<h2 id="c12"><span class="smaller">Chapter 12</span> <br/>The Delicious Sea of Soup</h2>
<p>“Strange that we don’t see any houses,” puffed
Kabumpo, swinging along rapidly.</p>
<p>“I hear water,” answered Pompa, peering out over
Kabumpo’s head, “and there it is!”</p>
<p>Rippling silver under the rays of the moon, which
shone brightly, lay a great inland sea. The trees had
thinned out, and a smooth, sandy beach stretched down
<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">161</span>
to the shore. A slight mist hung in the air and all
around was the delicious fragrance of vegetable soup.</p>
<p>“Somebody’s making soup,” sighed the Prince,
“but who, and where?”</p>
<p>“Never mind, Pompa,” wheezed the Elegant Elephant,
walking down to the water’s edge, “perhaps
you can catch some fish, and while you cook them I’ll
go back and eat some leaves.”</p>
<p>With a jerk of his trunk, Kabumpo pulled a length
of the heavy silver thread from his torn robe and
handed it up to Pompa. Fastening a jeweled pin to
one end, the Prince cast his line far out into the waves.
At the first tug he drew it in.</p>
<p>“What is it?” asked the Elegant Elephant, as
Pompa pulled the dripping line over his trunk.</p>
<p>“Oh, how delicious! How wonderful!” exclaimed
the once fastidious Prince of Pumperdink.</p>
<p>Kabumpo could hear him munching away with
relish.</p>
<p>“What is it?” he asked again.</p>
<p>“A carrot! A lovely, red, delightful, tender carrot!”</p>
<p>“Carrot! Who ever heard of a sea carrot?” grunted
Kabumpo. “I’m afraid you’re not yourself, my boy.
Let me see it.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_162">162</div>
<p>Snaps and crunches, as Pompa consumed his strange
catch, were the only answer, and in real alarm the
Elegant Elephant moved away from the shore, and in
doing so bumped against a white sign, stuck in the
sand.</p>
<p>“Please Don’t Fall In,” directed the sign politely,
“<i>It Spoils The Soup</i>.”</p>
<p>“Soup!” sputtered Kabumpo. Then another sign
caught his eye: “<i>Soup Sea—Salted To Taste—Help
Yourself</i>.”</p>
<p>“Come down—come down here directly!” cried the
Elegant Elephant, snatching the Prince from his back.
“Here’s the soup—a whole sea full. Now all you need
is a bowl.”</p>
<p>Swallowing convulsively the last bit of carrot,
Pompa stood staring out over the tossing, smoking
soup sea. Every now and then a bone or a vegetable
would bob out of the waves, and the poor hungry
Prince of Pumperdink thought he had never seen a
more lovely sight in his life.</p>
<p>“We’ll probably be awarded a china medal for
this,” chuckled the Elegant Elephant. “Won’t old
Pumper’s eyes stick out when we tell him about it?
But now for a bowl!”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_163">163</div>
<p>Swinging his trunk gently, Kabumpo walked up the
white beach, and had not gone more than a dozen steps
before he came to a cluster of huge shells. He turned
one over curiously. “Why, it’s a soup bowl,” whistled
the Elegant Elephant. He rushed back with it to
Pompadore, who still stood dreamily surveying the
soup.</p>
<p>“I never thought I’d be so thrilled by a common
soup bowl,” thought Kabumpo, staring at the Prince
in amusement. He stepped out on a rock and dipped
up a bowl of the hot liquid.</p>
<p>“Here! Drink!” commanded the Elegant Elephant,
handing the bowl to the Prince. “Drink to the Proper
Princess and the future Queen of Pumperdink.”</p>
<p>“Don’t go,” begged the Prince between gulps, “I
shall want two—three—several!”</p>
<p>Kabumpo laughed good naturedly. “This is the
pleasantest thing that has happened to us. Here!
Have another!”</p>
<p>Then both Pompa and the Elegant Elephant gasped,
for out of the bubbling waves arose the most curious
figure that they had ever seen—the most curious and
the jolliest. He was made entirely of soup bones, and
his head was a monster cabbage, with a soup bowl set
jauntily on the side for a cap. For a cabbage head he
sang very well and this was the song to which he kept
time by waving a silver ladle:</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_164">164</div>
<div class="verse">
<p class="t0">“Ho! I am the King of the Soup Sea,</p>
<p class="t">Yes, I am the King of the Deep;</p>
<p class="t0">My crown is a bowl and my sceptre a ladle,</p>
<p class="t0">I fell in the soup when I fell from the cradle,</p>
<p class="t">And find it exceedingly cheap!</p>
</div>
<div class="verse">
<p class="t0">I stir it up nightly, and pepper it rightly—</p>
<p class="t">A liquid perfection you’ll find.</p>
<p class="t0">And here is a roll, sirs,</p>
<p class="t0">So fill up your bowl, sirs,</p>
<p class="t">And think of me after you’ve dined.”</p>
</div>
<p>When he came to “dined,” the Soup King gave a
playful leap and disappeared backward into the
waves.</p>
<p>Pompa rubbed his eyes and looked at Kabumpo to
see whether he had been dreaming.</p>
<p>“Oh!” cried Kabumpo, his eyes as round as little
saucers. Floating gently toward them were two
large, crisp, buttered rolls.</p>
<p>“The most charming King I’ve ever met,” chuckled
Kabumpo, scooping up the rolls and handing them to
Pompa.</p>
<p>Pompa, staring dreamily ahead, first took a drink of
soup, then a nibble of roll, too happy for speech. Four
times the Elegant Elephant refilled the bowl. Then,
his stomach full for the first time since they had left
Pumperdink, the Prince stretched himself out on the
sands.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_165">165</div>
<p>“Now,” puffed the Elegant Elephant ceremoniously,
“if you think you’ve had quite enough, I’ll
snatch a few bites myself.” Chuckling softly he made
his way back to some young trees, and dined luxuriously
off their tops.</p>
<p>When he returned to the beach, Pompa was fast
asleep, and for a few moments Kabumpo was inclined
to sleep himself. “But then,” he reflected, “Ozma
may require a lot of coaxing before she consents to
marry Pompa, and two of our precious seven days are
gone. It is plainly my duty to save Pumperdink.
Besides, when Pompa is married he will be King of
Oz! Then I, the Elegant Elephant, will be the biggest
figure at Court.”</p>
<p>Kabumpo threw up his trunk and trumpeted softly
to the stars. Then, giving himself a big shake and a
little stretch, he lifted the sleeping Prince to his
back and started on again. In about two hours he had
circled the Soup Sea and, guiding himself by a particularly
bright and twinkling star, ran swiftly and
steadily toward the South.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_166">166</div>
<p>As the first streaks of dawn appeared in the sky,
Kabumpo passed through a quaint little Gilliken village.
He snatched a bag of rolls from a doorstep and
stuck them into his pocket, but he did not stop, and
so fast asleep was the little village that except for a
few wideawake roosters, no one knew how important
a person had passed through.</p>
<p>The sky grew pinker and pinker. You have no idea
how pink the morning skies in Oz can be. Just as the
sun got out of bed, the Elegant Elephant came to the
wonderful Emerald City itself, shining and fairylike
as a dream under the lovely colors of sunrise. Kabumpo
paused and took a deep breath. Even he was
impressed, and it took a good bit to impress him. He
reached back and touched Pompa with his trunk.</p>
<p>“Wake up, my boy,” whispered Kabumpo in a trembling
voice. “Wake up and put on your crown, for
we have come to the city of your Proper Princess.”</p>
<p>Pompa sat up and rubbed his eyes in amazement.
Without a word, he took the crown Kabumpo handed
up to him, and set it on his scorched, golden head.
Accustomed as Pompa was to grandeur, for Pumperdink
is very magnificent in its funny old-fashioned
way, he could not help but gasp at Ozma’s fair city.
The lovely green parks, the houses studded with
countless emeralds, the shining marble streets, filled
the Prince with wonder.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_167">167</div>
<p>“I don’t believe she’ll ever marry me,” he stuttered,
beginning to feel quite frightened at his boldness.</p>
<p>“Nonsense,” wheezed Kabumpo faintly. He was
beginning to have misgivings himself. “Sit up now!
Look your best, and I’ll carry you straight into the
palace gardens.”</p>
<p>No one was awake. Even the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers lay snoring against a tree, so that
Kabumpo stole unobserved into the Royal Gardens.</p>
<p>“I don’t see the palace,” whispered Pompa anxiously.
“Wouldn’t it show above the trees?”</p>
<p>“It ought to,” said Kabumpo, wrinkling up his forehead.
“But look! Who is that?”</p>
<p>Pompa’s heart almost stopped, and even Kabumpo’s
gave a queer jump. On a golden bench, just ahead,
sat the loveliest person either had seen in all of their
eighteenth birthdays.</p>
<p>“Ozma,” gasped the Elegant Elephant, as soon as
he had breath enough to whisper. “What luck! You
must ask her at once.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_168">168</div>
<p>“Not now,” begged the Prince of Pumperdink, as
Kabumpo unceremoniously helped him to the ground.
His knees shook, his tongue stuck to the roof of his
mouth. He had never proposed to a Fairy Princess
before in his whole life. Then all at once he had an
idea. Slipping his hand into the Elegant Elephant’s
pocket, he drew out the magic mirror. “I’ll see if
she’s a princess,” stuttered Pompa.</p>
<p>The elephant shook his head angrily but was afraid
to speak again lest he disturb the quiet figure on the
bench.</p>
<p>“And I’ll not propose unless she is the one,” said
Pompa, tip-toeing toward the bench. Without making
a sound he suddenly held the mirror before the startled
and lovely lady.</p>
<p>“Glinda, good Sorceress of Oz,” flashed the mirror
promptly.</p>
<p>“Great gooseberries!” cried Glinda, springing to her
feet in alarm and swinging around on Pompa. “Where
did you come from?” After studying a whole day and
night in her magic books, Glinda had returned to the
Emerald City to try to perfect her plan for rescuing
Ozma.</p>
<p>“From Pumperdink, your Highness,” puffed Kabumpo,
lunging forward anxiously. He, too, had seen
the words in the mirror and the fear of offending a
Sorceress made him quake in his skin—which was
loose enough to quake in, dear knows!</p>
<p>“A thousand pardons!” cried the Prince, dropping
on one knee and taking off his crown. “We were
seeking Princess Ozma, the Fairy Ruler of Oz.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_169">169</div>
<p>Glinda looked from Kabumpo to the Prince and
controlled a desire to laugh. The Elegant Elephant’s
torn and scorched robe hung in rags from his shoulders
and his jeweled headpiece was dangling over one ear.
Pompa’s clothes were equally shabby and his almost
bald head with a lock sticking up here and there gave
him a singular and comical appearance.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_179.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="392" /></div>
<p>“Pumperdink?” mused Glinda, tapping her foot
thoughtfully. Then, like a flash she remembered the
entry in the Book of Records—“The Prince of Pumperdink
is journeying toward the Emerald City.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_170">170</div>
<p>“Why did you want to see Ozma?” asked Glinda
anxiously. Perhaps these two strangers could throw
some light on the mysterious disappearance of the
Royal Palace.</p>
<p>“Our country was threatened with disappearance
and I thought—”</p>
<p>“He thought Ozma might help us,” finished the
Elegant Elephant breathlessly. He did not believe in
telling strange Sorceresses about everything. Now if
Glinda had not been so occupied with the disappearance
of the palace and all the dearest people in Oz,
she might have been more curious about the disappearance
of Pumperdink. As it was she just shook
her head sadly. “I’m afraid Ozma cannot help you,”
she said, “for Ozma herself has disappeared—Ozma
and everyone in the palace.”</p>
<p>“Disappeared!” trumpeted the Elegant Elephant,
sitting down with a thud. “Great Grump! The
thing’s getting to be a habit!”</p>
<p>What was to become of Pompa now? Would he
never be King, nor he, Kabumpo, ever be known as
the most Elegant Elephant in Oz? Had they made
the long journey in vain?</p>
<p>“Where? When?” gasped Prince Pompadore.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_171">171</div>
<p>“Night before last,” explained Glinda. “I’ve been
consulting my magic books ever since but have only
been able to discover one fact.”</p>
<p>“What is that?” asked Kabumpo faintly.</p>
<p>“That they are in Ev,” said Glinda, “and that a
giant carried them off. I came here early this morning
to see whether I could discover anything new.
Would you care to see where the castle stood?”</p>
<p>“Did he carry the castle off, too?” shuddered
Pompa. Glinda nodded gloomily and led them over
to the great hole in the center of the gardens.</p>
<p>For a minute she stood watching them. Then,
glancing at a golden sun dial set in the center of a
lovely flower bed, she murmured half to herself, “I
must be off!” Next instant she clapped her hands and
down swept a shining chariot drawn by white swans.</p>
<p>“Good-bye!” called Glinda, springing in lightly.
“I’m off to Ev to try my magic against the giant’s.
Wait here and when I’ve helped Ozma perhaps I can
help you!”</p>
<p>“Can’t we help? Can’t we go?” cried Pompa, running
a few steps after the chariot, but Glinda, already
high in the air, did not hear him and in the wink of
an eye the chariot and its lovely occupant had melted
into the pink morning clouds.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_172">172</div>
<p>“Now what shall we do?” groaned the Prince, letting
his arms drop heavily at his sides.</p>
<p>“Do!” snorted Kabumpo. “The thing for you to do
is to act like a Prince instead of a Gooch! There are
other ways of getting to Ev than by chariot.”</p>
<p>The thought of Kabumpo in Glinda’s chariot made
Pompa smile in spite of himself.</p>
<p>“There! That’s better,” said the Elegant Elephant
more pleasantly.</p>
<p>“Now, what’s to hinder us from going to Ev and
rescuing Princess Ozma? She couldn’t help marrying
you if you saved her from a giant, could she?”</p>
<p>“But could I save her—that’s the question,” muttered
the Prince, looking uneasily at the yawning
cavity where the castle had stood. “This giant must
be a terrible fellow!”</p>
<p>“Pooh!” said Kabumpo airily. “Who’s afraid of
giants? I’ll wind my trunk around his leg and pull
him to earth. Then you can dispatch the villain. We
must get you a sword, though,” he added softly.</p>
<p>“All right! I’ll do it!” cried the Prince, throwing
out his chest. The very thought of killing a giant
made him feel about ten feet high. “Do you know the
way to Ev, Kabumpo? We’ll have to hurry, because
unless I marry Ozma before the seven days are up my
poor old father and mother and all of Pumperdink will
disappear forever.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_173">173</div>
<p>You see, even Pompa had now got it into his head
that Ozma was the Proper Princess mentioned in the
scroll.</p>
<p>“We’ll start at once,” sighed the Elegant Elephant
a bit ruefully. “I’ve had no sleep and precious little
to eat but when you are King of Oz you can reward
old Kabumpo as he deserves.”</p>
<p>“Everything I have will be yours,” cried the
Prince, giving the elephant, or as much of him as he
could grasp, a sudden hug. Then each took a long
drink from one of the bubbling fountains and, munching
the rolls Kabumpo had picked up in the Gilliken
village, the two adventurers stole out of the gardens.</p>
<p>As they reached the gates, Kabumpo paused and
his little eyes twinkled with delight. There lay the
Soldier with the Green Whiskers, snoring tremendously
and beside him was a long, sharp sword with
an emerald handle. “Just what we need,” chuckled
Kabumpo, snatching it up in his trunk. Then out
through the gates and swiftly through the still sleeping
city swept the Elegant Elephant and the Prince
of Pumperdink, off to rescue Princess Ozma, a prisoner
in Ev!</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_174">174</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_184.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="500" height-obs="481" /></div>
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