The Prince held up his long sword. “And if you can help us, I shall thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Pompa stretched out his hand impulsively.
“Well, that’s more like,” said Wag, pulling his ear thoughtfully. “And four heads are better than two!”
“Of course we’ll help you!” cried Peg Amy. “The trouble is, we don’t know ourselves how to open the magic box, but we do know that Ruggedo is in Ev and when we get there we will make him open the box and undo all this mischief.”
“You mentioned him before,” said Kabumpo, holding up his trunk. “Who is Ruggedo and what has he to do with Ozma?”
“Ruggedo is a wicked little gnome,” explained Peg Amy gravely. “He used to be King of the Gnomes but he was banished from his Kingdom and Ozma gave him a little cottage in the Emerald City. He pretended to live there, but instead he tunneled a cave right underneath the palace. Wag helped him dig.” Peg waved her hand at the rabbit. “And he was the only one who would stay with him. Then Ruggedo stole me. I was only a small, unalive doll, belonging to Trot, a little girl who lives with Ozma. Ruggedo stole me just to shake,” continued Peg shuddering.
“That’s why I’m going to pound his curly toes off!” screamed Wag, beginning to hop about at the very thought of Ruggedo.
“But how did you come to be so large and alive?” asked Kabumpo, who was growing more interested.
“Well, one night”—Peg dropped her voice to a whisper—“One night Ruggedo found this box of Mixed Magic hidden in the cave and then—”
“Then,” screamed Wag hoarsely, “in some way we don’t understand, Peg and I grew big, Peg came alive, the top blew off the cave—and depend upon it, whatever’s happened to Ozma and her palace happened from something in that box. It’s all Ruggedo’s fault. When I catch him”—Wag began to wiggle his nose and paw his whiskers—“my wocks and hoop soons! I’ll pound his curly toes off!”
“And I’ll help you!” cried Kabumpo heartily. He could not help but admire such spirit. “Come on—let’s start. You may ride on my back with Pompa if you care to,” finished the Elegant Elephant with a sidelong glance at Peg.