, and I will do all in my power to disenchant it. But should the spell fall onto us, be brave of heart and remain virtuous, for an evil spell can cause you no despair if you are true of heart."

Kukiri took Sammy's hand and they did their best to be brave and stay calm. The roaring sound came closer and closer, and Polly quickly began to gesture her hands and pronounce a spell in the tongue of fairies in an attempt to thwart the dark sorcery. It seemed, though, that Polychrome's magic was not powerful enough or the sky fairy had not enough time to offset the spell, and in an instant the evil incantation was upon them.

It came in the shape of a freight train, and it was barreling directly toward them. It seemed their death was certain, but Polly again reminded them to remain brave and not to fear this figure, for it was only an illusion, and so they became as uncowardly as they could be.

The train was soon upon them. Whoosh! It accelerated into their persons, but as it came upon them it became nothing but a transparent green fog and faded away shortly thereafter. The rumbling ceased and the spell had vanished more quickly than it had arrived, and none of the party had been harmed in the least.

Indeed, Sammy was more exhilarated than frightened, and Kukiri was thankful that his courage had been warranted.

"If you had been timid of heart," explained Polychrome, "the feign train would have caused you much agony and distress, for evil magic feeds on such worries. So upset would you have been that you would not have the resolve to continue on this journey, nor return to the land of caves, and so would forever be trapped in this ugly cave. But since you were brave the magic didn't harm you in the least, and so we may now continue on as before."

"This gives me hope!" said Sammy cheerily. "That charm wasn't so bad, and I suspect I could face any others with as much effrontery."

"The other spells shall be more powerful and difficult to overcome," warned Polly. "But if you heed my advice I am certain we will overcome them. Until then let us not worry over such black sorcery, and save our consideration for when the time comes to face it."

They then began once more and Polly led them, as before, lighting the path with the shrunken glass bulb fruit, and they traveled for some more minutes without any interruption. To keep them entertained during this trek, Polychrome sang them a fairy song about a stormy day that was brightened by the fairies of the sky, and this kept the company in good disposition as they climbed deeper into the cave.

It was as Polly was finishing this lovely song that they heard a wicked growl, and Sammy began to get very frightened.

"Such a ferocious growl must come from an equally ferocious beast," said she with a shiver.

"It may be the magic of the Goblin Fairy," said Polychrome, "though I cannot be certain. If the creatures reveals itself to us, I may be able to ascertain this more clearly, and if it does not, then we should not fret over it."

So they continued through the cave, and the growling grew deeper and more vicious as they passed. The travelers did all in their power to ignore the ugly snarls, but it was very difficult and Sammy began to become suspicious that the thing might be following them, and kept glancing behind her.

Then, from a before unseen little hole in the side of the tunnel a creature emerged. It was three feet tall, but very savage. Its body was covered in fulvous-colored fur and its hands were quite large, with long ugly claws on them. The thing stood on its hind legs and glared at the party. Sharp fangs were seen its mouth and it had round and menacing ruby eyes and a nose like that of a swine.

"Is it real or is it magic?" asked Sammy fearfully.

"I am not certain," returned Polychrome. "What is it you want from us?" she then called to the creature.

"You have entered my cave and so I must destroy you," said the yellow creature, and it snarled viciously at them.

"Are you a real creature, or are you an illusion conjured by the Goblin Fairy?" asked Polly next.

"I am real, of course," said the monster. "I am no magic creation, and that you will soon understand, for I am very anxious to tear you apart."

"Oh, don't do that!" cried Sammy.

"We shall turn back from this cave if you wish. Please, do not harm us!" added Kukiri pleadingly.

"No, that I cannot allow. Instead I shall destroy you, and that shall be a just punishment for entering my domains," said the furry pig thing.

During this time Polly had quietly been using her fairy magic to deduce if the creature was indeed alive, or if it was merely an enchantment invented to scare them away from the Goblin City and dishearten them.

"Be brave, my friends!" called Polly, "for I have discovered that this thing is but another illusion created by the Goblin Fairy. The spell is strong, and something I cannot disenchant, but I am certain now that this foe is imaginary. Be valiant and do not fear it, or else it will cause you much dismay."

The creature seemed to sour at the rainbow daughter's words, and it became so violent that it lashed at Polychrome with all its might. Polly remained quite still, and stood tall and straight, her chin raised to the sky, and she paid no attention to the beast as it lashed out at her. After some minutes of thrashing at the fairy girl with no result, the thing gave up its attack and sprang away from her.

"You are a fairy, to be certain," said the creature breathlessly. "But these others are not, and so it shall be a simple task to destroy them. And as they are your allies, it shall cause you much pain to see them destroyed, and that shall be a good enough punishment for you as well."

With that the creature leaped at Sammy, and the thing was so hideous and frightening to her that she winced and turned away. Kukiri, seeing poor Sammy in danger, suddenly became resolute, and stepped before her to accept any punishment the creature might effect.

So steadfast and intrepid had the boy monkey been that the evil spell had no effect on his person whatever, and the creature found that this second attack had proven as futile as the first.

"So, I cannot harm you either," spoke the creature with agitation. "But the girl, who is quite scared of me even now, shall be caused much pain, and this I shall do! And so swift will I be that you will not this time intervene."

The beast then dashed away from Kukiri and vaulted at the girl to pounce upon her.

"Be brave, Sammy, and the thing will not harm you!" called Kukiri.

Hearing his words and having seen the creature do no harm to her friends, Sammy managed to discard her fears and faced the wild animal with valor, never fearing for her safety. The creature attacked her with much brutality, and clawed at her with its sharp talons, and did everything it could to destroy her.

But when the thing fell to the floor, exhausted from its attack, it saw that it had not harmed the girl at all, and that she was now laughing at the absurdity of such a useless attack. The beast grew very angry then and seemed ready to assault her once more, but the thing vanished in a puff of golden smoke and the spell was overcome.

"That enchantment was more fierce than the last," said Sammy with a sigh.

"It is good that you did not fear the wicked creature when it attacked you," said Polly with relief. "Else you would have been devastated, and fearful of ever leaving this cave again, for the image of that ugly beast would have haunted you for all time, terrorizing you and never allowing you to depart."

"I must thank Kukiri for that, for it was his bravery which convinced me that I should not be afraid either, and he proved to be a loyal friend when he saved me from a very terrible fate."

"The creature couldn't have harmed you, anyway," replied the boy monkey modestly. "I didn't do all that much really."

"But if you hadn't interceded the spell would have entranced me forever, and I would be doomed. Thank you, Kukiri. You were quite noble in my moment of need," and here Sammy kissed him on his furry head to show her gratitude.

"I shall always do whatever I can to protect you, Sammy," he promised with a bow.

"Now that this enchantment has been thwarted, I am certain we have nearly reached the end of our journey," said Polychrome. "But I believe that we shall face one more conjuration before we are upon the Goblin City, and this will be the fiercest of them all."

"Let us not hesitate any longer," suggested Kukiri. "It is best to face this adversity while triumph is still fresh in our minds."

They began once more, and continued for some time until a dim light began to shine in the distance yonder, and they knew the tunnel's egress was near, and that they would soon be liberated from the ugly cave and arrive at their destination at last.

"Let's make a dash for the opening," suggested Polly, "and maybe we can avoid the Goblin Fairy's final enchantment altogether."

The little travelers took each other's hands and made a quick rush to the light ahead. Just as it seemed they were nearly to the cave's exit, there appeared a small animal before them which halted them in their tracks.

This creature was not ugly and vicious as the yellow-furred pig thing had been, but was cute and pleasant to view, for it was a little scarlet squirrel. It had a puffy tail, and sweet eyes, and it gazed up at them in such a way that it melted their hearts.

"How endearing!" cried Sammy.

"Thank you," said the squirrel graciously. "Do you find me attractive?"

"You are the cutest squirrel I have ever laid eyes on," replied Sammy tenderly.

"Then won't you pick me up and pet me and love me, dear? It makes me happy to be loved," said the squirrel.

"I would like that very much," said the girl, and she approached the little red rodent and bent down to pick it up in her hands.

"Hold on, Sammy dear," said Polly, and she took the girl by the shoulders and led her away from the squirrel.

"What's the matter, Polly?" she asked.

"That squirrel is the Goblin Fairy's final enchantment," explained the rainbow's daughter.

"Oh, but how could the wicked Goblin Fairy invent such a lovely creature?" wondered Sammy, who longed to pick the squirrel up in her hands and love it.

"It is her greatest illusion, for it is the greatest deception she could make," said Polychrome. "If you were to pick up the squirrel and love it like a pet, it would take charge of your heart, and you would be so in love with it that you would want to do nothing but stay in this cave and love the thing for all time."

"I'm not so certain you're right, Polly," said Sammy. "The other tricks were all evil and tried to frighten us into submission. This red squirrel doesn't seem at all in relation to the Goblin Fairy's former spells, and I think you may have been misled somehow."

"I have not, for I have used my sky magic to discover this awful illusion," said Polly firmly. "It is dark magic, meant to corrupt your heart, and if you allow it to willingly, it shall be corrupt forever."

"I don't see how loving something can cause anyone affliction," Sammy returned, and the more she looked upon the lovely creature the more she wanted to pet it and hold it close to her.

"It is a wicked trick indeed, for it uses one's own good and loving spirit against himself," said Polly. "You must trust me, Sammy, and resist whatever urge you may have in your sentimental heart."

"You must obey Polly's advice," Kukiri added. "She is wiser than us in such affairs and so we must avoid the squirrel altogether."

Polychrome and the boy monkey stood on either side of Sammy and took her hands in theirs and then led her away from the squirrel and the girl, at first, did not resist them. But as they were passing the beautiful creature, the squirrel fell to the floor and began to weep and beg for Sammy to pet it and it was such a pitiful sight that the girl could not bear it.

"The poor thing!" cried Sammy, heartbroken. "I must love it now, it is so sad!"

"You cannot," urged Polly. "Your heart is very kind, Sammy dear, and is of greater eminence than your judgment. You must not let your good heart sway you. Understand fully the situation, Sammy, and its reality."

Sammy did understand quite clearly what the rainbow's daughter was imparting to her, but her heart ached so strongly that she could not resist, for she hated to see anything sad, and this was truly the saddest creature she had ever witnessed.

"I must apologize," said the girl, "for I must make this creature happy and love it. If you must, you may leave me, and I shall join you shortly, after I have uplifted this poor animal's spirits."

"Sammy!" cried Kukiri reproachfully, for he knew he would loose her forever if she did not leave the cave with them. "What shall we do Polly? She cannot resist the spell!"

"It is a powerful magic, indeed, and I am sorry for Sammy," returned the fairy girl. "She is but a mortal, and I don't suppose I should have expected her to resist such great magic. It seems she may be lost forever in this ugly cave."

"I will not allow it," said Kukiri with resolve. "If Sammy cannot resist the spell herself then I shall resist it for her."

The boy monkey then sprinted to the mortal girl and grabbed her hands just as she was bending down to pick up the squirrel. Sammy cried and struggled to free herself, for she longed to touch the little red squirrel, but Kukiri held fast, and Polly came and took her other hand, so she could not escape.

"How cruel of you both!" cried the poor girl, and it was clear that the Goblin Fairy's spell had all but taken over her heart. "I thought you both to be fine friends and to respect me, but I see you are as wicked as the Goblin Fairy herself!"

They did not pay her harsh words any mind, for they knew that she was but a victim of the Goblin Fairy's enchantment, and instead led the girl, dragging and kicking her feet all the way, out of the cave. The squirrel wept and wept for not being petted and loved, and when they had disappeared from the cave completely the illusory squirrel vanished in a whiff of carmine smoke, for the Goblin Fairy's final spell had been destroyed.

###### XII. The Goblin City

Sammy wrestled with them for a while after they left the cave, but soon the spell of the red squirrel was lifted from her heart and the little girl came to her senses.

"How awful of me!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "Why, I wasn't thinking straight at all."

"Your thinking was pretty crooked," affirmed Kukiri. "But it isn't your fault."

"I still feel terrible for it," said she glumly. "I hope I can make it up to you all."

"Never mind," returned Kukiri. "It is that wicked Kaleendeen's fault for us having been in that cave in the first place, and she will be punished shortly."

Now the adventurers, pausing to catch their breaths and collect themselves once more, gazed about at their new surroundings.

"What is the place?" asked Sammy gravely.

"This must be the Goblin City," decided Polychrome. "My father never comes to these parts, for my uncle the Rain King never comes here. It's a punishment to the Goblin Fairy for being so wicked."

The Goblin City, indeed, was a miserable and unpleasant place to look upon. There was no light, as the ray fairies had abandoned this land. Looking up to the sky, one could see nothing but darkness. There were no clouds or stars or fog, but only solid blackness, and it made them full of dread. Had they not the bulb fruit around Polychrome's neck still lighting their way, the adventurers would be completely lost in the murk.

The ground was unpaved and bumpy and rough, and as they peered beyond they could not discern what lie ahead.

"Let us go forward," decided Polly after a pause to reflect. "We must face whatever is before us if we mean to reach the Goblin Fairy's castle and intercept the wicked witch."

This was good logic, and so after some rest, they regathered themselves and advanced forward. As they proceeded through the Goblin City, the light of the bulb fruit soon revealed their surroundings more clearly. Around them on each side were toppled brick buildings of great size. These buildings had once been magnificent, but had since been torn down and destroyed for some reason, as if struck by some great disaster.

Scattered around these buildings there slept many tiny little creatures upon the hard ground. They were hardly a foot in height and of assorted colors, each of a dark and gruesome shade. Their faces were ugly to look upon, with long noses, some pointed, some round, beady eyes and scowling mouths. Each had a long and pointed tail which they kept curled under their thin and frail bodies, and though they were sleeping soundly, they seemed quite unpleasant indeed.

"What horrid creatures!" whispered Sammy with dread.

"They must be the goblins," explained Polly, "who are now ruled by the Goblin Fairy, who conquered them and took from them their land. Let us be clandestine and not awaken these creatures, so that we may infiltrate the Goblin Fairy's kingdom unsuspected."

They took Polychrome's suggestion to heart, and so did not speak any further. The travelers crept through the Goblin City, across the unpaved road, stepping as lightly afoot as possible, and made nary a sound. It wasn't long, however, before the light of the bulb fruit began to stir the goblins, for they were not accustomed to such radiance in their country, and before Polly was able to dim it with her fairy magic, the goblins had awoken and espied the strangers to their land.

The creatures stood up and glared at them, and growled ferociously, inducing the three journeyers to halt their progress.

"Trespassers!" called a goblin, and the others joined in chanting "Trespassers!" over and over in their squealing and sharp voices.

"We're not trespassing," interrupted Sammy. "We're just passing through."

"Through-passers are no better than trespassers," said one of the goblins, who was a shade of dark purple. "And we shall treat you no kindlier. We are goblins, you know, and are obliged to destroy any who invade our land."

With that, the purple goblin scurried forward and the other goblins followed suit, surrounding their victims. The purple one hissed angrily at them, then leaped at Sammy and grabbed hold of the front of her overalls.

At first the little girl was frightened by this maneuver, but shortly she found that the goblin was doing her no harm and was only shaking the cover of her overalls violently, as if to put a scare in her.

She gazed down upon the wild creature and noticed now that it was not as ferocious as it first appeared. It was quite ugly, to be certain, but it had no claws or teeth of any kind, and it was very fragile and weak, and seemed not to be able to cause any injury at all.

"Why, it's harmless as a kitten!" exclaimed the girl, and she giggled at the thought.

This seemed to make the goblin more angry, but its anger succeeded in nothing. Kukiri came over and plucked the goblin off of the girl's shirt and set it on the ground, and the assault was ended effortlessly. The other goblins shrank away some, for they knew themselves to be just as harmless and as easily thwarted.

"It's true," sighed the goblin, its shoulders slumped in defeat. "We are quite harmless."

"You shouldn't be so naughty if you aren't able to act upon it," said the girl positively.

"As for that," answered the goblin, "we used to be quite fearsome creatures, and could destroy any persons who entered our domains. Old habits are hard to break, you know. Those days have past, I am afraid, for the wicked fog fairy has since taken away our fearsomeness."

"Who is the fog fairy?" asked Sammy curiously.

"She is the ruler of this domain presently," replied the purple goblin. "She came to our Goblin City and conquered us and turned us into meek rodents, so that we could not oppose her, and rules us harshly. It is why she has become known as the Great Goblin Fairy in other countries, though she has no relation to us, and we despise our oppressive dictator."

"I might be remorseful for you, if your people weren't so wicked themselves and deserving of such a punishment," Sammy said.

"None feel remorse for goblins but the goblins themselves, and it has been that way for centuries," the purple goblin answered. "We do not expect any now that we are tame."

"Certainly not," spoke Kukiri. "Now we must end this conversation, little goblins, for we must go to the Goblin Fairy's castle."

"That we cannot allow," said the goblin. "Though we loathe the Goblin Fairy, we must obey her commands, for she can cause us much injury if we don't, and so we must enslave you."

"And how could you do that?" demanded Kukiri with a snort. "You can cause us no harm in the least and so are in no position to threaten us."

"We cannot," returned the goblin, "but the Goblin Fairy may. If you do not come with us, then we must warn the fairy of your coming, and she will become so enraged that she will turn you into insects, so that we may tear you to pieces."

"And if we come with you?" asked Polychrome.

"The Goblin Fairy will still cause you some harm, though your execution may be more pleasurable, for our empress will be more good-natured if she need not hunt you down," asserted the purple goblin.

"That's some choice," sighed Sammy unhappily.

"We will go with you," decided Polly. "In this way the Goblin Fairy won't be expecting us, and we will have a better likelihood of accomplishing our task."

"Whatever that task may be is not likely to be accomplished," said the goblin. "But you may attempt it if you wish, and find yourselves made as meek and helpless by the Goblin Fairy as she has made ourselves."

The party was then led away by the horde of goblins down the main street of the Goblin City, and as they were passing through the broken metropolis Sammy enquired: "Was it the Goblin Fairy who destroyed your homes?"

"Indeed so," confirmed the purple goblin. "She did not want us to live in any comfort, but to live in misery, so that we would be as wicked as possible. We were never of a pleasant disposition, you know, but are now even more unpleasant, if less malefic."

Soon they were upon the Goblin Fairy's kingdom. It was quite large and its walls were made of a dark and ugly stone. All around were rocks of precious materials, diamonds and pearls and emeralds and sapphires and amethysts, decorating the palace walls and the wretched garden exterior, which was very ill kept. The jewels would have been quite lovely in any other land, but the darkness of the Goblin City and the walls of the castle took away their glisten and made them dull and unattractive.

The collection of goblins led them through the palace doors. Inside were more dark walls with no windows to see outside (though there wasn't anything to see in the darkness anyhow), and a few dimly lighted lanterns lining the walls to allow one to see the interior of the castle. The creatures took them to the kingdom's anteroom, where they were made to wait as the purple goblin, who seemed to be the creatures' leader, announced their capture to their ruler.

Those goblins who had escorted them into the palace now watched the party converse amongst themselves with suspicion. They whispered of what their plan of action was to be, and how they may be able to disenchant Kaleendeen when she arrived and escape the Goblin Fairy thereafter. It seemed a thorny quandary, and it was one that none could easily invent a solution to.

As they were discussing this exact plight the purple Goblin returned from the royal state room.

"I am afraid," said the goblin as it scampered toward its captives, "that the Goblin Fairy is indisposed at the moment, and cannot punish you currently. She asked that you remain here in the anteroom so that she can punish you rightfully when she is unengaged. If you refuse, we cannot prevent your escape ourselves. It is indeed a convenient time you have chosen to come upon our Goblin City, for you shall be the only people in all its history to arrive uninvited and depart unharmed."

The party considered this matter gravely. They did not wish to leave the Goblin City before the wicked witch Kaleendeen's arrival, but they also knew that this stroke of luck was not something to be ignored.

"But," insisted Kukiri, "if we leave now, Kaleendeen shall never be conquered, for she will become an all-powerful witch, and cause much wrongdoing to other peaceful folks."

"Then we must stay," said Polychrome, "if we wish to remove Kaleendeen from power."

"Perhaps it is a fortune to us that the Goblin Fairy is indisposed, for now we may await the witch's arrival without fear of injury," suggested Sammy.

Upon finishing this conversation, the group had come to its decision, and said Polly to the purple goblin: "We shall stay, little goblin, for we have our own business to attend to in this city."

"Ho! What a reckless judgment!" chortled the goblin. "When the Fairy is finished with that rotten Kaleendeen, I am certain that you will regret not capitalizing on that diversion!"

The boy monkey leaped in his seat when he heard these words. "What?! Is Kaleendeen already here?"

"Indeed so," nodded the goblin. "That wretch Kaleendeen has become an apprentice of sorts to the Fairy Goblin, and it seems they are discussing a reward for the witch's services at the moment, for Kaleendeen has brought the Fairy many fine gems over the past days and has been a loyal servant."

The travelers were indeed staggered by this revelation. Even after having used the magic cave to travel to the distant Goblin City they were still not able to preempt the witch Kaleendeen.

"We haven't a moment to lose!" cried Kukiri.

"What shall we do?" asked Sammy, suddenly frazzled.

"Where is the Goblin Fairy and the witch Kaleendeen now?" asked Polychrome of the purple goblin.

"In Her Majesty's royal sorcery room," replied the goblin. "But she is not to be disturbed."

"The Fairy is certain to transform Kaleendeen into a full witch!" wailed Kukiri.

"Then we must intervene," said Polly decisively. "Let us fly to the Goblin Fairy's room of sorcery!"

The three then hurried forward, Kukiri at the front of the party, for he was the quickest, Polychrome next, skipping after him, and Sammy last, chasing after the others as fast as her little legs could carry her. The goblins made no attempt to stop them, as they were powerless to do so, and the journeyers raced down the hall and through the main doorway and vanished from sight.

###### XIII. The Great Goblin Fairy

When they came to the Goblin Fairy's sorcery room they paused. Sammy was quite out of breath as she wasn't a skilled runner, and she couldn't speak for some moments.

"We mustn't barge in," whispered Polychrome seriously. "The Goblin Fairy is a powerful foe, and is a wonderful enchantress."

"What shall we do?" asked Kukiri, twitching his furry fingers with anticipation.

"Let's see what is happening," was the reply, and Polly opened the door to the sorcery room a bit and the three peered inside.

The room was quite vast, with all sorts of items scattered about. On the wooden table there were a variety of bowls of different magical mixes, pouches of magic powders, and magical charms of different sorts, as well as some books of magicry. There was a potbelly stove in a corner of the room, which was cooking with some magical ingredients, for the smoke that lifted from it was of a pretty pinkish color and sparkled gaily. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, and every arm ended with a round clear glass ball instead of a candle, each of which was magically filled with a dim light.

Before the wooden table stood the wicked witch Kaleendeen, who still had the shape of a half-goat creature and looked quite cross. In her hands she held the magic crystal which contained all her powers of witchedry.

Before the goat witch stood the Great Goblin Fairy herself. She wore a navy blue colored dress, stitched together from the webs of spiders, so that the ends were stringy and torn. Her skin was of a light complexion and she was slender and tall. Her face would have been pretty, but her twisted expression took away any of its beauty, so that she was quite a terrifying image. Her hair was of a bright azure color and was scraggly and unkempt.

"She is the queen fairy of the fog," whispered Polly to her friends. "Her story is a terrible one, for she was once a sky fairy like myself, but chose to abandon our upperworld to live on the cold earth, for she enjoyed playing tricks on the groundlings, and my uncle, the Rain King, did not approve of this. It would seem she's been corrupted and now means to cause as much suffering as she is able to. It is the only reason for her to ally herself with the wicked witches of the world. She must have acquired a good deal of magic while on earth, for no sky fairy could ever create a full witch, and I fear she may be too powerful to overcome."

"She should be punished," replied Sammy churlishly.

"If it were possible, I am certain my uncle would do so. But we fairies of the sky have no control over the land below, and so cannot punish her as long as she remains living on earth."

The three turned their attention back to the sorcery room, as the Goblin Fairy had just spoken in a bitter tone to Kaleendeen: "So, you ask of me, the Great Goblin Fairy, to give you the full power of a witch?"

"I request this humbly," said the witch, and here she bowed low to the ground.

"Rise!" demanded the Goblin Fairy, and Kaleeendeen obeyed. "You've brought me a good assortment of precious stones, this I must admit, but any ordinary miner could accomplish the same task. And now, imprudent Kaleendeen, you come to me, transformed into the form of a goat, of which you cannot cure and say that a little girl of great power engendered unto you, and ask that I make you a full witch?"

"I request this humbly," repeated the witch with another bow.

"You are a fool witch, then!" bellowed the Goblin Fairy. "I ask, why should I enchant you, the Kaleendeen goat, and confer such precious power to you? Perhaps I should find the girl who bested you and grant her the power of a full witch!"

"This girl is not wicked," retorted Kaleendeen. "She has a loving and kind heart and would only bring good to the world."

"Ah! So that's the rub!" cried the Goblin Fairy, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "And if I were to grant your request, Kaleendeen, how would you prove yourself worthy of it?"

"I would cause wickedness throughout this country of Boboland and in other lands as well," answered the witch. "First and foremost, though, I shall find that caring girl and destroy her! And so the world shall be twice as evil for your having granted my request."

"A first-rate response," said the Goblin Fairy, grinning deviously. "You are a fine witch, Kaleendeen, and I believe you worthy of this power, for you have a fire in your belly. If I should bestow it upon you, you must promise to always submit to me and be my subject, or else I shall remove from you all of your powers of witchcraft and destroy you."

"This I readily agree to, Great Goblin Fairy," answered Kaleendeen dutifully.

"Then stand before me, Kaleendeen, and hold your magic crystal above your head, and I shall proceed with the ceremony," announced the Goblin Fairy.

Kaleendeen was now cackling with delight and the three adventurers knew that their moment to act was now or else any opportunity to thwart the wicked witch would be lost. Kukiri reached quietly into Sammy's pack and removed the bottle of water they had brought from Cadancal. He had no objections to depriving the witch of her power if at all possible, but now it seemed that the opportunity to enact this strategy had passed, and he was certain that in this time of need the only solution was to be rid of the witch completely.

He scampered forward suddenly, bounding into the sorcery room, and Polly and Sammy were too shocked by this action to respond at once. Both the witch and the Goblin Fairy took notice of the monkey boy's intrusion, and cried the latter:

"What is the meaning of this brazenness?"

He spoke not a word, but quickly uncorked the glass bottle and moved to splash it across the witch's skin. As he made this maneuver, however, he found the bottle suddenly wrenched from his hand and flung across the sorcery room and against the farther wall, shattering it and emptying its contents without ever having touched the witch's figure.

Kukiri stood motionless, aghast as to what had happened, and screeched Kaleendeen:

"It is that wicked boy monkey from Waxille! I should have destroyed that imp the first time I laid eyes upon him!"

Polychrome and Sammy now advanced into the room behind the boy monkey, and chided Polly: "What a horrible trick, Kukiri!"

"You removed the container of water from my hands?" demanded Kukiri, pouting.

"Yes, indeed," confirmed the rainbow's daughter. "I am surely not going to stand idle while you deprive a creature, wicked as she may be, of life. A sky fairy's duty is to bring happiness to the world through light, not through acts of darkness, after all."

"You have doomed us all, Polly!" wailed the monkey boy.

"She's right, Kukiri," said Sammy reprovingly. "You should be ashamed of yourself. After all, you gave us your word that you wouldn't harm the witch."

"I didn't see any alternative," said he, turning his face to the floor, embarrassed. "Please forgive me, Sammy."

"This must be the girl who enchanted you," said the Goblin Fairy, looking upon Polychrome. "Though, I don't believe the little daughter of the rainbow would perform such an awful deed."

"No!" returned Kaleendeen. "It is the other one. Her," and she pointed her long oily finger at Sammy.

"But that girl has no magic of any sort in her person! She is but a mortal girl!" spat the Goblin Fairy with ridicule.

"Impossible!" grumbled Kaleendeen.

"It's true. I sense no magic within her, and even a wicked witch as yourself could have easily destroyed her," returned the Goblin Fairy with a laugh.

"I've always known you to be a mischievous sort, Brumela, but I never thought you so iniquitous as to align yourself with the wicked witches," said Polly, disapprovingly, to the Goblin Fairy. "I command you to stop this act of treason in the name of the Sky Kingdom!"

"Wrap yourself in a cloud and put yourself to bed, little daughter of the rainbow," said the Goblin Fairy with agitation. "You are not the Rain King and I do not have to submit to your demands. Let me have my fun and keep your perky nose out of my affairs."

The rainbow's daughter became a bit sulky after this speech by the Goblin Fairy, and Kaleendeen then turned to the fairy and cried: "And what of me, Great Gobliness?"

"I guess you want revenge, goat Kaleendeen, and so I'll assist you in this," said the former Fog Fairy with a sneer. "These three wanderers have tried to destroy you and so now I shall make you a full witch so that you may put an end to the girl and the enchanted boy, as well at the rainbow's daughter. That would be a funny sight to behold, I think, and I'd like to see it myself!"

The Goblin Fairy then waved her fingers and spoke a rhyme in the language of fairies, and with a great burst of light all of the magic the witch Kaleendeen had accumulated in her glass crystal was transferred into her own body. Instantly her features were restored to normal, and her goat face and wool coat vanished, replaced with her old rugged russet-tinted skin.

Clucking with delight, the full witch tossed her crystal to the floor and it shattered into a thousand pieces. "I no longer need this!" cried she, and then turned upon the travelers. "And now I shall destroy you all for having meddled in my affairs."

Both Sammy and Kukiri were certain that their end was imminent, but Polly was a quick thinker and a crafty fairy, and she removed the bright bulb that was tied around her neck and threw it at the wicked witch. Crash! The bulb fruit exploded in her eyes, suddenly blinding the room in a brilliant flash of the sun's light. Polly took Sammy and Kukiri's hands in hers and quickly led them out of the sorcery room and through the main doorway of the Goblin Fairy's castle.

They stumbled through the blackened Goblin City, for now they had no light to guide them, and Sammy cried:

"Shall we return to the cave?"

"No," decided Polly. "It will be too treacherous a journey without the bulb fruit, and the witch will surely catch us. Let us escape through the Goblin City's main gates."

Polly pulled them ahead, for her eyes were much keener, being a sky fairy, and the goblins screamed and roared as they passed, leaping in the air excitedly to draw the Goblin Fairy's attention. They quickly went through the Goblin City's gate and into the brightness of the afternoon day. The sudden shift from all black to sunlight dazed them momentarily. After they had recovered their sight, they gazed around and saw that there was nothing but flat land before them and no roads to travel by.

"How can we ever hope to escape the wicked witch?" asked Sammy, and she glanced behind her and saw, for the witch had a fierce and unusual glow in the pit of her stomach that revealed her form in the darkness, that Kaleendeen had now left the Goblin kingdom. She had taken to the sky, for she had enchanted her form with insect wings, and was now giving chase to them.

Polly gave no answer, but instead pulled them hurriedly forward, hoping to elude the cunning witch. But Kaleendeen glided so effortlessly through the air that they could not hope to keep her at length. Just as it seemed the witch was upon them and that their end was imminent, a sudden gust rose around them, whooshed under their forms, kicking up their legs, and the three adventurers found themselves gliding through the air on the skirts of the wind at such a brisk speed that Kaleendeen was soon lost to sight.

"Oh, good!" Polly clapped her hands together, relieved, as they sailed through the bright sky. "The wind fairies heeded my entreaty. We shouldn't worry now, for they will guide us to a safe place, away from the Goblin Fairy and the witch, Kaleendeen."

Both the girl and the boy monkey were so surprised by this sudden turn of events that they could not give a word of reply. Instead, they held onto the seat of their pants, for it felt at any moment they would go sailing to the ground far below, though in reality they were quite safe, and waited for the wind to settle them down.

###### XIV. The Kingdom of Dreams

They were carried through the sky for some minutes, the earth whizzing by beneath them at an exhilarating pace. Finally, the wind parted around them and they fell recklessly to the ground. Kukiri toppled head over heels, and Sammy landed awkwardly on her backside. Polychrome floated quite gracefully to the ground, and was quick to help the girl and boy monkey pick themselves up.

"I'll have to give Princess Zephyr a kiss on the cheek for her assistance when I return to the sky," said Polly gratefully.

"That was an experience!" cried Sammy excitedly. "I've never flown before, except in my imagination.

"Quite a trip," added Kukiri, who was still dizzy.

"Where are we now?" asked the girl, straightening out her clothes.

"I'm not certain," answered Polly, who gazed about at their current surroundings.

They found themselves in a great, grassy valley. Before them was a marble path, and this led to a great crystal kingdom with tall spires and domed copulas that shined against the reflection of the afternoon sun. Around this castle was a lovely garden with every flower imaginable to be seen; there were asters and roses, carnations and orchids, daisies and marigolds, pansies and poinsettias and many other sorts, all arranged by color and skirting the exterior of the castle, so that it looked to be a variable rainbow of vegetation.

There was a little clear lake to one side of the castle and little silver fish swam contentedly through it, hardly perceptible to the naked eye. Little trees dotted the landscape and each was perfectly trimmed and brimming with life, each leaf as full green as can be imagined. All in all, the travelers found this to be an exquisite sight and the most lovely land they had come upon in all their journeys thus far.

They silently, for they were awed by the magnificent beauty of the kingdom, walked the marble path to the crystal doorway of the castle. They gazed at this translucent structure for some time before Kukiri finally spoke:

"I don't believe we are in Boboland anymore."

Polychrome nodded her agreement silently.

"Should we go in?" asked Sammy quietly.

"What about Kaleendeen?" Kukiri wondered. "Before we enter this crystal palace, we must come to some decision about how we should deal with the witch."

Polly considered these questions without speaking for a time, then answered reasonably: "We have not the strength to defeat the witch now that she has been transformed. The people of this kingdom seem to have some magic of a kind, and we would not be worse off for having asked for any assistance they may be able to offer in this matter. As it is, there is nothing we can do about the wicked Kaleendeen presently. So I think we should call on the people of this crystal kingdom, and see what comes of it."

This was a sensible speech, and Kukiri and Sammy both thought it to be the most prudent strategy. So Kukiri took up the diamond knocker and tapped it lightly, and the three travelers patiently awaited an answer.

The heavy crystal door swung inward and a young boy about half the age of Sammy appeared. His skin was pale and he wore a purple robe and elegantly embroidered clothes fitting of royalty.

"Oh!" Sammy cried sharply. "It's strange, but I think I know you from somewhere."

The boy smiled bashfully, but didn't reply directly to the mortal girl. "You may enter," said he to the party. "You will be received by our ruler soon."

He then led them into the crystal palace, which was just as pretty on the inside as it was on the outside. The walls gleamed and the floor was of solid marble. The room was decorated with crystal furniture, and the boy led them to a crystal couch where they could sit, and though it appeared hard and stiff, it was actually quite comfortable. The boy then retired and left the adventurers alone in the reception room.

They waited a time in silence, as it seemed appropriate, for there was not a single noise to be heard inside the kingdom. The sound of the birds twittering outside and the breezing wind was lost behind the thick crystal walls, and any noise made inside was met with a hollow echo.

"I wonder," whispered Sammy to her companions after a time of waiting, "what sort of place this is. It seems awfully familiar to me, though I'm certain I've never been here before."

"I feel the same," returned Kukiri. "But I had never left my land of Waxille before our journey began, and I am certain I have never traveled to this land. Still, I am presented with a queer sense of déjà vu that I cannot disregard."

Polly did not speak, and she was certain there was some strange magic at work, but it was of such a curious nature that she could not fully tell what it was. Rather, she waited patiently for the answers to be presented to her so that she didn't strain her mind pondering things she could not hope to understand.

Shortly, a tall door opposite the main entrance opened and a stately woman stepped graciously forward. She wore a silver flowing dress and her skin was soft and white. Her eyes were blue and her hair was a fair flaxen color, wavy and light. The silver dress glistened in such a way that the woman seemed nearly translucent and much like a thinly veiled mist.

The woman approached the three travelers and she was so courtly that they were obliged to stand and bow and curtsey respectively. The fair maiden smiled sweetly at her guests, and said:

"Welcome, dear travelers. I am certain that you have many questions, so I will answer them the best way that I can." Here she paused and looked upon Sammy and said: "This place, my dear Miss Daly, is the Kingdom of Dreams. As to why it seems so familiar to you, that is because you've been here before."

"Have I?" wondered the girl, who was surprised that the woman had answered the question she had been mulling over in her mind.

"Yes, my sweet, as has Kukiri and Polychrome, daughter of the rainbow," replied the woman, smiling warmly. "For you see, my dears, this is where all things come to dream. Many come at night, while they sleep, but the most wonderful folks in all the land come during the day. That's called a daydream, you know, and only the most gifted and clever have them."

"My parents say that I'm a dreamer myself," said Sammy thoughtfully. "I suppose if it were true, I'd be pretty gifted and clever myself."

"You would be and it is," confirmed the woman. "I know you quite well, little Sammy, and you are one of my favorite little dreamers in all the world."

Sammy beamed with pride upon hearing these words, as not so many people - especially one who seemed so important - held her in such high regard.

"As for who I am," said the woman, gazing upon Polychrome, who must have asked the question in her mind, "I am the ruler of this kingdom of dreams. You may address me as Bettyby, if you wish. As for your question, Sir Kukiri," she turned to look upon him, "that shall be answered in due time."

"How is it that you can know what we're thinking?" inquired the boy monkey, who was unsettled by this fact.

"A dream is nothing but a creative thought," answered Bettyby. "In that way, all that one thinks I am aware of."

"Are there really dreams in this kingdom?" asked Sammy next.

"Yes. Every dream that has ever existed," replied the dream princess. "Your dreams are here, too, Sammy."

"Oh, that's where I knew the child from!" cried the girl suddenly. "I dreamed him up in my imaginings one day."

"You did," replied Bettyby, "and he's very grateful for it."

"I was happy to dream him," said Sammy cheerily. "Do all my dreams live here?"

"Yes. This is the home of all dreams," replied the dream maiden. "Though a person may pass from life, his dream shall always remain in my kingdom, and new dreams are created every day."

"It must get pretty full," mused Sammy.

"Dreams don't take up any space, dear," said Bettyby. "For you see, dreams do not truly exist but in one's mind. Though a dream may seem very real, it only seems that way to the dreamer. That is why reality shall always be superior to the dream world. There is nothing so wonderful as the actual, but there is still much to be said for dreams."

"I think so, too," thought Sammy. Dreams were indeed marvelous things, but there were so many feelings in reality that one could not feel in imaginations that she knew Bettyby's statement to be true. Still, this took nothing away from her enjoyment of daydreaming.

"You are a wise little mortal," said the ruler of dreams to Sammy. "I am very glad you have come to my kingdom in this unusual way. Very few folks pass into this realm without having dreamed first."

"I must admit, it seems queer to me, too," replied Sammy, "to dream without dreaming, so to speak."

Bettyby laughed lightheartedly upon hearing this. "Please," said she, "come with me, little ones, and I shall give you boarding, so that you can sleep in comfort this night. There is no finer place to rest than the Kingdom of Dreams, you know."

Here she led them forward toward the door she had entered from.

"But what about --" Kukiri began.

"In the morrow," interrupted the dream princess, "I shall confer with each of you, so that I may better determine how I may assist you. For the day be merry and gay, and sleep well the night, and forget all your troubles until the break of dawn. You can afford a respite from your hardships for a time, and I believe that you will be grateful for it."

With that, she gave them each a separate bunk in the great crystal palace, and they found new, freshly pressed dress in their closets which fit them perfectly, and a bathroom where they could clean and make themselves look respectable once more, for their adventure had made them ragged and frowzy.

###### XV. Bettyby Listens

After they had cleaned themselves and dressed in the dainty clothes supplied by Bettyby, they were invited to a luncheon in the dream garden. Polychrome's dress was much like her former iris gown, but seemed to gleam more, enhancing her already charming appearance. Kukiri had a neat little suit, a sky blue in appearance, made especially to fit his monkey form. He still kept the sailor cap on his head, though another had been provided to him. Sammy wore a darling silver dress that she wasn't quite comfortable in, as she hadn't worn a skirt since she was able to select her own clothes, but was quite becoming of her.

As they met in the garden, Kukiri was obliged to remove his hat and bow, for the beauty of the two girls seemed deserving of such respect, and they curtsied politely in return, for the boy monkey looked quite handsome himself. Bettyby arrived next and was still as elegant as ever. They sat at a little crystal picnic table and the food served itself up by instantly appearing before them.

There were cakes and muffins and corn bread, baked potatoes and biscuits with butter, pastries and profiteroles, noodles and cooked vegetables, and any other delicate eatables that can be imagined.

"It is dream food," explained Bettyby. "That's why it's so soft and fluffy. Still, you'll find it quite filling. There is nothing more satisfying than a good dream food."

They ate it happily and found that it was true and they were quite full when they had finished. The dishes disappeared in a wink, just as quickly as a dream may fade from memory, and Bettyby stood and said:

"Now I shall return to rule over the dreams, as they are likely to turn to nightmares if I'm not there to scold and punish them. You may entertain yourselves as you wish for the rest of the day, and we shall assemble again this evening for dinner before you all retire for the night."

The dream princess then left the garden and returned to the crystal palace. Polychrome began dancing around the little lovely garden, stopping now and then to smell a rose or orchid, and Sammy and Kukiri frolicked together in the flower bed, letting their imaginations make some wonderful adventures, until they tired and sat down upon the picnic table to chatter some.

"What's that, Sammy?" asked the boy monkey.

"It was in the pocket of the dress Bettyby gave me," replied the girl, examining the object she had discovered. "I wonder what it's for?"

"It's a piece of glass," answered Polly as she skipped up to them.

It was true. It was a thin, round piece of glass, looking much like a monocle. Sammy blew on it and wiped it with her dress and said:

"I guess Bettyby wanted me to have, since she put it in my dress, and I guess I'll hold on to it, if she'll let me."

"What would you want a piece of glass for?" inquired Kukiri.

"Oh, I like the way it looks when you hold it up to the sun, that's all," replied the girl, exemplifying this. "It makes everything look so pretty and clear!"

Sammy then put the glass away and she and Kukiri chatted some more. When they tired of talking, they asked Polly to sing the song she had been humming, and the rainbow's daughter was happy to oblige them. She danced around the picnic table singing this song:

"A lovely light born in the sky

Has made a lovely one as I,

And so I dance and sing and flow,

The lovely daughter of the Rainbow.

"A sparrow's song, a rose's nose

Is not as sweet as Polychrome's,

And when the clouds blacken the day

I am the sky's fair promenade.

"How I delight to be so light,

A light so gay and glowing bright

That my father's often said:

'My Polychrome's a lovely maid!'

"And so he smirks and often sings

To all the sky monarchs and kings,

That I am Polly, swift as a doe,

The lovely daughter of the Rainbow!"

When the rainbow's daughter had finished, Sammy clapped her hands together merrily and said: "I quite liked that song, Polly!"

"My father taught it to me," said Polychrome a bit sadly. "I wonder when he'll send his bow down for me. Perhaps he's forgotten me this time."

"No one could forget one so lovely as you, Polly," Sammy said, and this cheered the fairy girl up so much that she danced in a circle and crooned this melody:

"Down to the earth

The earth is really grand

The sky makes it worth

The earth is so very grand

"I dance on the shore

Never been here before

While the sun sets low

Listen now as the seaside winds blow

The waves are certain to come in

But you never know when

And drown the whole beach

Wouldn't that be a peach?

If I died on the sand?

Better, then, to stay on the land

Why should I go back to my bow?

When the moon is just beginning to glow?

"And I dance full of woe

Till I rejoin my bow!

"The storm's gone away

The earth's a wonderful place

But it's so lovely and gay

The earth's a marvelous place!

"Still the sky up above

Look at that pretty dove

Is so warm and secure

And still not nearly as pure

And I may be lost out at seas

As the cool night's breeze

If I don't go home

And yet it's so much more fun to roam!

Father can't wait much longer

Nothing could be wronger

And he'll be gone before the stars start to loom

Than leaving this adventure so soon

"And I dance full of woe

Till I rejoin my bow!

"And now my rainbow is gone

But the earth still subsists

So I'll sing a bright song

Yes, the earth still exists

And tread a lovely ballet

The earth is fine for a day

While I wait for a storm

And the clouds start to form

And I rejoin my bow!"

The company spent the rest of the day in this way, and when evening came they had dinner with Bettyby in the Banquet Hall where the dream princess related her doings of the day. They were very interested in the dream princess' stories, as they'd never before known how much trouble was put into caring for their dreams.

When supper was finished they retired for the night, and Bettyby promised to speak to them in the morning about all their concerns and would lend her assistance to them if she could. Their sleep was filled with dreams of all sorts, for being in the land of dreams was like being in the epicenter of an earthquake, and they were treated to the full effects of dreamland. They slept peacefully, though, and never woke up once in the middle of the night, and Sammy thought it to be the best night sleep she'd ever had.

They awoke in the morning and bathed and dressed in the clothes they had arrived in (they had been washed and pressed the day before, so that they were as good as new) and, after breakfasting, they met Bettyby in the Reception Hall. They sat upon the crystal couch and the dream princess stood before them, smiling pleasantly. Said she:

"My dears, I am quite aware that each of you is searching for something - a dream you wish to come true. To be certain, there is no better place for dreamers than the Kingdom of Dreams! So I shall conference with each of you separately and see if I may help your dreams become reality."

The travelers were quite pleased with this speech, and when Bettyby called Kukiri forward, he sprinted after her quickly, and sat himself upon a little glass chair in the Conference Room.

Bettyby sat in a raised crystal chair before the boy monkey and gazed down at him seriously. "My boy of Waxille," said she, "please tell me what your dream is."

"My greatest dream is to liberate my land," answered the boy monkey excitedly, "and to be forever free of the witch Kaleendeen's persecution."

"Is this what you wish for over all other things?" inquired the dream princess.

"It is."

"Would you sacrifice all things for this?" she asked.

"Yes," said he with no hesitation. "The witch has caused me and my people much pain, and I wish nothing more than to have her destroyed. She is quite deserving of it, you know, and I shall do all in my power to see that her wicked deeds are avenged."

"I am certain now that this is truly your greatest wish," said Bettyby, rising from her chair. "Thank you, Kukiri. If you please, send in Polychrome so that I may confer with her next."

The boy monkey was rather disappointed that the dream princess did not immediately fulfill his request and had done nothing to assist him in realizing his dream, and he left the conference room with slumped shoulders. Polly appeared next, skipping gaily in, and sat down before Bettyby, who asked the rainbow's daughter:

"Tell me, dear Polychrome, what your greatest dream in all the world is."

"For that, I have a simple request," said the sky fairy. "I only wish to return to my home in the sky. The earth is a fine place for a visit, but I grow quite homesick after a time, and my greatest fear is to never see my bow again and to be forever trapped on this hard cold earth."

"A simple and pleasant dream," replied Bettyby seriously. "Would this make you happy, daughter of the rainbow?"

"Nothing could make me more elated!"

"It is a fine dream, Polychrome," said Bettyby shortly. "Thank you for sharing it with me. Now please, send in dear Sammy, so I may speak with her."

Polly was, too, a bit dispirited for not being any better off than before speaking with the dream princess, but she didn't show it. Instead she smiled sprightly and skipped off, and Sammy entered next and sat down in the crystal seat before Bettyby.

"And now, little Sammy, I must ask you: What is your greatest dream? What do you wish more than anything to be true?" inquired Bettyby.

"I do have my own dream," began the girl. "But it would really make me happy, Bettyby, if you let Polly and Kukiri's dreams come true. They're so sad after all, and I think they don't deserve their misfortune."

"And do you deserve yours?" returned the dream princess.

"Maybe not," answered Sammy, thoughtfully. "But I'd still feel awful, even if my own dream came true, if Polly and Kukiri were still miserable. I'd rather be miserable myself, than to have my friends so discontented. I'm sure I wouldn't be so sad, as long as I had my friends to care for me, even if I shall miss my parents immensely. So if you can, Bettyby, I'd rather you grant their wishes before mine and make their dreams come true, for I wouldn't be happy at all if they weren't happy themselves."

Bettyby smiled affectionately as Sammy finished this speech, and rose and patted the girl upon her head. "You are very tender-hearted, little Sammy, and a true dreamer at heart, for most folks dream for themselves. But it is those people who dream for others who are truly deserving of their own wishes. Take this kiss, Miss Daly, and from this time forward may all your dreams come true."

Bettyby then kissed Sammy on her forehead and, taking her hand, helped her to rise form her seat. She led the girl back to the Reception Hall and here she looked upon her guests and said:

"I have done all I may for you, Sir Kukiri and daughter of the rainbow. I am afraid the nature of your dreams does not allow me to endow you with the charm of the Dream Kingdom. Don't fret, though, my dears. Stay close to Sammy and all your dreams will be realized. Love her and treat her fair. Little dreamer," she looked upon Sammy, "be as you are and continue your journey with the knowledge that you are now blessed by the Kingdom of Dreams. You are a true dreamer, Sammy, and always take heart in knowing that whatever you dream will come true.

"You may depart, little ones, at your leisure," said she to the party. "I have done all I may for you and to remain here is to forever be caught in a dream. So make tracks, when you are ready, for being idle, one's dreams can never become reality."

###### XVI. Prince Bobo of Boboland

That afternoon, following a lunch in the dream garden, the three travelers sat down in the reception room to discuss what their next plan of action was to be. They weren't certain how to overcome the witch now that she had been "fulled" by the Great Goblin Fairy, if there was indeed such a way, and could think of no manner, at first, in which they could accomplish this objective.

"Maybe you can ask one of your fairy friends for help, Polly," suggested Sammy.

"Witches transcend sky rule," the rainbow's daughter shook her head. "We fairies of the sky look after the natures of people, but not over the people themselves, and cannot interfere with earthly affairs, lest a war be started betwixt man and fairy."

"A war would be an even bigger problem," Sammy agreed. "Isn't there anyone who can help us, though?"

"Only your fellow man can," determined Polly. "And I suppose your highest superior would be the one to turn to in this time of crisis."

"That's the right idea!" cried Kukiri suddenly. "Polly, I think you've come upon it! We should go to BoboHead, the capital of Boboland, and talk to Prince Bobo, the ruler of Boboland himself! If he is made aware that his country is in danger then he is certain to act and devise a scheme to defeat the wicked Kaleendeen!"

"Can Prince Bobo defeat the witch?" asked Sammy.

"He is our ruler and protector," replied Kukiri proudly. "He must do whatever in his power to care for our country. If he cannot discover a way to defeat Kaleendeen, certainly there is no one in Boboland who can."

"Very well," said Polly. "Then to BoboHead we shall travel to speak with Prince Bobo."

With this decided, the adventurers resolved to leave in the morning, for their trip to BoboHead would take three days by foot, and one more peaceful sleep in the Kingdom of Dreams would do them some good.

It was during this night that Polychrome had the most unusual dream of her life. It was quite different from her ordinary dreams of late, in which she happily returned to her sky country, and it was the first time that the Kingdom of Dreams wrought anything but a delightful dream to arise in her sleep. Indeed, at first it seemed to be a nightmare, for in it she saw the form of Kaleendeen the witch, cackling with iniquitous delight. And then she saw the Great Goblin Fairy, and she thought to be frightened even more.

But the fairy was laughing good-naturedly, and did not seem to wish Polly any harm. Indeed, she was laughing at Kaleendeen herself, though the witch did not seem aware of this. In fact, Polly was not frightened of the Goblin Fairy at all, and thought her to be more roguish than wicked.

Next there was a great flash of light and fire filled up the dream. In the center of this firestorm was the Goblin Fairy, having a jovial laugh, and the witch was gone altogether. Then another flash of light and the fire died away.

This is how the dream ended, and when Polly awoke that morning it was still fresh in her mind and it made her quite uneasy. So queer was it that she decided to inquire to the dream princess of its meaning, and she described the dream in full detail to Bettyby in the Reception Hall, while her friends stood nearby, listening intently to their friend's words.

"You were very blessed this night, daughter of the rainbow," explained Bettyby after Polly had finished her account. "For you see, there are many types of dreams; some are nightmares and some are dreams of joy. Some are frivolous and fun and others are serious and important. This dream you have described to me, Polly, is more the latter, and I believe it to be a dream of divinity."

"What is that?" asked the rainbow's daughter.

"It is a dream granted to you by a power greater than my own," answered she. "It must be a divine power, you know, for I, the ruler of dreams, cannot interpret it myself. That is why it is a divine dream. I believe there may be an important message in this dream, Polly, and I believe you and your friends should remember it well. Though it may seem odd at the moment, I am certain that its message will be made clearer to you when the time is right."

After this discussion, they decided it was time to depart from the Kingdom of Dreams and make tracks for BoboHead, which the dream princess assured them was only a three-day journey southwest of the Dream Kingdom. They bid farewell to Bettyby, who filled Sammy's pack with the wonderful dream food, and whenever a biscuit or muffin was taken from the bag another magically appeared in its place, like some recurring dream, so that they always had fresh food available to them. And so the travelers were off on another leg of their journey.

To write of their three day travel would be rather dull, for they met with no real incidents to speak of and were able to find adequate lodging each night to sleep cozily. It seemed that the charm of the dream princess' kiss was truly upon them, for they avoided any dangers they may have encountered, and even when it seemed something awful might happen, they were led astray of it as if by some force.

In this way, they reached BoboHead in the early morning of the fourth day following their departure from the Kingdom of Dreams, and called upon Prince Bobo once they arrived at the Head Castle. A servant of the prince, who was dressed in billowy garments of orange, asked what they had come for and why they deserved to speak with His Majesty.

"The country of Boboland is in great danger!" answered Kukiri stoutly. "A witch, who has been made full by the Great Goblin Fairy, means to conquer this entire land and enslave its people! His Majesty must act swiftly to defeat this foe!"

"I suppose His Highness cannot object to that, though he is pretty objectionable," said the servant thoughtfully. "Come forward, travelers, and I will present you to the prince."

They followed the attendant into the great brick palace and into the prince's throne room where they were introduce to Prince Bobo himself. He was a handsome youth, dressed in full array, a silver crown on his head and a lordly golden suit. He would have appeared quite dignified was he not slumping in his throne chair, fist against cheek, with a rather cross expression on his face, so that the travelers didn't feel welcomed at all.

"Travelers with grave news, Your Captiousy," said the servant, and then he departed the throne room.

Prince Bobo yawned listlessly. "Why did my steward bring these queer folks to me? It's too early for business. And he of all people should know how disagreeable I am in the morning."

"Your Majesty," Kukiri bowed humbly. "I am Prince Kukiri from the land of Waxille. I bear grim news."

"Are you prince of the macaques?" asked Prince Bobo languidly.

"No, Your Highness. I only appear as a monkey to you now on account of the witch Kaleendeen."

"Calender, Calendeet, Calendeen; who cares?" said the prince grumpily. "Let me sleep, will you?"

"You're not very proper for a prince," said Sammy with annoyance.

"Prince and the proper! Why should I be? Nothing excites me. It's my nature," said the prince crossly.

"That's a bad attitude," replied Sammy.

"It's not all bad," said Prince Bobo. "I'm surly all right, but that's not to say I'm bad. I'm a good ruler and do my duty well, but never without a grumble."

"Why not resign if you dislike princing so much?" inquired the girl.

"I dislike everything," answered he. "I'd grouse whether I was a prince or a peon. And I get a certain joy out of looking after the citizens of Boboland, though I enjoy quibbling much more. Don't mind my rough nature and I'm certain we'll get along."

"It's more fun to be cheerful," Polly said, dancing around the throne.

"You make me dizzy," said the prince, putting his hands to his head. "Cheerfulness gives me a headache."

"Maybe you should lie down," suggested Sammy.

"And go to sleep," added the prince with a yawn. "A fine idea, miss!" Here he slumped even more in his throne and closed his drowsy eyes.

"But you must hear us!" cried Kukiri with worry. "The witch Kaleendeen wishes to conquer the country of Boboland!"

"I wish you'd shut up and let me sleep," returned the prince.

"But Your Highness!" objected Kukiri.

"Oh, all right," said Prince Bobo, straightening up in his seat. "I'll send my army to search for the witch and conquer her. Will that please you, Prince Gibbon?"

"She will thwart your army with ease," said Kukiri solemnly.

"It is the best army in Boboland," the prince supplied. "Could conquer Ev, Ix, Oz and sometimes Yew."

"Not me!" cried Polly, thinking the prince was addressing her.

"If I ordered them," replied the prince.

"The witch is too powerful," spoke Kukiri. "She has already conquered my land of Waxille and now has been made a full witch by the Great Goblin Fairy."

"A full witch!" Prince Bobo nearly leaped out of his seat, and now he became quite attentive and serious for the first time. "What an evil trick by the Goblin Fairy! A full witch is a full problem, indeed. Much more trouble than a nouveau witch! Drastic, indeed! Not a person in Boboland has sorcery equal to a full witch! What a plight!"

"Haven't you any way to defeat her?" asked Kukiri, who was beginning to lose hope.

"Our Boboland does not have any magi powerful enough," said the prince thoughtfully. "We may be doomed if this witch chooses to conquer us. Then I'll really have something to grumble about, won't I?"

"Then I suppose we shall become minions of the witch," said Kukiri sadly. "What a fate."

"Now, just hold on," piped Sammy. "You know, in America, when we get in a bind, we sometimes ask for help from our allies and they lend us their assistance. Doesn't Boboland have any allies to turn to?"

"There's an idea!" cried Prince Bobo suddenly. "Why, the most powerful sorceress in the world happens to reside in the Land of Oz, and it was its ruler who returned me to power as ruler of Boboland! Perhaps I can turn to her once more, in my country's hour of need!"

The prince then picked up a bell and rang it furiously until his steward came charging in.

"Steward Duffet, I need a message sent out right away!" cried the prince eagerly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I shall send for the royal emissary," bowed the servant.

"No, Sir Duffet! This is a special message and cannot be carried by way of horse. For I need this letter transported across the Deadly Desert and directly to the Emerald City of Oz and Princess Ozma herself! Call for the carrier pigeon!"

"What is the message, sire?" asked the servant.

"The message, Duffet, is as follows: 'To Whom it May Concern, Boboland is to be conquered by a full witch. We are doomed without some interference and you are good interferers. Come forthwith and protect our lovely country from this cruel fate, or else be wicked and stay put! Sincerely, Prince Bobo of Boboland.'"

"I shall clean up the message and make it more amiable," said the steward, who was also the Royal Delegate, and was in charge of presenting the prince in as civil a light as possible. He then quickly departed and said the prince to the three travelers:

"Ozma shall receive this message shortly and then we shall know if the Land of Oz is an ally to Boboland or not. In the meantime, I shall have an attendant show you to some rooms so that you may reside in my kingdom comfortably."

"That's very kind of you," said Sammy, pleased by the prince's good-naturedness.

"Yes, sometimes I am rather polite in times of stress," said Prince Bobo, chewing his nails nervously. Then he called for another servant and Sammy and Polly and Kukiri were each shown a separate room in the palace. Afterward, they gathered in Sammy's bunk so as to discuss the events of the day together.

"There may be hope for Boboland yet!" cried Kukiri happily.

"Glinda the Good is the most powerful sorceress in the world," said Polly earnestly. "If she cannot save Boboland from destruction then no one can."

"How exciting!" said Sammy clapping her hands together. "I guess our part of the adventure is over, and I suppose all our dreams will come true pretty soon."

"The good people of Oz will see to that, I'm certain," agreed Polychrome.

"Tell me all about them, Polly!" beseeched Sammy.

"Well, there's Ozma, the land's precious little girl ruler; and there's Dorothy, who is a darling little Kansas girl who came to Oz and was made a princess; and the Scarecrow, who's just as he sounds, but he's more animate and lively than any ordinary scarecrow, and the smartest man in Oz; and the Tin Woodman, who used to be a woodman named Nick Chopper, but had all his body parts replaced with shining tin on account of some grave accidents; and Glinda, who is the most wonderful sorceress in all of Oz; and the Wizard, a little man who was once a humbug but is now as genuine as he had once claimed to be ..."

Polly went on listing all of the celebrities of Oz she could think of, and when she finished Sammy cried cheerfully: "How queer and wonderful they all are! I can't wait to meet them! It shall be like a dozen little imaginings all wrapped into one. And I'm certain that they can help us each attain our greatest desires."

"All our worries are over!" added Kukiri gratefully.

And it certainly seemed to be true.

###### XVII. Oz Intervenes

It was a pleasant afternoon in the Emerald City. Dorothy was outside in the garden, frolicking with her little black dog Toto. Princess Ozma, the little girl ruler of the wonderful Land of Oz, was at that moment reading over some documents from the royal green box about the commonwealth of her country in the Royal Study. As she was carefully studying these papers there suddenly flew in through an opened window a little gray pigeon, which fluttered onto the arm of Ozma's chair and gazed up at her seriously, panting for breath.

"Why, little pigeon!" cried Ozma with concern. "Whatever's the matter? Was some wild beast giving chase to you?"

"No, Your Highness," replied the bird when it

had caught its breath. "I am the Royal Carrier Pigeon from the country of Boboland, and I carry a message of grave importance."

"A message from Prince Bobo! I haven't conversed with him in some time," said Ozma with delight. "Tell me, what does the surly old goat have to say? I call him a goat because he used to be one, you know, though the surly part still holds true."

"Here is the message in its entirety, Princess," said the pigeon, and here it stood tall and recited: "'Dear Princess Ozma of Oz, I find my country of Boboland in great danger, for it is now threatened by a wicked witch named Kaleendeen. I am afraid to say that she is no ordinary witch, but has been transformed into a full witch by the Great Goblin Fairy and means to use her new power to conquer my country. I humbly ask for your assistance in defeating this foe, and promise to be always indebted to you for your service. If you are able to, please come as soon as possible. Sincerely, Prince Bobo, ruler of Boboland.'"

"Only in an emended missive like this could the prince be so gracious," said Ozma lightheartedly. But then she grew very solemn, for she knew what a serious matter it was that she now faced. "Little fledgling," said she to the pigeon, "please wait here in my study while I council with my advisers of this matter."

Princess Ozma then rose gracefully and entered the Royal Throne Room, where she asked her maid Jellia Jamb to gather her advisors and have them meet with her in the conference room to discuss this issue.

A servant was quickly dispatched to the Winkie Country, which made up the western region of the great country of Oz, so that both the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, Oz's premier thinker and empathizer, respectively, could be present, and another to the Quadling Country, the southern country of Oz, to call on Glinda the Good. Both Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, who, like Ozma, lived in the Emerald City, were entreated as well, and by late afternoon all of these people had been assembled in the conference room.

They all stood around the long table of affairs, Ozma at the head and Glinda opposite her. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman sat on Ozma's left side, and Dorothy and the Wizard on her right, and the girlish ruler asked that they all be seated.

"Oh, Ozma, I've been drea'fully uneasy ever since you told me about this meeting," said Dorothy, wringing her hands together. "You don't us'ally call us all together unless there's some awful c'lamity, and I can't wait a moment longer. Tell me, whatever is the matter?"

The other counselors murmured their own apprehension and so Ozma delayed no further: "Let me first say that Oz nor any of its people are in any danger whatever."

This statement brought a hushed relief over the collected dignitaries.

"Then why are we collected, Ozma?" asked the Scarecrow.

"It is Boboland," replied the girl ruler. "It is under siege by a wicked witch named Kaleendeen, and Prince Bobo, our good friend, has requested our intervention to protect his country and people."

"Oh, a witch isn't anything," said Dorothy recklessly. "I guess that won't be such a difficult errand. Glinda or the Wizard could defeat a witch easily. I've done it myself, you know."

"And Prince Bobo could do the same, had he a house to drop on her," the Wizard winked at the little Kansas girl.

"Or a bucket of water," added Dorothy playfully.

"I'm afraid the task is not as simple as it appears," said Ozma gravely. "For Kaleendeen has been made a full witch by the Great Goblin Fairy, though I had never known that any fairy had the power to perform such a ceremony."

The Wizard's face twisted into an expression of alarm after this speech and Glinda's face grew quite stern and solemn.

"What's a full witch?" asked Dorothy, who didn't understand why the mood had become so tense.

"A very dangerous thing," spoke Glinda the Good. "You see, my dear, a witch of any sort, be it a good witch as myself, or a wicked witch like Kaleendeen, performs magic through enchantments and physical tools. That is opposed to fairies, who are born with their magical gifts and need no instruments to perform such spells."

"Like Ozma," said Dorothy, smiling at the girl ruler.

"Yes, my dear," nodded Ozma.

"The Goblin Fairy, who is herself a very powerful sky nymph, has granted Kaleendeen the gift of the fairies, it seems," said Glinda gravely.

"What do you mean?" asked Dorothy.

"Like the fairies, who were the first folks in all the world to use magic, Kaleendeen now has all her gifts of sorcery within herself. They have become a part of her, you see, and have intensified her own strength by some degree. I never thought a full witch could truly exist, for through all my research I have learned that the full witch is only a myth. But it seems now that we are faced with the genuine article."

"Couldn't we still splash her with water and melt her?" returned Dorothy.

"No," Glinda shook her head sadly. "That spell, which was cast upon the wicked witches many years ago as punishment for their villainy, has been lifted now that she has taken the form of a pseudo-fairy."

"Still, she can't be half as powerful as you, Glinda," said Dorothy.

"My magic, as well as the wizard's, is of a different level than the magic of fairies," explained Glinda. "While I may be able to do a good many things that no fairies may, for their magic is derived from nature, their power dwarfs my own in other ways. Kaleendeen has become a dangerous creature, you see, because she now has both abilities within her, the charm of witchcraft and of the fairies. Her spells, then, may be twice as powerful as either my own or as Ozma's."

Dorothy became quiet now, for the gravity of the situation had now become quite clear to her.

"Then is there no way to defeat Kaleendeen?" inquired the Tin Woodman.

"This is a precarious situation," spoke Ozma once more. "A full witch is a rare thing to behold, and neither myself nor Glinda the Good have ever encountered one. There is no way of knowing how powerful Kaleendeen is without facing her directly."

"That's a tricky proposition, Ozma," said the Wizard. "If we face the witch and are vanquished, what then?"

"It may be best to avoid this entire situation altogether," agreed the Scarecrow.

"That we cannot do," decided Ozma. "Kaleendeen shall not desist after she has conquered Boboland. Her greed will lead her to other countries to vanquish, and Oz shall, too, find itself under attack within time. The witch must be brought to justice immediately, if it can be done. And for that matter, I am not so certain that this Kaleendeen has indeed been made a full witch."

"Do you s'pose Prince Bobo is playing a trick on us?" asked Dorothy.

"Not purposefully, Dorothy," replied Ozma. "But I am dubious of the veracity of this report. A full witch, from all my knowledge of magic, is only a folklore, invented by the wicked witches to put fear into their adversaries."

"If that's true, then you won't be in any danger at all," spoke the Scarecrow with relief.

"Still, we must expect the worst," said Glinda. "If it is a wicked witch and nothing more, we shall be able to defeat her with no trouble. But if she is a full witch, as is believed by Prince Bobo, then we must be prepared to use our most powerful enchantments."

"It's the only logical method," agreed the Wizard with a nod of his head.

"Then let us travel to Boboland and defeat the witch!" cried the Scarecrow, rising from his seat.

"No, my friend," said the girl ruler, placing a hand on his padded shoulder. "You and the Tin Woodman and Dorothy must stay behind in the Emerald City."

"We cannot let you undertake such a dangerous expedition without us," returned the Tin Woodman valiantly.

"This is a battle of sorcery," spoke Ozma. "You are fine and loyal friends, but can be of no use in this mission, and the Emerald City will need thoughtful and compassionate leadership in my absence."

"I'm not magical myself, but I could bring my magic belt," suggested Dorothy. "Then I s'pose I would be of some use."

"You are not well-versed in magic, my dear," smiled Ozma gratefully. "And I am not certain the magic belt can protect you from the craft of the witch. You must stay behind as well, Princess Dorothy, and act as ruler of Oz in my stead."

She did not like this judgment, but Dorothy could tell from Ozma's dour expression that she could not argue it. Instead she relented to the girl ruler's request.

"Then I, Glinda, and the Wizard shall travel to Boboland alone," proclaimed Ozma. "If you will, return to your rooms of sorcery and gather your most powerful articles, and we shall leave at daybreak tomorrow."

"We can ride in my chariot," said Glinda, and with this decided they retired from the conference room.

Ozma returned to the gray carrier pigeon and told it of their decision, and the bird quickly flapped away, back over the Deadly Desert, to deliver the good news to Prince Bobo.

The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were given rooms in the Emerald Kingdom, as they were to help Dorothy rule the country while the three most prominent magic-workers of Oz were embarking upon their mission. Glinda departed to her palace in the Quadling Country to gather her greatest instruments of magic, and in the morning she returned by way of her aerial chariot, which was carried through the sky by twenty ivory swans. That morning the Wizard, with his black bag of wizardry, and Ozma, with only her silver wand in hand, joined her in the red curricle.

"Speak to no one of our mission," instructed Ozma to Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. "It is to be a covert operation and none should know of it until our return, so as not to worry the inhabitants of our fair country. If all goes well we shall return shortly and unharmed and no one shall be the wiser."

She then settled into the chariot next to the Wizard, and Glinda, standing with the reigns to her swans in hand, spurred the great birds forward and the chariot sailed into the sky toward Boboland.

"Good luck, Ozma!" Dorothy waved after them into the sky. "Come back safe!"

"Don't fret, little Dorothy," said the Scarecrow, seeing the girl's glum expression. "Ozma and Glinda are the most powerful magic-workers in the world. They shall defeat the dreaded Kaleendeen, and all this fuss and bother will have been for nothing."

"I hope you're right, Scarecrow," said Dorothy uncertainly. "I'd still feel more comfor'ble if I were going with them, but I s'pose they have their reasons for that."

"That they do, Dorothy," agreed the Scarecrow. "They are more well-versed in these sorts of things, after all, and so we're obliged to heed their decision."

"That's true," said Dorothy. "Maybe it's for the best, then."

"Ozma is a wise ruler," said the Scarecrow. "I believe following her instruction is always for the best."

"Then let's do as she suggested and not worry about it," said Dorothy, putting on a happy face. "Come on, Scarecrow and you too, Tin Woodman! Let's go see what Billina and her chicks are doing. That will keep our minds off this drea'ful business!"

###### XVIII. The Craft of Kaleendeen

The message came to Prince Bobo late that evening of Ozma's decision to intervene and protect Boboland from the threat of the full witch Kaleendeen. As delighted as one so grumpy could be, he relayed this report to Sammy and her friends, and they were even more elated. They slept the night comfortably, without tossing and turning for worry of the witch, and it was Polychrome who awoke first early the next morning.

She sat up in her soft little bed and gazed around, for she had heard a strange sound. It rose to her ears again, and now she was certain that she hadn't dreamed it. She stood from her bed and peered out her door into the long hall beyond and what she found was quite perplexing.

Throughout the hall there stood a dozen statues of men dressed as soldiers, all in full action, mid-run. Not knowing what at first to make of this, she went to Sammy's room and awoke the girl and explained what she had discovered. Together they awoke Kukiri and they all went to the hall to examine this strange sight.

"Where could these statues have come from?" inquired the boy monkey sleepily.

"I'm not sure," mused Sammy. "Let's ask the prince."

As they came upon the throne room, however, they were met with another stone figure, and to their great surprise it was identical to the shape of Prince Bobo himself. His face was twisted with fear and he was in full sprint, but from every angle it was him.

"What a funny statue to make of yourself!" exclaimed Sammy. "It's not a very dignified pose."

Polly, during this speech, had crept over to the throne room and peered in through the great doorway. She now gestured for Sammy and Kukiri to approach silently, and they obeyed. As they peered in they saw a figure sitting upon the BoboHead throne. But upon careful inspection, they learned that it was not Prince Bobo, and when this person cackled with fiendish delight and drummed her oily fingers upon the prince's armchair, they knew instantly who had usurped the throne.

"It's Kaleendeen!" cried Sammy in a hushed voice.

"The people of Oz were too late!" sobbed Kukiri. "My country has been conquered right under my nose!"

"Never mind that now," whispered Polly. "We must escape this instant if we wish to remain animate, for it was the witch who surely made all these people into rock statues."

They hurriedly left the throne room without being spied by Kaleendeen and passed downstairs to the main doorway. Along the way they found different statues scattered about, each one signifying a formerly live attendant of the kingdom. They didn't pause, though, to examine these stone bodies, and rushed out the main doorway as fast as they could reach it.

As they crossed the ingress, they heard a man shout: "Halt!"

They turned and looked upon him and now saw a former servant of Prince Bobo, armed with a musket, holding his hand out to stop their progress.

"We must flee!" explained Sammy quickly. "The witch has conquered the palace and turned everyone to stone!"

"I am aware of this," said the servant. "It is why I must capture you and bring you directly to the witch Kaleendeen."

"I thought you were a servant of Prince Bobo," said Sammy, confused.

"Indeed I was," answered he, "until the prince and his subjects were turned to stone. Now I am obliged to obey this kingdom's new ruler, for she has threatened to turn me into a sculpture if I do not. And she has asked that any remaining living body of the BoboHead Kingdom be brought to her."

"Won't you let us escape?" pleaded Sammy.

"If I did and the witch discovered this, I shall end up an effigy of myself," replied the servant. "I'm afraid you must come with me."

"We'll be made statues for sure!" wailed Kukiri.

"I shan't be brilliant as the rainbow if I'm made all of stone," added Polychrome sadly.

Just as the servant was leading them back into the palace, there came from the sky a great soaring chariot, led by twenty white-silken swans, and this landed just outside the castle. The servant paused to admire this elegant and queer sight, and now they all gazed ahead as Glinda the Good and the Wizard of Oz climbed out of the chariot.

Ozma stepped out last, and she was so charming and stately that the servant was obliged to bow to her as she approached him.

"I am Princess Ozma of Oz," said she to the servant. "I come with my courtiers on request of Prince Bobo."

"Oh, Ozma, it's so dreadful!" exclaimed Polly, dancing up to the girl ruler and taking her hand.

"Why, sweet Polychrome! Whatever are you doing here?" asked the girl ruler with surprise.

"I came here with my new friends," said Polly, sweeping her hand at Sammy and Kukiri. "We had meant to remove all power from the wicked witch who conquered Kukiri's land, but were unsuccessful, and the rotten Goblin Fairy made her a full witch!"

The story not being known to Ozma, she asked that it be explained more fully. This the company did, each sharing their own individual tale as it was revealed in the account, so that Ozma was fully aware of all that has been written thus far.

"I see that you have all been through a great deal," said Ozma, smiling upon the three travelers with compassion. "It seems all along the objective of your adventure was to defeat Kaleendeen the witch, and as you now have no means to do so, I shall do my best to finish your adventure for you."

She then turned to the servant and said to him: "If you would please call upon the wicked Kaleendeen, and tell her that Ozma of Oz requests her attention."

The servant obeyed without objection and as he was gone the Wizard approached our adventurers and said: "Why don't you all go sit in the chariot for now? None of you, excepting the rainbow's daughter, has any magic to do battle with, and Polychrome's fairy gifts are not great enough to do battle with a full witch. It is best for you to stay out of harm's way."

The little Wizard was, of course, right, and his kindly face and warm smile made them trust him fully. They went to Glinda's chariot and climbed into it, so as to be hidden and not disturbed by the wicked witch when she appeared to be confronted by the party from Oz.

Kukiri stuck his little monkey nose over the edge of the chariot, and Sammy and Polly peered over his shoulder. Out from the BoboHead Kingdom rushed Kaleendeen, so furious that she stomped and screeched and demanded to know who had the audacity to request her appearance.

"I, Ozma, ruler of the Land of Oz, have called on you, Kaleendeen," announced the girl ruler loftily. "And because you have been wicked, and have taken things that don't belong to you, and have used your charms for evil use, I and my attendants must command you to give yourself up and be punished for your crimes."

The witch cackled impertinently when Ozma had finished this speech. "Ozma of Oz, phooey!" she cried. "I am Kaleendeen the all powerful! Who are you to command me? I'll turn you to stone for that!"

"If you do not surrender peaceably," said Ozma, "we shall have to transform you into something more agreeable, so that you have no choice but to obey and can no longer harm others."

"Transform me!" chortled the witch. "Do it, if you can! I'll make you lawn gnomes to decorate my garden!"

Ozma nodded silently to the Wizard and Glinda, and they instantly reached into their respective

bags of magic and removed some instruments of enchantment. Try as they might, though, they could not transform the witch in any way, and she seemed protected by some force they could not overcome.

"Her magic is like none I've encountered," said Glinda uneasily. "It seems there is no spell at my disposal which may enchant her."

"Nor I," added the Wizard, who had learned all his wizardry from Glinda. "It is as if the witch does not even exist, for I cannot locate the source of her power within her form."

"You have both failed in your foolish attempts to defeat me," said the witch with agitation. "Now I shall avenge these attempts and have you both for statues!"

The witch then spoke the following words: "Boulderdash! Marbleade! Cobbledycook!" and before any could react, the Wizard and Glinda the Good were frozen in their current positions and their skin and clothes turned to hard grey rock. Ozma gave a startled gasp and quickly spoke an enchantment of protection to herself.

"You wish to transform me as well, Ozma of Oz?" demanded the witch. "Attempt it and your fate shall match that of your attendants."

Ozma boldly stepped forward and did just as Kaleendeen suggested. Through all the fairy magic she possessed did Ozma attempt to enchant the witch, but each effort failed as miserably as had Glinda's and the Wizard's.

"And now you shall be another addition to my lawn, and perhaps I'll make you into a fountain. You should still be quite pretty, even if you are stone!" said the witch disdainfully, and she then uttered the same transforming words to Ozma.

The girl ruler surely would have found herself a statue hadn't she moments before cast a fairy spell upon her person to prevent this. Her own magic, derived from nature, could counteract such lowly spells, but could in no way replicate them or reverse them as long as the architect of such enchantments remained in power, and so Ozma was now at a loss as to what her next course of action should be.

"So, you're not a statue!" cried Kaleendeen with annoyance. "No matter! There is nothing you or any other person may do to vanquish me, and I believe I shall travel to this Land of Oz and conquer it next, and your people can thank your impertinence for that!"

The witch then, in a very disrespectful manner, turned her back to Ozma and returned to the BoboHead Kingdom. Ozma, the meantime, gazed upon her former friends, now made marble statues by the witch, with a panged expression. She stamped her foot indignantly and said: "This witch must be stopped somehow!"

She then turned and marched back to the swan chariot, her head held high, and an air of determination about her.

"The poor Wizard and Glinda!" cried Sammy as Ozma approached, for she and the others had witnessed the whole horrid confrontation. "Can't you help them, Ozma?"

"The spell cannot be broken until the witch is disenchanted," said Ozma gravely. "Come, dear friends, let us return to the Emerald City. There is nothing more we can do here."

"What about our hard-headed friends?" asked Polly.

"Their weight will be too much for the swans to carry," replied Ozma, stepping into the chariot. "I have enchanted their persons so they cannot be harmed, though, so they shall remain in relative safety, if not in their true forms."

"Don't you know of any way to defeat a full witch?" asked Sammy as the girl ruler took up the swans' reigns.

"No, my dear Sammy, but I intend to discover it," said she, and she had the swans wing them into the early morning's sky and back to the Land of Oz.

###### XIX. The Party Convenes

When the swan chariot set down in the gardens of the Emerald City later that morning, Dorothy was, at first, elated, for she had seen multiple persons within and thought that all of her friends had returned safely and that Kaleendeen had been defeated. As she rushed up to the chariot with her arms extended, however, she now saw that only Ozma remained of the original party, and Polychrome, the daughter of the rainbow, and two strangers were her companions. The Wizard and Glinda were missing altogether.

"Polly! Where did you come from?" cried the little Kansas girl. "And who are these people? Did the witch transform Glinda and the Wizard into their forms?"

"Oh no, I'm just Sammy," interjected the girl. "And this is my friend Kukiri, who looks like a monkey right now, but that's not his natural shape."

"What is his natural shape?" asked Dorothy.

"I haven't seen it myself. But I guess he's just a normal boy under the monkey fur," answered Sammy.

"I like him better this way. It makes him distinct," said Dorothy with a laugh.

"Well, I don't like myself like this at all!" objected Kukiri, twisting his monkey tail in his hands.

"Never mind that now, Dorothy," said Ozma, coming up to the girl.

"What's happened, Ozma? Where are the Wizard and Glinda?"

Quickly Ozma told Dorothy, and the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, who had appeared behind her, of all that had taken place, and of the adventures of Sammy and Kukiri and Polychrome.

"This Kaleendeen is a powerful foe," said the Scarecrow when Ozma had finished her grim account. "She has turned the Wizard and Glinda into statues, something no magic-maker in Oz could hope to accomplish, and I imagine it's not a pleasant experience for them."

"I've been a statue of sorts before," said the Tin Woodman. "When I was caught in a rainstorm and was rusted to every joint, I was immobile as any solid stone sculpture, and it was a very dreary episode indeed."

"We have to save them somehow, Ozma!" asserted Dorothy. "Can't you make them flesh again?"

"The spell cannot be broken until the witch has been deprived of her abilities," replied Ozma. "To save our friends we must first defeat the witch."

"But what more can we do?" asked Dorothy seriously. "If she can't be defeated by magic, how can we overcome the witch?"

"It's impossible," said the Tin Woodman. "We're all doomed in that case."

This seemed quite true and the entire party grew quite grave and silent at that time.

"Phooey!" the Scarecrow spoke suddenly. "What's impossible anyway? It's only 'possible' with 'im' before it!"

"Who's before it?" asked Polychrome absent-mindedly.

"That's the question!" cried the Scarecrow. "I'm for and before it! Who else is for it? I shan't surrender! This one needs a good think, that's all!"

Though this speech seemed quite queer and silly to Sammy, it also perked up her spirits and gave her hope, and the whole party cheered at the Scarecrow's words.

"The Scarecrow is right. Now is not the time for mourning," began Ozma.

"But it's not yet afternoon, Ozma," inserted Dorothy.

"Then we have the whole day before us still," replied the girlish ruler of Oz. "Let us hold hope and try our best to discover a solution to this predicament, for failure shall mean the fall of Oz!"

With their humor restored, Sammy, Kukiri and Polly were then given rooms in the Emerald Palace, and Ozma instructed all of the company to give their best effort to invent a scheme to thwart the witch. They would meet that evening following dinner to discuss their devised strategies and determine which had the greatest likelihood of success.

The three adventurers gathered together in Sammy's bedchamber to put their heads together, and the Tin Woodman and Dorothy met with Ozma in the throne room to talk it over. The Scarecrow preferred to mull it over alone in his own private suite, as he normally did his best thinking in solace.

Those who needed to eat were served lunch in their rooms, and afterward, Dorothy ran out to the garden, for she thought that some activity would invigorate her brain. That evening they gathered in the great dining hall for supper, and even the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman joined them, though they need not eat. Afterwards they came together in the drawing room to discuss the ideas they had concocted during the day.

"Who would like to begin?" asked Ozma as they were seated.

"Well," said Sammy, rising with a gracious curtsey, "we thought that since the Goblin Fairy started all this that she should be the one to stop it. She deserves to be punished, Ozma, for all the bad things she's done, and I think we should have her disenchant Kaleendeen and make her return to the sky where she belongs."

"It would be a fine plan," said Ozma after considering the girl's words. "But I cannot command the Goblin Fairy, for she is a minion of the sky, and not of my rule."

"Can't you do anything to make her help us?" asked Sammy regretfully.

"I may be able to do some thing," thought Ozma. "Perhaps I could cast a spell upon the Goblin City so that no person may enter or leave it, thereby trapping the Fairy. But it is unlikely she will concede to our demands, and if she did, she certainly would not follow through on her promise, for she is quite disagreeable; and my gifts of magic are not strong enough to cast such a spell in any event. Still, I think when all this business is over with I shall do just that, with the help of Glinda the Good, so that the Goblin Fairy cannot cause us any more harm. But we still must find some way to defeat Kaleendeen."

"Could we trap Kaleendeen in the BoboHead castle?" inquired Sammy.

"If I had Glinda's assitance, perhaps," mused Ozma. "Even then it would not be the right solution, for our friends would still be trapped, and Prince Bobo as well. It is not right to abandon those people on any account."

Sammy now grew silent, for all of the plans her

group had developed to defeat Kaleendeen were now rejected, and she could think of no other way to overcome the witch.

"Why don't I just put on my magic belt and transport her to the Deadly Desert?" Dorothy broke the silence.

"It would do us no good, for the witch has enchanted herself to prevent any spell from inflicting her person," replied Ozma. "It is why neither the Wizard's nor Glinda's most powerful instruments could do her any harm. And their most powerful items are much stronger than your magic belt, little Dorothy."

"Perhaps her magic will not affect tin," suggested Nick Chopper. "Then I could advance upon the BoboHead castle without fear of harm and chop her to bits with my ax."

"That would be unwise, my friend, for she could conjure up such a firestorm that you would be melted to a puddle of mercury before you reached the castle entrance," returned Ozma with a sad smile.

"And a blaze like that would be the end of me as well," acknowledged the Scarecrow with a shudder.

"Why not fill her castle with water?" spoke Dorothy. "Then we could drown the witch and it wouldn't hurt our stone friends in the least."

"She could easily reverse such a spell," answered Ozma. "No, magic is not the answer, my dear. There is no magic at our services that can dispatch the witch."

"This is a regular pickle, Ozma!" cried Dorothy with exhaustion. "I can't think of anything to bring down the witch."

"Nor I," sighed the girl ruler, unpleased. "I've racked my brain all day and have come to no solution."

"I have a thought," said the Scarecrow seriously. "It may not be the solution we seek, but it is the finest idea I've had, and I'd like to share it with you."

"You are the wisest person in all of Oz," said Ozma. "I would like very much to know what answer you have come to."

"Very well," said the stuffed man humbly. "I thought it best, rather than to bring the witch down by force, to trick her into ruin. Trickery seems the best way to go about it, you see, since all direct actions have been easily thwarted thus far."

"That's a sensible thought," said Sammy.

"What's the trick, Scarecrow?" asked Dorothy.

"I thought, if Ozma is able, that we should enchant the world around Kaleendeen, and not the witch herself, mind you, to appear as something frightening, so as to put the witch in a panic. With this deception, and the witch in such hysterics, my friend Nick Chopper could approach her silently and chop her up and put an end to her."

"It is a wise plan," said Ozma graciously. "But its flaw is in relying on magic. You see, Scarecrow, the witch shall be able to see directly through any incantation I may perform, and so we shall not be able to deceive her in this manner at all."

"That's too bad," said the Scarecrow with disappointment. "The distraction then would have to be a true distraction, caused by our own persons. If we engage the witch, you see, her attention shall be diverted long enough for the tin man to put an end to her."

"This is a dangerous strategy," said Ozma after a moment. "It would put our own persons in danger, and perhaps lead to some casualties. I cannot put any citizens of my fine country in jeopardy to defeat this witch."

"What more can we do?" asked the Tin Woodman. "Any other strategy is doomed before it is carried out. My good friend's plan is the wisest of them all, and after our careful deliberation, it is clear that there is no other manner in which this task may be accomplished. I shall cry great tears for those who may be sacrificed, but I would cry deluges if our entire Oz was to be conquered and made miserable by the witch because of our inaction."

All of this was true, and Ozma considered the tin man's, who had the best heart in all the land, words deeply. She had a terrible decision to make, one that only the most beloved ruler in all the world could, and it was with trepidation that she stood from her seat and said:

"Then it will be, for I cannot put my country in danger if it can be avoided. Tomorrow we will travel to BoboHead and carry out the Scarecrow's strategy. I will ask only those willing to join, for any who come will be put in harm's way, and any who do not wish to shall not be asked to make such a sacrifice."

With that, Ozma gracefully left the drawing room, though all could see how pained the little girl ruler was to have to make such a declaration. They all then retired for the night, for a terrible day was to meet them in the morrow, and they knew that a good night's rest was needed if they were to face it with stout hearts.

###### XX. The Emerald City Sleeps

Though she was quite apprehensive, she was also quite exhausted, and when Sammy laid her head down on the soft downy green pillow in the great room Ozma had supplied her, she fell to sleep in a matter of moments.

She dreamed.

And it was the most vivid dream she ever had. Indeed, it seemed more like reality than a dream, and the little girl now found herself in the Kingdom of Dreams itself.

It wasn't bright and cheery, as it had been when they had first stumbled upon it, for the night's sky darkened the interior through the crystal walls and gave a very gloomy appearance all about. Sammy stumbled about the kingdom's anteroom, disoriented for a reason she could not ascertain, and just as she felt she would never find her way out, the princess of dreams, Bettyby, appeared before her, smiling warmly.

"You've come the usual way this time," said she to the little girl. "Though none have ever come through the front door as you have tonight. Still, none have been blessed by myself as you have, either. I sense great dread in your thoughts, little Sammy, which are causing you terrible nightmares. Tell me, why are you so troubled, little dreamer?"

"It's the witch, Kaleendeen!" cried Sammy with dismay. "She's causing so much trouble and being so wicked! It seems she is going to bring misery to the whole world if we don't stop her, and I'm not sure that we can."

Bettyby smiled tenderly upon the girl. "Did you know, Sammy, that a dream is a powerful thing? It can show the truth of a person, if one looks deeply into its meaning."

"Oh, I guess I knew that," said Sammy.

"A dream can make all clear, when looked through," said the dream princess, "like peering through the smoothest glass. Many times a dream will reveal that a person is not who they appear to be. Some people seem kind, but are wicked in their dreams, and others seem bad-tempered, but have kindly dreams. Dreams reveal the truth of all, you see.

"Sometimes, my dear, reality can be misleading, and what one may see through their eyes is only a trick of the light; but a dream, dear Sammy, reveals all."

"That's true," answered Sammy.

"Keep this in mind, my child, and I am certain your dreams will be realized."

"But isn't there any way I may stop the witch?" implored the girl.

"Be true of heart," replied Bettyby. "I can give you no other advise. You, my dreamer, can see the truth. All will be revealed if you stay true to your dreams."

The dream princess then kissed her once more on the top of her head and embraced her lightly. A sharp light pierced Sammy's eyes then and it was so bright that she could not see anything.

When she opened her eyes once more her dream had vanished and she had returned to the Emerald City. The brilliant light of the early morning shone through her window and had awakened her, removing all recollection of the dream she had that night from her mind.

She got up, bathed, and got dressed, and hurried down to the throne room to meet her friends to ready themselves for the campaign forthcoming.

###### XXI. The Trick of the Light

Coming on the journey was the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman; Sammy, Kukiri and Polychrome; Dorothy; the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, who were two great beasts, kind and interesting, though just as cowardly and hungry as their titles implied; Tik-Tok the machine man, who was a copper wind-up man who ran by clockwork; the army of Oz, which consisted of one sole soldier with long green whiskers named Omby Amby; and, of course, Ozma. There were other volunteers, to be certain, of those who Ozma confided their quest to, but the girl ruler feared that some lethal harm would come to them, and those celebrities she had gathered she was certain could care for themselves and understood fully the risks of such a venture.

Her only objections were to Sammy and Kukiri, who she didn't know well enough to determine their resilience, and Dorothy, who she was so fond of that she wished no possibility of harm to be presented to her at all. The Kansas girl would not think of staying behind, though, and she strapped on her magic belt, assuring Ozma that it would protect her from harm, and promised to stay near Sammy and Kukiri to protect them as well.

Ozma wasn't certain the magic belt, which had been captured from the Nome King by Dorothy some time ago, could indeed shield against the powers of the witch, but she could not deny Dorothy the privilege of standing for the country she loved so dear, and so she allowed the girl, and Sammy and Kukiri, to join the undertaking.

They set off from the Emerald City in two vehicles. The first was the swan chariot, with Ozma leading it, and the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman and Omby Amby along with her. The other was Ozma's own red carriage, pulled by the wooden Sawhorse of Oz, which was a little wooden steed that looked as much like a horse as it did a cutting table. In this were Dorothy, Sammy, Kukiri and Polychrome; and the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger and Tik-Tok all marched along with it. They passed through the city of emeralds and through the Winkie Country, to the edge of the Deadly Desert, where they then set down the magic carpet, which unrolled itself as they progressed upon it, and rolled itself up behind as well, so that they could pass the desert on foot without harm.

In this way they reached the shores of Boboland by mid-afternoon, and continued onward to the capital of BoboHead. The journey would have taken quite a time longer, to be sure, if not for Ozma's own fairy magic, which sped up their progress so that they could arrive at their destination in a more reasonable amount of time.

Thus, the kingdom of Boboland was reached by late afternoon. All but the Tin Woodman and Omby Amby, armed with a bayonet, gathered before the BoboHead kingdom. Ozma wished a spell of protection over the entire company, though she wasn't certain it would be of use against the full witch's most powerful spells. The tin man and soldier hid themselves behind the castle, awaiting the most beneficial moment to attack the witch.

Ozma led the grand procession, and she stepped forward to the castle doorway and called boldly upon the witch. Kaleendeen appeared in an instant, and so furious was she with the Oz people's insolence that she determined to destroy them all that instant.

"Look at these silly characters who challenge me! I will make quick work of them, I will! First of all I shall burn up the Scarecrow, and cage the lion and tiger forever, and turn the machine man into a motor carriage, and the rest of you I shall send directly to the Deadly Desert!" cried the witch, stamping her feet with fury.

It was during this distraction, as laid out in the Scarecrow's plan, that the Tin Woodman and Omby Amby crept up behind the witch so silently that she was not aware of their existence at all, and when they were nearly upon her they let loose with all their might in attack, as if to destroy her. They soon ceased this thrashing, though, for they quickly learned, to their great dismay, that the wicked creature was unmarred from the assault, and that their weapons went through her as if she was an apparition.

"No harm can come to me, you witless fools!" the witch cackled impiously. "I am a fairy now, or as good as one. Though I may be enchanted, if I were to allow it, in no way could I be destroyed! And that is something you should have considered, for this reckless act shall certainly mean your doom."

Indeed, this realization was only now coming to Ozma. No fairy of any sort can be destroyed or harmed in any way, and truly the full witch Kaleendeen was as accurate a facsimile of a fairy as one could be. Now recognizing her oversight, the girl ruler became so devastated that she could think of no way to react.

The entire party, indeed, was so downhearted that they became quite solemn and nervous, and all expected the witch to follow through on her pledge to destroy them.

"Outsmarted by a witch!" groaned the Scarecrow. "Perhaps the pins and needles in my brain have gone dull!"

"I should have felt this disaster from the start," said the Tin Woodman.

"What an unnerving fate!" cried the Lion, all four of his knees knocking together.

"A good soldier should never be afraid, even when facing certain doom," spoke Omby Amby.

"But I'm not a soldier, so I've a right to be terrified," returned the Cowardly Lion.

"You are a soldier of the army Ozma has assembled, aren't you?" inquired the soldier.

"I can't hold a gun, for I have four legs and no arms," said he. "Really, I couldn't be a soldier if I tried."

"Still, you should be brave for Ozma."

"As for me, this whole ordeal has me so worried that it's actually made me lose my appetite," said the Tiger.

"If I could feel, I am cer-tain I would be quite dis-pir-it-ed," said Tik-Tok.

"It seems our adventure is over," added Kukiri.

"I'll never see my bow again!" whimpered Polychrome.

"I would never have s'pected that Oz would come to an end like this," said Dorothy sadly. "I s'pose we gave it a good hurrah, though."

"We are at the witch's mercy," acknowledged Ozma with a frown. "We have no power to defeat her, for it seems that she is truly the equivalent of a fairy, and filled with a power that far exceeds my own."

"How wise of you all to admit this," said the witch with a vile grin. "It's certainly true, and you should have realized it from the start, for it is as clear as crystal!"

It was at this time that an idea suddenly flashed into Sammy's head, and she recalled for the first time the dream she had the night before.

"I wonder," said she to herself, "if the witch is really a fairy. She seems too wicked to me, and I wonder if that isn't the trick of the light Bettyby was talking to me about. But how could I see through her dream?"

It was this thought that brought to mind the glass monocle that she had found in the pocket of the dress the dream princess had given to her, and she took this out now. Indeed, everything looked so real and clear through it that it seemed all falsehoods would be removed from view when gazing through it.

Sammy held the glass up to her eye, and winking, gazed upon the witch.

What she saw through the eyeglass was such a funny sight that the girl immediately started to laugh, and this caused the entire party to look upon her with confusion, for they were so upset that they could not think to even smile.

"This pre-dic-a-ment does not seem so fun-ny to me," said Tik-Tok.

"Nor I," added the soldier with the green whiskers.

"What is so amusing, Sammy dear?" inquired Ozma.

"Oh, why, it's Kaleendeen!" cried the girl. "Why, she's not a full witch at all, and if you could see her true form, I guess you'd laugh pretty hard, too!"

"Scandal! I am a full witch, made so by the Great Goblin Fairy!" cried Kaleendeen with outrage.

"I guess the Goblin Fairy played a trick on you," said Sammy. "She played a trick on us all, in fact! You're only a pest!"

"She is rather a nuisance," agreed the Tin Woodman.

"No, I mean a real pest! She's only a little firefly!"

"Impossible!" shrieked the witch. "I'm no fly! I'm a full witch! I shall destroy you for such slander!"

"But it's true!" returned Sammy gaily.

"If it is, then how was she able to transform all of these folks into statues, and how were we not able to defeat her?" asked Ozma seriously.

"Oh, I guess the Goblin Fairy was true to her word and put Kaleendeen's magic inside her," answered Sammy. "She didn't mention that she was going to transform her into a bug, though. And I guess since you worked all your charms against the witch instead of the lightning bug you couldn't really disenchant her."

"If this is true, then the witch we see before us is only an illusion," said Ozma. "I never though of that, and so never tried to break such a spell. But I'll do it now, and we shall knows once and for all if she is a witch or an insect."

Ozma then stepped forward and waved her silver wand and spoke a chant in the language of fairies.

"You fools! I will destroy and conquer your country and rule all!" cried the witch. But as she uttered these last words the image of the witch faded from view and only a little orange firefly remained, crying in a high-pitched voice.

"Why, it's only a bug after all!" cried Dorothy with amusement.

"A magic bug, to be sure," added Ozma. "But a magic bug is no full witch, or even a fairy. And so, now that this deception is lifted, I shall disenchant the firefly immediately."

"I will turn you all to stone, you fools!" cried the insect, but as it was chanting its words of transformation, its light, which must have been the source of its collected magic, faded, and the bug found itself completely powerless.

"Well, it was only a trick of the light, after all!" exclaimed Sammy.

"I am Kaleendeen the all powerful!" cried the bug miserably. "Bow before me!"

"Shoo, little lightning bug!" commanded Ozma. "You are powerless, and you have been punished for all your wickedness. It is the end of Kaleendeen the witch, and you are nothing but a fireless-fly now. So be off, and never be wicked again."

The former witch, now realizing that she had indeed been deceived by the Goblin Fairy and had been made into a magic bug, wailed with sorrow. Indeed, it was quite a pitiful sight, a dimmed and powerless lightning bug, and the former witch was so dejected that she buzzed off into the bright blue sky and disappeared behind a puffy cloud, and Kaleendeen the insect was never seen again.

"And now that the bug is disenchanted, I can restore our friends to life with ease," said Ozma, and this she did not hesitate to do.

It took less than a half hour to restore all the persons of the BoboHead castle to life. When Glinda and the Wizard were told of how Kaleendeen had been defeated, Glinda laughed merrily and said: "What a trick for the Goblin Fairy to play!"

"But why did she play it?" asked Sammy. "Why shouldn't she make Kaleendeen into a full witch?"

"I don't suppose she could, my dear," replied Glinda. "Ozma was right to think it odd that a full witch could be made by the Goblin Fairy, for no fairy in the world could grant such a gift. One may only become a fairy if he is born one, just as no fairy can be unmade."

"The fog fairy is a mischievous sort," explained Ozma. "She is not kind, you see, but is not wicked either, and it seems she enjoys playing tricks on those less powerful than herself. I suppose she found it amusing to deceive Kaleendeen into believing that she was being granted such great power, when she was truly only being transformed into a little magic firefly."

"I think that is what my divine dream was trying to tell me," mused Polly. "The Goblin Fairy was not wicked at all within my dream, but only impish, and it did seem that she was playing a trick on the witch then, too. I wish I'd thought of it sooner."

"The witch is defeated now," said Kukiri, "and that is all that matters."

"I still think the Goblin Fairy should be punished, since she's really the cause of all this," said Sammy with agitation.

"Perhaps when Polly returns to her sky kingdom she will ask the Rain King to punish the fog fairy, and make her promise to behave," thought Ozma. "The Rain King rules over all the sky fairies, and the Goblin Fairy, though she now lives on earth, would have no choice but to concede to his wishes."

"I shall ask him," agreed Polly, "and I'm certain he shall do so, with your and Prince Bobo's consent, Ozma."

"I shall certainly consent, if it will mean the Goblin Fairy will behave herself," said Prince Bobo.

With this all agreed upon and the witch Kaleendeen now made a harmless insect, Prince Bobo invited the party from Oz to stay the night and to have a grand banquet in honor of their victory. They could return to Oz the following day.

The Ozites, being quite wearied from this ordeal, readily agreed, and there was a great celebration and much merry-making that evening in the kingdom of BoboHead. Every person was given an apartment to sleep in for the night, and they all rested peacefully as they visited the Kingdom of Dreams, for Bettyby was pleased to make sure all their dreams that night were good ones.

It was during the early morning of the following day that black clouds filled the sky and a great storm rose up. Being a fairy of the sky, Polychrome was instantly awakened by this nature shift, and she lost no time in stealing away from the castle. Down from the grey clouds came her rainbow, and she hastily joined it, dancing all the way, and silently waved goodbye to her friends as she was returned to her beloved sky land.

When she awoke that morning, Sammy found Polly to be missing from her room and at first thought that some tragedy had come to her. But then she espied a note on the bureau in the rainbow daughter's vacant room written by Polly that explained about the storm that had come and how Polly had gone to seek her bow. She also wrote to assure them that she would keep her promise to speak with the Rain King about the Goblin Fairy and thanked her Oz friends and especially Kukiri and Sammy for adventuring with her and for helping her find her bow at last.

Sammy was sad to lose Polly, but she new that is was the sky fairy's greatest dream to return to her home, and she would never want to deny her of it.

Following breakfast, the entire party gathered and determined that Sammy and Kukiri should return to Oz, for Glinda nor the Wizard could assist them with the magic tools they had available currently, and they felt it their responsibility to assist the two brave adventurers in completing their tasks. Thus, they began the journey back to Oz, and once more traveled by way of the magic carpet and swan chariot.

They arrived in the gardens of the Emerald City by late afternoon, where they all joined together in the banquet hall and had a late lunch. Afterwards, Ozma invited Sammy and Kukiri to vacation in Oz for a few days, as Glinda and the Wizard worked their magics to discover a way to grant each person his own request. This the girl and boy monkey were pleased to do, for they found the Land of Oz to be so wonderful that they wished to explore it some before they departed, and they were so overjoyed to have finally defeated the witch that they did not mind waiting a bit longer for their dreams to be granted.

###### XXII. The Marvelous Land of Oz

During this stay in the marvelous Land of Oz, Kukiri and Sammy toured many of the most famous sights of the country. First they traveled through the Emerald City, where they met the Guardian of the Gates and Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, and Billina the hen, and Trot and Betsy Bobbin, two mortal girls who had come to live in Oz, and Cap'n Bill, and the Shaggy Man, and all the other famous celebrities who lived in the great green city of the country. Then, accompanied by Dorothy, Betsy and Trot, and taken along in a carriage pulled by the Sawhorse, they traveled to the Winkie Country, which was all yellow, from the grass blades to the painted houses.

First they visited the Scarecrow in his Ear Corn tower, who showed them around the great five-storied building.

"It would be a fine place to live," said he, "if the great stalk of corn did not attract every yellow crow in the area to it. I am not very fond of crows, as you can imagine."

"I guess you could stand outside and scare them off," mused Sammy.

"This is true," said the stuffed man. "Of course, I need not worry long, for when they bite into the kernels, which are really pieces of gold, they give a caw of surprise and fly off again. Still, this doesn't keep them away long and they always return for a nibble, for they are too stupid to remember that the corn is not real."

"Maybe the Wizard should give them brains, too," suggested Dorothy with a giggle.

"They already have brains," said the Scarecrow. "Since they choose not to use them, it doesn't seem fair to give them any more."

Next they traveled to Jack Pumpkinhead's pumpkin garden. His home was shaped like a giant pumpkin, and outside grew vines and vines of pumpkins. Jack himself was a wooden-hinged man with

a jack-lantern for a head, and every so often he was obliged to change heads, as each one eventually spoiled, so that he always had a new thought at the beginning of the month. Of course, this interchanging of heads caused him to lose all his old notions, so that he was no smarter for it. Still, the people of Oz loved him for his foolishness.

Next they were off to the Tin Woodman's tin castle, built for him by the Winkies in celebration of their nickel-plated emperor, who had been made this way to avoid denting to his body. Sammy and Kukiri related their entire adventure to old Nick Chopper, and the tin man wept so many tears at the most perilous parts that Dorothy was obliged to oil his mouth joints.

"It mustn't be easy to be so kind," thought Sammy.

"I like being one of a kind," said the Tin Woodman when his mouth was oiled. "There is no person in Oz so tender-hearted as I, and that's because I tenderize my heart each day."

Here he demonstrated this by removing the silk-stuffed heart from his hinged-breast plate and massaging it in his hands.

"Isn't your heart real?" inquired Sammy.

"Real enough," said the tin man. "It's more loving than any heart in all the world, so I guess it's pretty real. After all, real is as real does. And it really loves quite well."

Now they departed the Winkie Country and traveled to the Munchkin Country to meet the Wogglebug, who ran the country's Royal Athletic College. The Wogglebug was once as normal a bug as any other, but had happened to be magnified one day. Unfortunately, this magnification also ballooned his ego, so that he was not always good company. He always dressed in a fine suit of clothes, though they looked quite ridiculous on the bug, and considered himself the most intelligent man in the Land of Oz, though most bestowed this honor to the Scarecrow himself.

"I am H.M. Wogglebug, T.E.," said he as the guests arrived at the college campus. "Highly Magnified are my first initials, and Thoroughly Educated are my last, and you'll find that they all well-represent my person. Otherwise I could not be the professor and founder of such a fine college."

"But it's only an athletic college," said Trot with a smirk. "The only learning is done with magic pills."

"Of which I've swallowed a good many of," said the bug contemptuously. "Nobody has taken as many learning pills as I have, and so I must be the most learned creature in all the world."

"That's rather arrogant," said Sammy, frowning upon this new figure, whom she didn't care for in the least.

"It's not arrogant if it's the truth, young lady," said the bug.

"You'll see that the Wogglebug is pretty well-ej'cated," said Dorothy with an indulgent smile. "But he doesn't much account for 'telligence."

"Who needs intelligence when one is so erudite?" asked the Wogglebug seriously. "By the way, have you accepted my offer of grammar pills yet, my dear? Your dialect is quite horrid."

"I quite like my di'lect," said Dorothy reproachfully. "You can keep your ej'cation pills to yourself, Mr. Wogglebug. I'd rather be 'telligent than learned."

"A foolish choice, but I don't suppose one so stupid could know that," said the bug pompously. "Anything worth knowing can be acquired with academics, after all."

"Oh, there's something to be said for having worldly knowledge, I guess," said Dorothy. "That's why I prefer learning from 'sperience instead of from pills."

"Have it your own way, but you will never be as wise as I with that attitude," dismissed the Wogglebug.

"As for that, I guess since you're only wise to yourself, I wouldn't want to be as wise as you anyhow, since to everyone else you're pretty dumb," replied Dorothy.

"One cannot expect such unwise folks to realize my superior knowledge. I suppose I am the only person wise enough, then, to know that I am the wisest. It is not easy, you know, being a visionary."

This tour took the better part of two days, and on the third day they returned to the Emerald City where Ozma asked Dorothy to take Kukiri and Sammy to Glinda the Good's castle in the Quadling Country in southern Oz, for the sorceress wished to speak with them.

This Dorothy did, and Trot and Betsy decided to stay behind in the Emerald Kingdom during this expedition. They arrived in the red Quadling Country that afternoon, and called on Glinda the Good, whose maids showed them to her room of sorcery, where the good witch awaited them.

"Over these few days, I have been experimenting with my magic," announced Glinda to her guests. "So far I have been able to lift the curse that the wicked witch placed on the land of Waxille, so that now Kukiri's people are quite liberated. Also, I have returned all of the gems that were stolen by Kaleendeen and given to the Goblin Fairy to the land in which they were pilfered from, and have also transported a fine amount to the windmill watcher of Cadancal, as Prince Kukiri has requested."

Kukiri was quite ecstatic upon hearing this. "Thank you, my dear sweet sorceress!" cried he, kissing her white hand with his monkey lips. "I am indebted to you for all time!"

"It was my pleasure," said Glinda. "I have also been made aware that the Rain King, ruler of the Sky Kingdom, has scolded the fog fairy and made her promise to behave herself and treat the earth people respectfully, and Brumela has agreed to obey this mandate.

"And now, Prince Kukiri, I must tell you that I have also discovered the way in which to remove the transformation the witch Kaleendeen placed on you, and if you will come forward, I shall return you to your proper form."

The boy monkey obeyed instantly, and he stood before Glinda as she began the ritual.

"I'm going to be sad to see you out of your monkey fur, Kukiri," said Sammy. "I've known you only in this form, and I don't know what you'll look like as a human boy."

"I am certainly more attractive than some boy monkey!" cried Kukiri, who was eager to be rid of the witch's enchantment.

Glinda then performed the disenchantment, and with a puff of glistening smoke, the monkey fur formerly growing from the boy's body faded, his tail receded, and the pale face of a handsome youth appeared. He turned and grinned at Sammy sheepishly, and he was so striking that Sammy could not help but be endeared to his true form.

"Why, Kukiri! Aren't you a darling boy?" cried the girl, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you," bowed the boy, removing his cap from his head. "I am glad you can now see me for who I truly am, Sammy. I wish you wouldn't remember me as the monkey boy, but as my true self."

"I like you both ways, and since you were always Kukiri in both forms, I shall love you dearly no matter what," said she, kissing the boy upon each cheek.

"You've been a fine friend, Sammy, and I shall miss you deeply," said he affectionately.

"Well, we can always meet again in the Kingdom of Dreams, I suppose," said Sammy thoughtfully.

"That is true."

"And now, Prince Kukiri, I shall return you to your homeland of Waxille," said Glinda.

The girl and boy embraced once more, for they had become fast friends and did not wish to part. But they knew that they must return to their own homes, for it was where they belonged, and Kukiri finally approached Glinda the Good and announced that he was ready to return to Waxille.

"Then turn and look upon little Sammy one more time, and you will be in your home country in an instant," said the good witch.

Kukiri obeyed, and as he looked upon Sammy, he vanished from sight in a wink.

The girl was almost in tears, for she missed him already, and Dorothy did all in her power to console her.

"Will you send Sammy home now?" asked Dorothy of Glinda.

"Ozma wishes that she leave from the Emerald Kingdom, for she wants to thank Sammy for her service personally," said Glinda. "If you would, please return to the Emerald City with Sammy, Dorothy. Cheer up, my dear," said she to Sammy. "For soon you will be home again."

This thought made Sammy less grieved, and so she went with Dorothy to the carriage and they traveled back to the Emerald City where they met Ozma in the Royal Throne Room.

###### XXIII. Dreams Come True

"I guess you must be ready to get back to your home in California," said Dorothy to Sammy once they had seated themselves upon one of the velvet-cushioned seats in the throne room before Ozma.

"Yes," replied the girl. "I'm certain my parents must be pretty worried about me by now."

Ozma then stood from the throne and approached Sammy and helped her to rise. Kissing her on each cheek, she placed an emerald figurine in her hand. It was in the shape of the Emerald Kingdom, with the symbol of Oz as its base, and said the girlish ruler:

"This is a gift for your service to the country of Oz. Keep it with you, little dreamer, and remember that you shall always be a friend of the Ozites."

"Thank you!" cried Sammy with appreciation. "Though I'm not certain I deserve such honor."

"Oh, but we never could have defeated Kaleendeen without you," objected Dorothy. "We owe all of Oz to you."

"Well, the emerald figure is good enough," said the girl with a modest smile.

"And now your dream shall be granted, Sammy," said Ozma tenderly. "Though we love you dearly and wish nothing more than for you to remain in Oz, we understand that you must return to your home in the mortal world."

"Thank you," said Sammy graciously. "This land of Oz is indeed a wonderful place with many queer and unusual folks who are all delightful in their own way. It's funny, for I never thought a fairyland could be real, and thought I could only have such an adventure in my dreams. Now that I know of Oz, I wonder if I'll ever be able to dream in the same way again."

"Oh, don't stop dreaming, Sammy," said Dorothy sternly. "Even people in fairyland's dream, you know. Reality is grand, after all, but a good imagining can be just as fun, and sometimes more. Besides, I don't think anyone who doesn't dream could ever travel to a fairyland. You just have to dream in a fairyland. Isn't that right, Ozma?"

"It is very true," agreed the ruler of Oz. "I think you would make a fine citizen of Oz, dear, if you wished to stay."

"I couldn't leave my parents," said the girl fervently, "so I just must return to California. But I guess I'll come back here every time I lay down to dream."

"Yes, for a fairyland is only a dream brought to life," acknowledged Ozma.

"Then I suppose I am ready to return home," said the girl, and she flattened out her clothes and took a deep breath. "Will it hurt?"

"You shan't feel a thing," insisted Ozma, and with a wave of her silver wand the girl was transported back to the little cottage in the forest with the little dainty brook in California where her parents would be waiting.

"I wonder if she made it back home safely?" wondered Dorothy.

"You may look in my magic picture, Princess Dorothy, if you really wish to know," suggested Ozma.

"That's a good idea, Ozma!" cried Dorothy, who ran to grab the picture which showed any scene in all the world that one wished to see upon it.

When she returned, the image of the girl's cottage was visible within the frame, and Dorothy and Ozma watched as the girl raced inside the little building and greeted her parents, who were at first so astonished that they toppled backwards and fell to the floor. But then they picked themselves up and hugged and kissed the girl a hundred times and more, with tears of gratitude in their eyes, and Sammy was just as elated to be reunited with them.

"I guess her dream finally came true," said Dorothy thoughtfully.

"I am glad for that, for the little dreamer certainly deserved it," said Ozma, pleased.

"I was quite fond of her, Ozma. I think she may have been as good a friend as Betsy or Trot are to me now, and I think she would have fit in wonderfully here in Oz."

"Not everyone who finds their way to Oz can stay, my dear," replied the girl ruler.

"I don't guess so," sighed Dorothy. "Though I'm sure it takes a good deal of work for anyone to find their way here, it was even harder for Sammy to find her way back home, and that was as good a reward for her troubles as anything."

"You too went on similar journey when you first arrived in Oz," mused Ozma. "And though you met many friends and were loved dearly by all, chose to return to your home just the same. Perhaps Sammy will find her way back to Oz the same way you did, Dorothy dear."

"I'm sure it's pos'ble, Ozma," the princess supposed.

"After all," said Ozma, "she is a dreamer, and I am certain that if she wishes it to be, all her dreams shall be granted."

"I hope so," nodded Dorothy with a smile. "As for me, my dream has always been to live in Oz, ever since the day that the great twister happened to drop me in the Munchkin Country; and now that I'm here to stay, I'm quite certain that dreams really do come true!"

The End

