Page:The Royal Book of Oz.djvu/40

 to measure his words!" cried the Scarecrow, snapping his clumsy fingers. "And that's a good one if I did make it myself. I must remember to tell it to Dorothy!"

Then he sobered quite suddenly, for the thought of Dorothy brought back the purpose of his journey. Interrupting the Rattlesnake in the midst of a new riddle he explained how anxious he was to return to the little farm where he had been discovered and try to find some traces of his family.

"And the real riddle," he sighed, with a wave toward the rushing stream, "is how to cross this river."

"That's easy and no riddle at all," rumbled the A-B-Sea Serpent, who had been listening attentively to the Scarecrow's remarks. "I'll stretch across and you can walk over." Suiting the action to the word he began backing very cautiously toward the river so as not to shake the Scarecrow off his feet.

"Mind your P's and Q's!" called the Rattlesnake warningly. It was well that he spoke, for the A-B-Sea Serpent had doubled the P and Q blocks under and they were ready to snap off. Finally, however, he managed to make a bridge of himself and the Scarecrow stepped easily over the blocks, the huge