<h2 id="c20"><span class="smaller">Chapter 20</span> <br/>The Proper Princess Is Found!</h2>
<p>“Is the mirror safe, and have you still got the gold
door knob?” asked Pompa, as the Country swung
out onto the Deadly Desert. “The Question Box said
I was to trust them, you know.”</p>
<p>“And by what right did Ozma take that box?”
wheezed Kabumpo irritably, as he felt in his pocket
to see whether the magic articles were still there.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_268">268</div>
<p>“That’s gratitude for you! We find Glegg’s box of
Mixed Magic and rescue her, and off she goes with all
our magic, leaving us to the tender mercies of a Runaway
Country!”</p>
<p>“You find the box!” shrilled Wag. “Well, I like
that!”</p>
<p>“Oh, what difference does it make?” groaned
Pompa, stretching out upon the ground. They were
all completely exhausted by the day’s adventures and
as cross as three sticks—all except Peg Amy, who
never was cross.</p>
<p>“I shall marry this Princess and save my country,
but I’m going away as soon as the wedding is over and
spend the rest of my life in travel,” announced Pompa
gloomily.</p>
<p>“Don’t blame you,” rumbled the Elegant Elephant
with a sniff.</p>
<p>“Ah, now!” laughed Peg. “That doesn’t sound like
you, Pompa. Why, maybe this Princess will be so
lovely you’ll want to carry her straight back to Pumperdink.”</p>
<p>“I think Princesses are a great bore,” said Wag
with a terrific yawn. “I prefer plain folks like Peg
and the Scarecrow.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_269">269</div>
<p>“You’re all hungry, that’s what’s the matter,”
chuckled the Wooden Doll. “When you’ve had some
supper you’ll be just as anxious to find the Princess of
Sun Top Mountain as you were to find Ozma. Here’s
the Winkie Country now, and there’s a star for good
luck.”</p>
<p>Peg waved toward the green fields with one hand
and toward the clouds with the other. It was dusk
now and just one star twinkled cheerily in the sky.</p>
<p>“I’ll set you down, but I’m not going away,” said
the Runaway Country determinedly, “for if that little
old gnome doesn’t turn up I’m going to catch you all
again.”</p>
<p>“Ozma never forgets. She’ll keep her promise,”
said Peg. “And you must do just as she told you to do
for she has some powerful magic and can send you
right back to where you came from.”</p>
<p>“Can she?” gulped the Country anxiously.</p>
<p>“You might wait a while, though,” suggested
Pompa darkly. “After I’ve seen this new Princess a
Runaway Country might be a very good thing.”</p>
<p>“Well, you can’t expect her to marry you if you
talk that way,” said Peg warningly, as the Country
came to a stop in a huge field of daisies.</p>
<p>“I’ll wait,” it said hopefully, as the four travelers
swung themselves down.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_270">270</div>
<p>“I wonder if we are in the North Central part,”
murmured Peg Amy, looking around anxiously. Now
it happened the Country had crossed the Deadly
Desert slantwise and although none of the party knew
it they were scarcely a mile from Sun Top Mountain.</p>
<p>“I see a garden!” cried Wag, twitching his nose
hungrily. “Come on, Prince, let”s find some supper.”
With head down and dragging his feet, Pompa followed
Wag. Kabumpo began jerking snappishly at
some tree tops and Peg Amy sat down to think.</p>
<p>“I wish,” thought the Wooden Doll, looking up at
the bright star, “I wish I might have asked the box
one little question.” Peg Amy looked so solemn that
Kabumpo stopped eating and regarded her anxiously.</p>
<p>“What’s the matter?” asked the Elegant Elephant
gruffly, for he quite counted on Peg’s cheerfulness.</p>
<p>“I was thinking about it again,” admitted Peg
apologetically. “About being alive before. I’m sure
I was alive before I was a doll, Kabumpo. I think I
was a person, like Pompa,” she continued softly.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_271">271</div>
<p>“You’re much better as you are,” said the Elegant
Elephant uneasily, for it had just occurred to him that
the Magic Mirror would tell Peg who she was as well
as the Question Box. But should he let her look in
it? That was the question. Poor, tired old Kabumpo
shifted from one foot to the other as he tried to make
up his mind. Two huge drops of perspiration ran
down his trunk. What good would it do? he reasoned
finally. Suppose it told something awful! It couldn’t
change her and it might make her unhappy. No, he
would not let Peg look in the mirror.</p>
<p>“How would you like to have this pearl bracelet?”
he asked in an embarrassed voice.</p>
<p>“Why, Kabumpo, I’d just adore it!” cried Peg,
springing up in a hurry. “And I’m not going to
worry about being alive any more, for everyone is so
lovely to me I ought to be the happiest person in Oz.”</p>
<p>“You are,” puffed Kabumpo, clumsily slipping the
bracelet on Peg’s wooden arm, “and if we ever get
back to Pumperdink you shall have as many silk
dresses as you want and—” The rest of the sentence
was smothered in a hug.</p>
<p>Peg Amy was growing fonder and fonder of pompous
old Kabumpo and by the time he had recovered
his breath Wag and the Prince came ambling back
together. They had found an orchard and a kitchen
garden and as they were no longer hungry, both were
more cheerful.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_272">272</div>
<p>“Let’s play scop hotch,” suggested Wag amiably.
“I’m tired of hunting Princesses.” There was a smooth
patch of sand under the trees and Wag hopped over
and began marking out the squares with his paw.</p>
<p>“Scop hotch!” laughed Pompa, While Peg gave a
skip of delight.</p>
<p>“Play if you want to,” wheezed Kabumpo, shaking
himself wearily, “I feel about as playful as a stone
lion. Besides, hop scotch isn’t an elephant game.”</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_290.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="400" /></div>
<p>Peg, Wag and Pompa began to hop scotch for dear
life. Peg often tumbled over, for it is hard to keep
your balance on wooden legs, but it was Peg who won
in the end and Wag crowned her with daisies.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_273">273</div>
<p>“I wish we could go on just as we are,” gasped
Pompa, mopping his face with his silk handkerchief.
“We’re all good chums and, if it weren’t for Pumperdink’s
disappearing, we might travel all over Oz and
have no end of adventures together.”</p>
<p>“Speaking of disappearing,” said Kabumpo, opening
one eye, for he had dozed off during the game, “I
suppose we’d better be starting if we’re to save the
Kingdom at all.”</p>
<p>“Good-bye to pleasure,” sighed Pompa, as Kabumpo
lifted him to his back. “Good-bye to everything!”</p>
<p>“Oh, cheer up,” begged Peg, settling herself on
Wag’s back.</p>
<p>“Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!” A large yellow bird
rose suddenly from a near-by bush and flapped its
wings over Pompa’s head. “Hurrah! Hurrah!”</p>
<p>“Shoo! Get away!” grumbled Kabumpo crossly.
“What are you cheering about?”</p>
<p>“She said to,” cawed the bird, darting over Peg
Amy’s head. “Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Let me
teach you how to be cheerful in three chirps. First,
think of what you might have been; next, think of
what you are; then think of what you are going to be.
Do you get it?” The bird put its head on one side and
regarded them anxiously.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_274">274</div>
<p>“He might have been King of Oz, instead of which
he is only a lost Prince, and he’s going to be married
to a mountain top Princess. Do you see anything
cheerful about that?” demanded Kabumpo angrily.
“Clear out! We’ll do our own cheering.”</p>
<p>“Shall I go?” asked the Hurrah Bird, looking very
crestfallen and pointing its claw at Peg Amy.</p>
<p>“Maybe you can tell us the way to Sun Top Mountain,”
said Peg politely.</p>
<p>“You can see it from the other side of the hill,”
replied the Hurrah Bird. “I’ll give you a few hurrahs
for luck. Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!”</p>
<p>“Oh, go away,” grumbled Kabumpo.</p>
<p>“Not till you look at my nest. Did you ever see a
Hurrah Bird’s nest?” he chirped brightly.</p>
<p>“Let’s look at it,” said Pompa, smiling in spite of
himself. The Hurrah Bird preened itself proudly as
they peered through the bushes. Surely it had the
gayest nest ever built, for it was woven of straw of
many colors, and hung all over the near-by branches
were small Oz flags. In the nest three little yellow
chicks were growing up into Hurrahs and they chirped
faintly at the visitors.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_275">275</div>
<p>“Remember,” called the Father Hurrah, as they
bade him good-bye, “you can always be cheerful in
three chirps if you think of what you <i>might</i> have been,
what you <i>are</i>, and what you are going to be. Hurrah!
Hurrah! Hurrah!”</p>
<p>“There’s something in what you’ve said,” chuckled
Wag. “Good-bye!”</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_293.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="600" height-obs="403" /></div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_276">276</div>
<p>The moon had come up brightly and even Kabumpo
began to feel more like himself. “There’s a lot to be
learned by traveling, eh, Wag?” He winked at the
rabbit, who was just behind him. “Let’s see—somersaults
for sums—never be gormish—and now, how to
be cheerful in three chirps. Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!”
The Elegant Elephant began to plow swiftly
through the daisy field, so that in almost no time they
reached the top of the little hill and as they did so
Peg gave a little scream of delight. As for the others,
they were simply speechless.</p>
<p>A purple mountain rose steeply ahead, and set like
a crown upon its summit was a glittering gold castle,
the loveliest, laciest gold castle you could imagine,
with a hundred fluttering pennants. All down the
mountain side spread its lovely gardens, its golden
arbors and flower bordered paths.</p>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_294.jpg" alt="At the top of the mountain the loveliest castle you could imagine" width-obs="574" height-obs="800" /> <p class="caption"><span class="sc">At the top of the mountain the loveliest castle you could imagine</span></p> </div>
<p>“I’ve seen it before!” cried the Wooden Doll softly,
but no one heard her. Pompa drew a deep breath, for
the castle, shimmering in the moonlight, seemed almost
too beautiful to believe.</p>
<p>“Whe-ew!” whistled Wag, breaking the silence.
“The Princess of Tun Sop Wountain must be wonderful.”</p>
<p>“Shall we start up now?” gasped Kabumpo, swinging
his trunk nervously.</p>
<p>“I don’t believe she’ll ever marry me. Let’s don’t go
at all,” muttered the Prince of Pumperdink in a
shaking voice.</p>
<p>“Oh, come on!” called Wag, who was curious to see
the owner of so grand a castle.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_277">277</div>
<p>“But we mustn’t go, Wag,” gasped Peg Amy. “How
would it look to have a shabby old doll tagging along
when he’s trying to talk to the Princess?”</p>
<p>“If Peg doesn’t go, I’m not going,” declared Pompa
stubbornly.</p>
<p>“You’re just as good as any Princess,” said Kabumpo,
“and I’m not going without you, either.”</p>
<p>As the Elegant Elephant refused to budge and
there seemed no other way out of it, Peg Amy finally
consented and the four adventurers started fearfully
up the winding path, almost expecting the castle to
disappear before they reached the top, so unreal did it
seem in the moonlight. There was no one in the garden
but there were lights in the castle windows. “Just
as if they expected us,” said the Elegant Elephant, as
they reached the tall gates. Pompa opened the gates
and next instant they were standing before the great
castle door.</p>
<p>“Shall we knock?” chattered Wag, his eyes sticking
out with excitement.</p>
<p>“No! Wait a minute,” begged the Prince, who was
becoming more agitated every minute.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_278">278</div>
<p>“Here’s the mirror and the door knob,” quavered
Kabumpo. “Didn’t the Question Box say to trust
them? Why, look here, Pompa, my boy, it fits!”
Clumsily, Kabumpo held up the glittering door knob
he had brought all the way from Pumperdink; then
he slipped it easily on the small gold bar projecting
from the door.</p>
<p>But instead of looking joyful Pompa groaned dismally.
He started to protest but Kabumpo had already
turned the knob and they found themselves in a
glittering gold court room.</p>
<p>“Now for the Princess,” puffed Kabumpo, looking
around with his twinkling little eyes. “Here, take the
mirror, Pompa.” The room was empty, although brilliantly
lighted, and the Prince stood uncertainly in the
very center. Suddenly, with a determined little cry,
Pompa rushed over to Peg Amy, who stood leaning
against a tall gold chair.</p>
<p>“Peg,” choked Pompa, dropping on his knees beside
the Wooden Doll, “I’ll have to find some other
way to save Pumperdink. I’m not going to marry
this Princess and have you taken away from me.
You’re a proper enough Princess for me and we’ll
just go back to Pumperdink and be—”</p>
<p>“The mirror! Look in the mirror!” screamed Wag,
who was sitting beside Peg Amy.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_279">279</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_297.jpg" alt="There stood Peg Amy, the Loveliest Little Princess in the world" width-obs="358" height-obs="600" /> <p class="caption"><span class="sc">There stood Peg Amy, the Loveliest Little Princess in the world</span></p> </div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_280">280</div>
<p>Unconsciously, Pompa had held out the gold mirror
and Peg, leaning over to listen, had looked directly
into it. Above Peg’s pleasant reflection in the mirror
they read these startling and important words:</p>
<div class="box">
<p class="center">This is Peg Amy, Princess of Sun Top Mountain.</p>
</div>
<p>While Pompa stared with round eyes the words
faded out and this new legend formed in the glass:</p>
<div class="box">
<p class="center">This is the Proper Princess.</p>
</div>
<p>“I always knew you were a Princess,” cried Wag,
turning a somersault.</p>
<p>The big rabbit had just come right-side-up, when a
still more amazing thing happened. The wooden body
of Peg melted before their eyes and in its place stood
the loveliest little Princess in the world. And yet,
with all her beauty, she was strangely like the old
Peg. Her eyes had the same merry twinkle and her
mouth the same pleasant curve.</p>
<p>“Oh!” cried Princess Peg, holding her arms out to
her friends. “Now I am the happiest person in Oz!”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_281">281</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/i_299.jpg" alt="(unlabelled)" width-obs="500" height-obs="497" /></div>
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