Kabumpo in Oz, Ruth Plumly Thompson [the snowy day read aloud TXT] 📗

“Been shaking you again, the old scrabble-scratch!” whispered the rabbit indignantly, “just ‘cause he couldn’t open that box. Well, never mind, Peg, I’m leaving today and as surely as I’ve ears and whiskers you shall go too!” Picking up the poor wooden doll Wag tucked her under his arm. Was it imagination, or did the little wooden face break into a sunny smile? It seemed so to Wag and, with a real thrill of pleasure, he tip-toed back to his room and began tossing his treasures into one of the bed sheets. He seated Peg in his own small rocking chair and from time to time he nodded to her reassuringly.

“We’ll soon be out now, my dear,” he chuckled, quite as if Peg had been alive. She often did seem alive to Wag. “Then we’ll see what Ozma has to say to this Mixed Magic,” continued the bunny, wiggling his ears indignantly. And so occupied was he collecting his treasures that he did not hear Ruggedo’s call and next minute the angry gnome himself stood in the doorway.

“What does this mean?” he cried furiously, pointing to the tied up sheet. Then he stamped his foot so hard that Peg Amy fell over sideways in the chair and all the ornaments in the room skipped as if alive.

The rabbit whirled ‘round in a hurry.

“It means I’m leaving you for good, you wicked little monster!” shrilled Wag, his whiskers trembling with agitation and his ears sticking straight out behind. “Leaving do you hear?”

Then he snatched Peg Amy in one paw and his treasures in the other and tried to brush past Ruggedo. But the gnome was too quick for him. Springing out of the room, he slammed the door and locked it. Wag could hear him rolling up rocks for further security.

“Thought you’d steal a march on old Ruggedo; thought you’d tell Ozma all his plans and get a nice little reward! Well, think again!” shouted the gnome through the keyhole.

Wag had plenty of time to think, for Ruggedo never came near the rabbit’s room all day. At every sound poor Wag leaped into the air, for he felt sure each blow could only mean the opening of the dreaded magic box. To reassure himself he held long conversations with the wooden doll and Peg’s calm cheerfulness steadied him a lot.

“I might dig my way out but it would take so long! My ear tips! How provoking it is!” exclaimed Wag. “But perhaps he’ll relent by nightfall!” Slowly the day dragged on but nothing came from the big rock room but thumps, grumbles and bangs.

“It is fortunate that you do not eat, Peg, dear,” sighed the rabbit late in the afternoon, nibbling disconsolately on a stale biscuit he had found under his bureau. “Shall you care very much if I starve? I probably shall, you know. Of course no one in Oz can die, but starving forever is not comfortable either.” At this the wooden doll seemed to shake her head, as much as to say: “You won’t starve, Wag dear; just be patient a little longer.” Not that she really said this, mind you, but Wag knew from her smile that this is what she was thinking.

It was hot and stuffy in the little rock chamber and the faint light that filtered down from the hole in the ceiling was far from cheerful. At last night came, and that was worse. Wag lit his only candle but it was already partly burned down and soon with a dismal sputter it went out and left the two sitting in the dark. Peg Amy stared cheerfully ahead but the rabbit, worn out by his long day of fright and worry, fell into a heavy slumber.

Meanwhile Ruggedo had worked on the magic box and every minute he became more impatient. All his poundings failed to make even a dent on the gold lid and even jumping on it brought no result. The little gnome had eaten nothing since morning and by nightfall he was stamping around the box in a perfect fury. His eyes snapped and twinkled like live coals and his wispy white hair fairly crackled with rage. Hidden in this box were magic secrets that would doubtless enable him to capture the whole of Oz but, klumping kaloogas, how was he to get at ‘em? He finally gave the gold box such a vindictive kick that he almost crushed his curly toes; then holding onto one foot, he hopped about on the other till he fell over exhausted.

For several minutes he lay perfectly still; then jumping up he seized the box and flung it with all his gnome might against the rock wall.

“Take that!” screamed Ruggedo furiously. There was a bright flash; then the box righted itself slowly and sailed straight back into Ruggedo’s hands and, more wonderful still, it was open’ With his eyes almost popping from his head, the gnome sat down on the floor, the box in his lap.

In the first tray were four golden flasks and each one was carefully labeled. The first was marked, “Flying Fluid”; “Vanishing Cream” was in the second. The third flask held “Glegg’s Instantaneous Expanding Extract,” and in the fourth was “Spike’s Hair Strengthener.”

Ruggedo rubbed his hands gleefully and lifted out the top tray. In the next compartment was a tiny copper kettle, a lamp and a package marked “Triple Trick Tea.” So anxious was Ruggedo to know what was in the last compartment that he scarcely glanced at Glegg’s tea set. Quickly he peered into the bottom of the casket. There were two boxes. Taking up the first Ruggedo read, “Glegg’s Question Box. Shake three times after each question.”

“Great Grampus!” spluttered the gnome, “this is a find!” He was growing more excited every minute and his hands shook so he could hardly read the label on the last box. Finally he made it out: “Re-animating Rays, guaranteed to reawaken any person who has lost the power of life through sorcery, witchcraft or enchantment,” said the label.

Well, did anyone ever hear anything more magic than that? Ruggedo glanced from one to the other of the little gold flasks and boxes. There were so many he hardly knew which to use first. “Flying Fluid and Vanishing Cream,” mused the gnome. Well, they might help after he had captured Oz, but he felt it would take more powerful magic than Flying Fluid and Vanishing Cream to capture the fairy Kingdom. Next he picked up the bottle labeled “Spike’s Hair Strengthener.” Anything that strengthened would be helpful, so, with one eye on the last bottle, Ruggedo absently rubbed some of the hair strengthener on his head. He stopped rubbing in a hurry and put his finger in his mouth with a howl of pain. The he jumped up in alarm and ran to a small mirror hanging on the wall. Every hair on his head had become an iron spike and the result was so terrible that it frightened even the old gnome. He flung the bottle angrily on the ground. But stop! He could butt his enemies with the sharp spikes! Comforting himself with this cheerful thought, Ruggedo returned to the magic box.

“Instantaneous Expanding Extract,” muttered the gnome, turning the bottle over carefully. “That ought to make me larger-and if I were larger-if I were larger!” He snapped his fingers and began hopping up and down. He was about to empty the bottle over his head when he suddenly reflected that it might be safer to try this powerful extract on someone else. But on whom?

Ruggedo glanced quickly around the cave and then remembered the wooden doll. He would try a little on Peg Amy and see how it worked. Turning the key he stepped softly into Wag’s room. Without wakening the rabbit, Ruggedo dragged out the wooden doll. Propping her up against the wall, the gnome uncorked the bottle of expanding fluid and dropped two drops on Peg Amy’s head. Peg was about ten inches high, but no sooner had the expanding fluid touched her than she shot up four feet and with such force that she lost her balance and came crashing down on top of Ruggedo, almost crushing him flat.

“Get off, you great log of wood!” screamed the gnome, struggling furiously. But this Peg Amy was powerless to do and it was only after a frightful struggle that Ruggedo managed to drag himself out. He started to shake Peg but as she was now four times his size he soon gave that up.

“Well, anyway it works,” sighed the gnome, rubbing his nose and the middle of his back. “I wonder how it would act on a live person? I’ll try a little on that silly rabbit,” he concluded, tip-toeing back into Wag’s room. Now Wag’s apartment was about seven feet square-plenty large enough for a regular rabbit-but two drop’s of the expanding fluid-and, stars! Wag was no longer a regular rabbit but a six-foot funny bunny, stretching from one end of the room to the other. He expanded without even waking up. Ruggedo had to squeeze past him in order to get out and, chuckling with satisfaction, the gnome hurried back to his box of magic. His mind was now made up. He would take Glegg’s Mixed Magic under his arm, go above ground and with the Expanding Fluid change himself into a giant. Then conquering Oz would be a simple matter.

It was all going to be so easy and amusing that Ruggedo felt he had plenty of time to examine the rest of the bottles and boxes. He rubbed some of the Vanishing Cream on a sofa cushion and it instantly disappeared. The box of Re-animating Rays, guaranteed to reawaken anyone from enchantment, interested the old gnome immensely, but how could he try them when there was no bewitched person about-at least none that he knew of? Then his eye fell on the Question Box. Why not try that? So, “How shall I use the Re-animating Rays?” asked Ruggedo, shaking the box three times. Nothing happened at first. Then, by the light from his emerald lamp, the gnome saw a sentence forming on the lid.

“Try them on Peg,” said the box shortly. Without thinking of consequences or wondering what the Question Box meant by suggesting Peg, the curious gnome opened the box of rays and held it over the huge wooden doll. For as long as it would take to count ten Peg lay perfectly still. Then, with a creak and jerk, she sprang to her feet.

“How perfectly pomiferous!” cried Peg Amy, with an awkward jump. “I’m alive! Why, I’m alive all over!” She moved one arm, then the other and turned her head stiffly from side to side. “I can walk!” cried Peg. “I can walk; I can skip; I can run!” Here Peg began running around the cave, her joints squeaking merrily at every step.

At Peg’s first move Ruggedo had jumped back of a rock, his every spike standing on end. Too late he realized his mistake. This huge wooden creature clattering around the cave was positively dangerous. Why, she might easily pound him to bits. Why on earth had he meddled with the magic rays and why under the earth should a wooden doll come to life? He waited till Peg had run to the farthest end of the cave; then he dashed to the magic casket and scrambled the bottles, the Trick Tea Set and the flasks back into place and started for the door that led to the secret passage as fast as his crooked little legs would carry him.

But he was not fast enough, for Peg heard and in a flash was after him.

“Stop! Go