“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 drops 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 like a flash was after him.
“Stop! Go away!” screamed Ruggedo.
“Why, it’s the old gnome!” cried the Wooden Doll in surprise. “The wicked old gnome who used to shake me all the time. Why, how small he is! I could pick him up with one hand!” She made a snatch at Ruggedo.
“Go away!” shrieked Ruggedo, ducking behind a rock. “Go away—there’s a dear girl,” he added coaxingly. “I didn’t shake you much—not too much, you know!”