“Well, my hocks and woop soons!” cried the rabbit indignantly. “Isn’t anyone going to punish him? He shook and shook Peg and he meddled with magic and blew up into a giant. He’s run off with the palace. Doesn’t he deserve a pounding?”
“Friend,” said the Scarecrow, “I admire your spirit but my excellent brains tell me that this is a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But have we the ounce of prevention?”
“Here’s the Question Box,” announced Peg, who had run off at Kabumpo’s first call. “What shall we ask it first?”
“How to save the lovely Princess of Oz,” spoke up Pompa, running his hand over his scorched locks. “Where’s my crown, Kabumpo?”
Kabumpo fished the crown from his pocket and Pompa set it gravely upon his head as Peg asked the Question Box:
“How shall we save the lovely Princess of Oz?”
These maneuvers so astonished the Scarecrow that he lost his balance and fell flat on his nose. When he recovered Peg was clapping her wooden hands and Kabumpo was dancing on three legs.
“You’re as good as married, my boy!” cried Kabumpo, thumping the Prince upon the back.
“What is it? What’s happened?” gasped the Scarecrow.
“Why, the Question Box says to pour three drops of Trick Tea on Ruggedo’s left foot and two on his right and he will then march back to the Emerald City, descend into his cave and, after the palace has settled firmly on its foundations, he will shrink down to his former size,” read Peg Amy, holding the Question Box close to her eyes, for the printing was very small.