“But what are we going to do?” wailed Dorothy. “Suppose he leans over and spills us all out?”
“I shall take my sword,” said Sir Hokus, speaking very determinedly, and backing toward the window as he spoke, “climb down, and slay the villain.” He threw one leg over the sill.
“Come back!” cried Ozma. “Dear Sir Hokus, don’t you realize that if you kill Ruggedo he will fall down and break us to pieces? Besides, wicked as he is, I could not have him killed.”
“Yes, we should be all broken up if you did that,” sighed the Scarecrow. “We must try something else.”
Reluctantly, the Knight dropped back into the room. “Close the windows,” ordered Ozma with a little shudder.
“I’ve thought of a plan,” said Tik Tok, in his slow, painstaking way. “A ve-ry good plan.”
“Tell us what it is,” begged Dorothy. “And Oh, Tik Tok, hurry!”
“Eggs,” said the Copper Man solemnly.
“Oh!” gasped Dorothy, “I remember. Eggs are the only things in Oz that Ruggedo is afraid of; for if an egg touches a gnome he shrivels up and disappears.”
“Then where are the eggs?” demanded Sir Hokus gloomily. “In faith, this sounds more like an omelet than a battle. But if we’re to fight with eggs instead of swords, let us draw them at once.”