But the Wizard waved them impatiently aside and, throwing the royal robe he had carried all the way from Morrow about Humpy's shoulders, pushed him down upon the throne.
"All but seven leave the room," he ordered crisply and after a short delay the order was carried out. The seven who remained watched tensely as the Wizard approached the stuffed King. Popping two small crackers into his mouth, he gazed fixedly at the dummy. "I command you to assume your natural shape," choked the Wizard, throwing up his arms impressively.
"The King's himself! Long live the King!" shrieked Pajuka, falling flat upon his bill.
Everyone crowded forward to see what happened to Humpy—but the dummy remained as he was.
"Why he's not changed at all," cried Scraps scornfully, and the Patch Work Girl was perfectly right. Except for a slight slump to the left, Humpy had not even changed his position.
"Two ought to be eaten before seven! Two ought to be eaten before seven!" muttered the Wizard, beginning to pace anxiously up and down.
"Two what?" asked Snip. "Are you sure you've eaten the right thing? Mombi swallowed buttons."
"Well, I'm no ostrich and the foot note says two of anything," answered the little man, keeping his place in the book with his forefinger and gazing at the dummy in exasperation.
