Page:The Royal Book of Oz.djvu/317

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Chapter Twenty-Four

fell straight down toward the three unsuspecting beasts below. Draft! No wonder!

But Dorothy, never missed it and quite unconscious of such a calamity, anxiously talked over the Knight's predicament with the Scarecrow. They both decided that the best plan was to fly straight to the Emerald City and have Ozma release the Knight from the enchanted bean stalk.

"I'm sorry you got tangled up in my family tree, old fellow," said the Scarecrow, after they had flown some time in silence, "but this makes us relations, doesn't it?" He winked broadly at the Knight.

"So it does," said Sir Hokus jovially. "I'm a branch of your family now. Yet, methinks I should not have swallowed that bean."

"Bean?" questioned Dorothy, "what bean?" The Knight carefully explained how he had plucked a handful of red beans from the bean stalk just before reaching the top of the tube and how he had eaten one.

"So that's what started you growing!" exclaimed Dorothy in surprise.

"Alas, yes!" admitted the Knight. "I've never felt more grown-up in my life," he finished solemnly; "an adventurous country this Oz!"

291