<h2 id="c16"><span class="smaller">Chapter 16</span> <br/>Kabumpo Vanquishes The Twigs</h2>
<p>“Do you think you were alive before?” asked Kabumpo,
squinting down his long trunk at Peg
Amy. She had begged him to take off his plush robe
and, spreading it on the grass, was beating it briskly
with the branch of a tree.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_212">212</div>
<p>“Yes,” sighed the Wooden Doll, pausing with uplifted
stick and regarding Kabumpo solemnly, “I must
have been alive before ’cause I keep remembering
things.”</p>
<p>“What kind of things?” asked the Elegant Elephant,
rubbing himself lazily against a tree.</p>
<p>“Well, this for instance,” said Peg, holding up a
corner of the purple plush robe. “I once had a dress
of it. I’m sure I had a dress of this stuff.”</p>
<p>“When you were a little doll?” asked Kabumpo
curiously.</p>
<p>“No,” said Peg, giving the robe a few little shakes,
“before that. And I remember this country, too, and
the sun and the wind and the sky. If I’d only been
alive one day I wouldn’t remember them, would I?”</p>
<p>“Queer things happen in Oz,” said Kabumpo comfortably.
“But why bother? You are alive and very
jolly. You are traveling with the most Elegant Elephant
in Oz and in the company of a Prince. Isn’t
that enough?”</p>
<p>Peg Amy did not reply but kept on beating the
plush robe with determined little thumps and staring
off through the trees with a very puzzled expression
in her painted blue eyes. They had traveled swiftly
all morning through the fertile farmlands of the
Winkies and had paused for lunch in this little grove.
Peg, not needing food, and Kabumpo, finding plenty
of tender branches handy, had remained together
while Wag and the Prince sought more nourishing
fare.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_213">213</div>
<p>Many a little Winkie farmer had stared in amazement
as Peg and Pompa passed that morning but so
fast did Kabumpo and Wag travel that before the
Winkies were half sure of what they had seen there
was nothing but a cloud of dust to wonder over and
exclaim about.</p>
<p>“If you had a pair of scissors, I could cut off the
burned part of your robe and make it more tidy,” said
Peg, when she had finished beating the dust out of
Kabumpo’s gorgeous blanket.</p>
<p>“There might be a pair in my pocket,” said the
Elegant Elephant. “Here, let me get them,” he added
hastily. “For suppose she should look into the Magic
Mirror,” he thought suddenly. “It might tell her
something terrible!”</p>
<p>Even in this short time Kabumpo had grown fond
of queer wooden Peg and careless as he was somehow
he did not want to hurt her feelings again. Sure
enough, there was a pair of silver scissors in with the
jewels he had tumbled into his pocket before leaving
Pumperdink. So Peg carefully cut away all the
scorched part of Kabumpo’s robe and pinned under
the rough edges with three beautiful pearl pins.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_214">214</div>
<p>“Now lift me up into that small tree and I’ll drop
it over you,” she laughed gaily. This Kabumpo did
quite easily and after Peg Amy had smoothed and adjusted
the robe, she crept out on the end of the branch
and straightened the Elegant Elephant’s pearl head
dress and brushed all the dust from his forehead with
a handful of damp leaves.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_224.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="412" /></div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_215">215</div>
<p>“You’re a good girl, Peg,” said Kabumpo, sighing
with contentment. “I don’t care whether you never
were alive before or not, you’ve more sense than some
people who’ve lived for centuries. I’m going to give
that gnome something on my own account. Dared to
shake you, did he? Well, wait till I get through shaking
him!”</p>
<p>“It didn’t hurt,” said Peg reflectively, “but it ruined
all my clothes. Do you think Prince Pompadore
minds having me look so shabby?”</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_225.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="399" /></div>
<p>Kabumpo shifted about uneasily. “Will this help?”
he asked sheepishly, pulling a lovely pearl necklace
from his pocket. “Ozma doesn’t need everything,”
he muttered to himself.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_216">216</div>
<p>“Oh! How perfectly pomiferous!” cried Peg. “Lift
me down so I can try it on.” In a trice Kabumpo
swung her down from the tree and awkwardly Peg
Amy clasped the chain about her wooden neck. Then
she flung both arms round Kabumpo’s trunk. “You’re
the biggest darling old elephant in Oz!” cried Peg
happily.</p>
<p>Kabumpo blinked. He was accustomed to being
called elegant and magnificent but no one—not even
Pompa—had ever called him an old darling before
and he found he liked it immensely.</p>
<p>While Peg ran to look at her reflection in a small
pool he resolved to get the Wooden Doll a position at
Court, for, in spite of her stiff fingers, Peg was very
deft and clever. “And she shall have a purple plush
dress too,” said Kabumpo grandly.</p>
<p>Just then Pompa and Wag returned in a high good
humor. The Prince had tapped on the door of a small
farm house and the little Winkie lady had been most
hospitable. Not only had she given the Prince all he
could eat, but she had allowed Wag to go into the
garden and pick two dozen of her best cabbages. His
size had greatly astonished her and she had insisted
upon measuring him twice with her yellow tape measure
but finally, without revealing the purpose of their
journey, the two managed to get away. As all were
now refreshed and rested, they decided to start on
again.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_217">217</div>
<p>“We ought to reach Ev by evening,” puffed Wag,
between hops.</p>
<p>“But I wish we could open the Magic Box,” sighed
Peg, holding on to Wag’s ear, “for in that box there’s
Flying Fluid!”</p>
<p>“We’d make a remarkably nice lot of birds,” chuckled
Kabumpo, looking over his shoulder, “now
wouldn’t we?”</p>
<p>“You would,” laughed Pompa. “What else was in
the box, Peg?”</p>
<p>It was hard to talk while they were being jolted
along, but Peg, being of wood, did not feel the bumps
and Pompa, being a Prince, pretended not to, so that
they continued their conversation in jerky sentences.</p>
<p>“There’s Vanishing Cream, a little tea kettle and
some kind of rays and a Question Box,” said Peg, holding
up her wooden hand. “A Question Box that answers
any question you ask it.”</p>
<p>“There is!” exclaimed Kabumpo, stopping short.
“Well, I wish we could ask it whether Pumperdink
has disappeared.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_218">218</div>
<p>“And how to rescue Ozma, and who sent the scroll!”
cried Pompa. “Oh, do let me try to open it, Peg!”</p>
<p>So Peg handed over Glegg’s Magic Box and as they
pounded along the Prince tried to pry it open with
his pearl pen knife. “It would save us such a lot of
trouble,” he murmured, holding it up and screwing
his eye to the keyhole.</p>
<p>“Better let it alone,” advised Wag, wiggling his
ears nervously. “Suppose you should grow as big for
you as I am for me. Suppose you should explode or
vanish!”</p>
<p>“Vanish!” coughed Kabumpo. “Great Grump!
Put it away, Pompa. Wait till we reach Ev and make
that wicked little Ruggedo open it for us. Who is
this Glegg, anyway?”</p>
<p>“A lawless magician, I guess,” said Wag, “or he
wouldn’t have owned a box of Mixed Magic. Ozma
doesn’t allow anyone to practice magic, you know.”</p>
<p>“Why, I’ll bet he was the person who sent the
scroll!” exclaimed the Prince suddenly. “Don’t you
remember, Kabumpo, it was signed J. G.?”</p>
<p>“Not a doubt in the world,” rumbled Kabumpo.
“I’ll throw him up a tree when I catch him and Ruggedo,
too!”</p>
<p>“Oh, please don’t,” begged Peg Amy. “Perhaps
they are sorry.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_219">219</div>
<p>“Not half as sorry as they will be,” wheezed Kabumpo,
plowing ahead through the long grass like a
big ferryboat under full steam.</p>
<p>Wag hopped close behind and Peg kept her eyes
fixed upon Pompa’s back. In spite of his scorched
head, he seemed to Peg the most delightful Prince
imaginable.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_231.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="441" /></div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_220">220</div>
<p>“I’ll brush off his cloak and cut his hair all evenly,”
thought Peg. “Then, perhaps Ozma will say <i>yes</i> when
he tells her his story and asks for her hand. But I
wonder what will become of me,” Peg sighed ever so
softly and looked down with distaste at her wooden
hands and torn old dress. Nothing very exciting could
happen to a shabby Wooden Doll.</p>
<p>“Why, I haven’t even any right to be alive,” she
reflected sadly. “I’m only meant to be funny. Well,
never mind! Perhaps I can help Pompa and maybe
that’s why I was brought to life.”</p>
<p>This thought, and the gleam of the lovely pearls
Kabumpo had given her, so cheered Peg that she
began to hum a queer, squeaky little song. The country
was growing rougher and more hilly every minute.
The sunny farmlands lay far behind them now and as
Peg finished her song they came to the edge of a queer,
dead-looking forest. The trees were dry and without
leaves and there were quantities of stiff bushes and
short stunted little trees standing under the taller
ones.</p>
<p>Peg had an odd feeling that hundreds of eyes were
staring out at them but the forest was so dim that
she couldn’t be sure. There was not a sound but the
crackling of the dead branches under Wag’s and Kabumpo’s
feet.</p>
<p>“I don’t like this,” choked Wag. “My wocks and
hoop soons! What a pleerful chase!”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_221">221</div>
<p>“It isn’t very cheerful,” shivered Peg. “Oh, look,
Wag! That big tree has eyes!” At Peg’s remark the
tree doubled up its branches into fists and stepped
right out in front of them. At the same instant all
the other trees and bushes moved closer, with dry
crackling steps.</p>
<p>“Now we have you!” snapped the tallest tree in a
dreadful voice.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_232.jpg" alt="“Now we have you!” snapped the tallest tree in a dreadful voice" width-obs="606" height-obs="799" /> <p class="caption">“<span class="sc">Now we have you!” snapped the tallest tree in a dreadful voice</span></p> </div>
<p>“Now we have you!” crackled all the other skitter-witchy
creatures, crowding closer.</p>
<div class="verse">
<p class="t0">“Pigs, pigs, we’re the twigs;</p>
<p class="t0">We’ll tweak your ears and snatch your wigs!”</p>
</div>
<p class="pnindent">they shouted all together. One taller than the rest
leaned over and seized Wag by the ear with its
twisted fingers.</p>
<p>“Help!” screamed Wag, kicking out with his hind
legs. Immediately Kabumpo began laying about
with his trunk.</p>
<p>“Stand back!” he trumpeted angrily, “or I’ll trample
you to splinters.”</p>
<p>Pompa stood up on Kabumpo’s back and began to
wave his sword threateningly. At this the ugly creatures
grew simply furious. They snatched at the
Prince with their long, claw-like branches, tearing at
his sadly scorched hair and almost upsetting him.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_222">222</div>
<p>“Stop! Stop!” cried Peg Amy, waving her wooden
arms frantically. “Don’t hit him. He’s going to be
married. Hit me, I’m only made of wood!”</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare hit her!” shrilled Pompa, slicing off
the branch head of the nearest Twig. “I am a Prince
and she is under my protection. Don’t touch her!”</p>
<p>By this time Kabumpo had cleared himself a space
ahead and Wag a space behind. Every time Kabumpo’s
trunk flew out, a dozen of the queer crackly
Bushmen tumbled over forward and every time Wag’s
heels flew out a dozen crumpled over backward.
Pompa kept his sword whirling and, after several had
lost top branches, the whole crowd fell back and began
grumbling together.</p>
<p>“Now then!” puffed Kabumpo angrily, “let’s make
a dash for it, Wag. Come on; we’ll smash them to
kindling wood!”</p>
<p>“What’s all this commotion?” cried a loud voice.
The Twigs fell back immediately and a bent and
twisted old tree hobbled forward.</p>
<p>“Strangers, your Woodjesty,” whispered a tall
Twig, waving a branch at Kabumpo.</p>
<p>“Well, have you pinched them?” asked the King in
a bored voice.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_223">223</div>
<p>“A little,” admitted the tall Twig nervously, “but
they object to it, your Woodjesty.”</p>
<p>“Well, what if they do?” rasped the King tartly.
“Don’t be gormish Faggots. You know I detest gormishness.
It seems to me you might allow my people
a little innocent diversion,” he grumbled, turning to
Pompa, “they don’t get much pleasure!”</p>
<p>“Pleasure!” gasped the Prince, while Kabumpo and
Wag were so astonished that they forgot to fight.</p>
<p>“What does he mean by gormish?” whispered Peg
uneasily to Wag. Before he could answer, the Twigs,
who evidently had decided not to be gormish, made a
rush upon the travelers. But Kabumpo was ready for
them with uplifted trunk. With a furious trumpet he
charged straight into the middle, Wag at his heels,
with the result that the Twigs went crackling and
snapping to the ground in heaps.</p>
<p>“All we need is a match,” grunted Kabumpo, pounding
along unmindful of the scratching and clawing.
“They’re good for nothing but kindling wood.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be gormish,” he screeched scornfully, as he
flung the last Twig out of his way and Wag and he
never stopped till they had put a good mile between
themselves and the disagreeable pinchers.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_224">224</div>
<p>“Are you hurt?” asked Kabumpo, stopping at last
and looking around at Pompa. “If we keep on this
way you won’t be fit to be seen—much less to marry.
Let’s have a look at you.” He lifted the Prince down
carefully and eyed him with consternation. The
Prince had seven long scratches on his cheek and his
velvet cloak was torn to ribbons.</p>
<p>“I declare,” spluttered the Elegant Elephant explosively,
“you’re a perfect fright. I declare, it’s a
grumpy shame!”</p>
<p>“Well, don’t be gormish,” said the Prince, smiling
faintly and wiping his cheek with his handkerchief.</p>
<p>“Let me help,” begged Peg Amy, falling off Wag’s
back. “Ozma won’t mind a few scratches and what
do clothes matter? Anyone would know he was a
Prince,” she added, taking Pompa’s cloak and regarding
it ruefully.</p>
<p>Pompa smiled at Peg’s earnestness and made her
his best bow but Kabumpo still looked anxious.
“Everyone’s not so smart as you, Peg,” he sighed
gloomily. “But come along. The main thing is to
rescue Ozma and after that perhaps she won’t notice
your scratches and torn cloak. She’ll think you got
them fighting the giant,” he finished more hopefully.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_225">225</div>
<p>With a few more of Kabumpo’s jeweled pins Peg
repaired Pompa’s cloak. Then, after tying up Wag’s
ear, which was badly torn, they started off again.</p>
<p>“What worries me,” said Wag, twitching his nose
very fast, “what worries me is crossing the Deadly
Desert. We’re almost to it, you know.”</p>
<p>“Never cross deserts till you come to ’em,” grunted
Kabumpo, with a wink at Peg Amy.</p>
<p>“Oh, all right,” sniffed Wag, “but don’t be gormish.
You know how I detest gormishness!”</p>
<p>While Pompa and Peg were laughing over these last
remarks a most terrible rumble sounded behind them.</p>
<p>“Now what?” trumpeted Kabumpo, turning about.</p>
<p>“Sheverything’s mixed hup!” gulped Wag, putting
back his ears. “Hold on to me, Peg!”</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_237.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="469" /></div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_226">226</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_238.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="500" height-obs="481" /></div>
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