nt, I'm sure I'll be able to
do things like this all day long without becoming exhausted. Just give
me time."
"And in the meantime I have to look like a little orange elephant,"
sighed Tweaty. "I'm sure glad my mother can't see me right now!"
"But Tweaty's not the main issue right this minute," said Watts. "Not
that I am unsympathetic with his feelings or anything like that, but I
do sense a certain degree of urgency at getting to your Forest Monster
quickly. I'm sure that all of the Saber-Toothed Light-Bulbs will be
happy to go and see what we can do. We are always anxious to help good
folks like yourselves. And even though it isn't something I'm terribly
proud of, I can be very ferocious when I have a mind to be." As if to
prove his statement, Watts opened his mouth as wide as he could,
revealing the sharpest-looking teeth Ozma had ever seen. Indeed, his
teeth resembled sabres, which may have been the reason for their title.
Elephant shuddered in his skin. "I'm sure that a few of you would aptly
frighten the Forest Monster out of our forest," he said tremblingly.
"Hopefully out of Oz altogether!"
"Splendid," replied Watts. "Come, follow me. I know a short-cut that
will allow us to avoid the Gilligoggs. Not that I am afraid of the
Gilligoggs or anything. I just find them unpleasant to have to deal
with. Come this way, and we will soon be on our way to the Lunechien
Forest of Oz!"
CHAPTER 11
...AND HE SHOWS THEM PEARLY WHITES
As the little group, together with a party of five of the Saber-Toothed
Light-Bulbs, turned a bend in the road, they came upon a huge dried sea
bed. They could see for miles, and there was not a soul in sight.
"I think we're in uncharted territory," remarked Elephant, peering into
the distance. "I don't remember anyone ever mentioning this. But it
looks safe enough to cross. No more unpleasant surprises, I'm sure."
At that moment a deep disembodied voice said, "Dinnah iss serffed,
laddies and lassies, pliss shtep oop to da table."
Everyone turned around to see who was speaking, but could see no one.
Suddenly, several mounds of sand that they had not noticed before began
to quiver and slowly rise a couple of feet above the ground. The mounds
shook themselves and the sand fell off to reveal about fifty _Great
White Sharks_. They were not suspended above the ground as it first
seemed, but were supported with legs like an alligator.
This was a frightening scene to beho
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