Kabumpo in Oz - Ruth Plumly Thompson (ebook reader android .TXT) 📗

Chapter 17 Meeting the Runaway Country

Everything was mixed up, indeed. Moving toward the little party of rescuers was a huge jagged piece of land, running along on ten tremendous feet and feeling its way with its long wiggly peninsula. The feet raised it several yards above the ground.

“If we crouch down maybe it will run over us,” panted Pompa, sliding down Kabumpo’s trunk.

“I don’t want to be run over,” shrilled Wag, beginning to hop in a frenzied circle.

“Stop!” cried the Land in a loud voice, as Wag and Kabumpo started to run.

“Better stop,” puffed Kabumpo, his eyes rolling wildly, “or it’ll probably fall on us.” Trembling in spite of themselves, they stood still and waited for the Land to approach.

“I’ve often heard of sailors hailing land with joy,” gulped Wag, “but this-well, how did it get this way?”

As the Runaway Country drew nearer, its peninsula fairly quivered with excitement and as it reached them it pulled up its front feet and tilted forward to get a better view. Its eyes were two small blue lakes and its mouth a broad bubbling river.

“I claim you by right of discovery,” cried the Land in its loud, river voice and before they could make any objection it scooped them up neatly and tossed them on a little hill.

“This is outrageous,” spluttered the Elegant Elephant, picking Peg out of some bushes. “We’ve been kidnapped!”

“Let’s jump off!” cried Wag, beginning to hop toward the edge.

“I wouldn’t do that,” said the Land calmly, “because I’d only run after you again. You might as well settle down and grow up with me. I’m not such a bad little Country,” it added quietly, “just a bit rough and uncultivated.”

“Well, what’s that got to do with us,” demanded Kabumpo, staring the Country right in its lake-eyes. “We’re on an important mission and we haven’t time for this sort of thing at all.”

“It’s a matter of saving a Princess,” cried Pompa impulsively. “Couldn’t you, please-”

“Let someone else save her,” said the Country indifferently, beginning to move off sideways like a crab. “You’re the first savages I’ve found and I’m going to keep you. Not that you’re what I’d pick out,” it continued ungraciously. “That wooden girl looks uncommonly odd and you two beasts are even queerer. But I’m liberal, I am, and the boy looks all right so far as I can see.

“But, look here,” panted Wag, twitching his nose very fast, “this is all wrong. Land is supposed to stand still, isn’t it? You’ve no right to discover us. We don’t want to be discovered. Put us off at once-do you hear?”

“Yes, I hear,” said the Runaway country gruffly. “And I’ve heard about enough. Don’t anger me,” it shrilled warningly. “Remember, I’m a wild, rough Country.”

“You’re the wildest Country I ever saw, groaned the Elegant Elephant, falling up against a tree. “And of all ridiculous happenings this is the worst!”

“Never mind,” whispered Peg Amy, standing on her tip toes to whisper in Kabumpo’s huge ear, it’s taking us in the right direction, and maybe, if we were very polite—?”

“Go ahead and try it,” wheezed Kabumpo, rolling his eyes. “I’m too upset.” He hugged the tree again.

So Peg climbed to the top of the little hill and, waving her wooden arms to attract the Country’s attention, called cheerfully:

“Yoho, Mr. Land! Where are you going?”

At first the Land only blinked his blue lake-eyes sulkily but, as Peg paid no attention to his ill temper and began making him pretty compliments on his mountains and trees, he gradually cheered up.

“I’m going to be an island,” he announced finally. “That’s where I’m going. I’m tired of being a hot, dry old undiscovered plateau and I don’t intend to stop till I come to the Nonestic Ocean.”

“Oh!” groaned Wag, falling over backwards. “We’re going to be cast away on a desert island.”

Peg held up a warning finger. “What made you want to run away and be an island?” she asked faintly for, even to Peg, things looked serious.

“Well,” began the Land, giving itself a hitch, “I lay patiently for years and years waiting to be discovered. Nobody came-not even one little missionary. I kept getting lonelier and lonelier. You see how broken up I am!”

“Yes, we can see that, all right,” sniffed Kabumpo.

“And I’m ambitious,” continued the Country huskily. “I want to be cultivated and built up like other Kingdoms. So, one day I made up my mind I wouldn’t wait any longer but would run off myself and discover some settlers. As I have ten mountains and each has a foot there seemed to be no reason why I shouldn’t run away, so I did-and I have!”

The Country rolled its lakes triumphantly at the little party on the hill. “I have found some settlers and I’m looking to you to develop me into a good, modern, up-to-Oz Kingdom. I’m a progressive Country and I expect you to improve and make something out of me,” it continued earnestly. “There’s gold to be dug out of my mountains, plenty of good farm land to be planted and cities to be built, and-”

“What do you think we are?” exploded Kabumpo indignantly. “Slaves?”

“He’ll get used to it in time,” said the Runaway Country, paying no attention to Kabumpo, “and he’ll be useful for drawing logs. Now you,” he turned his watery eyes full on Peg Amy, “you seem to be the most sensible one in the party, so I think I shall bestow myself upon you. Of course you’re not at all handsome nor regular, but from now on you may consider yourself a Princess and me as your Kingdom.”

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” said Peg Amy, hardly knowing what else to say. cried Wag, standing on his head. “I always knew you were a Princess, Peg my dear.”

“Oh, hush!” whispered Pompa. “Can’t you see it’s getting more reasonable? Maybe Peg can persuade it to stop.”

“If it doesn’t stop soon I’ll tear all its trees out by the roots,” grumbled Kabumpo under his breath. “Logging, indeed! Great Grump! Here’s the Deadly Desert!”

The air was now so hot and choking that Pompa flung himself face down on the cool grass. The Runaway Country did not seem to notice the burning sands and pattered smoothly along on its ten mountain feet.

“Something has to be done, quick,” breathed Peg, clasping her hands, “for soon we’ll be in Ev.”

Pompa, holding his silk handkerchief before his face, had come up beside her and they both looked anxiously for the first signs of the country that held Ruggedo and the giant who had run off with Ozma’s palace.

“Oh, Mr. Land,” called Peg suddenly.

“Yes, Princess,” answered the Country, without slackening its speed.

“Have you thought about feeding us?” asked the Wooden Doll gently. “I don’t see any fruit trees or vegetables or chickens and settlers must eat, you know. We ought to have some seeds to plant and some building materials, oughtn’t we, if we’re going to make you into an up-to-Oz Country?”

“Pshaw!” said the Runaway Country, stopping with a jolt, “I never thought of that. Can’t you eat grass and fish? There’s fine fish in my lakes.”

“Well, I don’t eat at all,” explained Peg pleasantly, “but Pompa is a Prince and a Prince has to have meat and vegetables and puddings on Sunday-”

“And I have to have lettuce and carrots and cabbages, or I won’t work!” cried Wag, thumping with his hind feet and winking at Kabumpo. “I’ll not dig a single mountain!”

“And I’ve got to have my ton of hay a day, too!” trumpeted the Elegant Elephant, “or I’ll not lug a single log. Pretty poor sort of a Country you are, expecting us to live on grass as if we were donkeys and goats.”

The Runaway Country rolled its lakes helplessly from one to the other. “I thought settlers always managed to get a living off the land,” it murmured in a troubled voice.

“Not us!” rumbled Kabumpo. “Not enough pie in pioneer to suit this party!”

“Has your Highness anything to suggest?” asked the Country, looking anxiously at Peg.

“Well,” said the Wooden Doll slowly, “suppose we stop at the first country we come to and stock up. We could get a few chickens and seeds and saws and hammers and things.”

“You’d run away,” said the Runaway Country suspiciously. “Not but what I trust you, Princess,” he added hastily, “but them.” He scowled darkly at Kabumpo and Wag. “I’ll not let them out of my sight.”

“How our little floating island loves us, chuckled Wag, nudging the Elegant Elephant.

“They won’t run away, said Peg softly. “And if they did you could easily catch them again.”

“That’s so; I’ll stop wherever you say,” sighed the Country, starting on again.

“What are you going to do?” whispered Pompa, catching Peg’s arm.

“I don’t know,” said Peg honestly, “but perhaps if we can make it stop something will turn up. We’re almost across the desert now and that’s a big help.”

“You’re wonderful!” cried Pompa, eyeing Peg gratefully. “How can I ever thank you?”

“Better get your sword ready,” said Peg practically, “for we may run into that giant any minute now.” Even Kabumpo and Wag had stopped making jokes and were straining their eyes toward Ev.

“Let’s all stand together!” gasped Wag breathlessly. Before Peg or Pompa had time to plan, or Kabumpo to reply, the Runaway Country stepped off the desert and swept over the border and into the Kingdom of Ev, making straight for a tall purple mountain.

“Do you see anything that looks like a giant, or a palace?” asked Peg, leaning forward.

“Oh, help!” screamed Wag just then, while Kabumpo gave an ear-splitting trumpet. Peg grasped Pompa and Pompa clutched Peg and no wonder! Directly in front of them were the legs and feet of the most terrible and tremendous giant they had ever imagined. He was sitting on the mountain itself and only a part of him was visible, for his head and shoulders were lost in the clouds.

“What’s the matter? What’s the matter?” rumbled the Runaway Country, tilting forward slightly so it could see. One look was enough. With a frightened jump, that sent the four travelers hurtling through the air, it began running backwards and in a moment was out of sight.

Peg was the first to recover her senses. Being wood, bumps didn’t bother her. She rose stiffly and gazed around her. Pompa’s feet were waving feebly from a small clump of bushes. Kabumpo stood swaying near by, while Wag lay over on his side with closed eyes.

“Oh, you poor dears!” murmured Peg, and running over to the bushes she pulled out the Prince of Pumperdink and settled him with his back against a tree. He was much shaken by his high dive from the island, but pulled himself together and patted Peg’s wooden hand kindly. By this time Kabumpo had gotten his bearings and came wobbling over.

“You’ve got a black eye, I see,” wheezed the Elegant Elephant bitterly

“Not so very black,” said Peg cheerfully. “Are you hurt, Kabumpo?”

The Elegant Elephant felt himself all over with his trunk. “Well, I’m not used to being flung about like a bean bag,” he said irritably. Then he lowered his voice hastily, as he caught another glimpse of those dreadful giant feet. “I’ll