"Where am I? Where am I? WHO am I?" he mumbled in a frightened voice.
"Well, I don't know who you are, but I'm afraid you're in a pretty bad place," said Handy, straightening up to have a better look at her handiwork. "You're in the underground caverns of the King of the Silver Mountain, if you must know."
"Caverns!" beamed the gnome, his face breaking into a wide smile. "What's the matter with caverns? I LOVE caverns, why I used to live in one myself. And who did you say I was?"
"We don't know who you are," explained Nox, in a cautious voice. "A moment ago and before Handy took you in hand, you were nothing but a jug."
"A jug?" pondered the gnome pulling his beard thoughtfully. "You mean to say I was a JUG?"
"Maybe 'Was-a-jug's' your name," volunteered the Goat Girl, now quite interested in her transformation.
"No, not 'Was-a-jug' but something like a jug. Let me think—Bug, hug, chug, mug, pug, rug-RUG? That's it, THAT'S my name, Ruggedo!" shrieked the little gnome joyfully, "and now I know who I am!"
"Well, who are you?" inquired the Ox, stretching his royal nose down toward the whirling gnome.
"I, why, I am the most important King on the other side of the desert!" shouted Ruggedo exultantly. "I am the one and only Metal Monarch and Ruler of all the Gnomes! My caves and caverns under the mountains of Ev sparkle with jewels and precious stones, mined by my faithful workers, and my grand army of gnomes outnumbers any army in OZ." Proudly the ragged little King thumped himself upon the chest.