Nibbles. "That big old thing was ugly! And
it smelled awful!"

"Where's Fisher?" asked Elephant.

"I think the thingy ate her up after all."

"I sure hope not!"

"I'm fine," came the feline meow. "Is that beast gone away yet?"

"It has," answered the pachyderm. Oddly, neither Nibbles nor Tweaty felt
the slightest tinge of fear at the sight of the cat. In Oz, natural
enemies ofttimes become the dearest of friends. Indeed, Oz is a truly
remarkable land!

"I think I saw all nine of my lives flash before me that time!" said the
cat. "What in the heck _was_ that thing that had me?"

"I don't know," said Elephant. "But I hope we'll never see it again."

"But you have to rescue that poor little insect!" said an earthworm,
poking her head out of the ground. "Didn't you bozos hear what that
thing said about Lovebug? He's got her stuck in his sticky web, and he
is treating her like a slave and he's even making her--ugh!--kiss him!
How yucky can you get? You must save that poor little bug. She is a good
bug. Love is always good! Please help her. Please. I can't bear to think
of her in that predicament!"

"It's a stupid bug, for crying out loud!" said Tweaty. "Don't you think
that we have more important things to do than to go and save a stupid
bug?"

"But this is Oz, where everyone is equal," Nibbles pointed out. "Even a
cat like Fisher is our friend. In this fantastic country, I'd think that
even a tiny insect is not beneath our concern. I think we should save
her."

"Give me a break!" Tweaty said. "I'm not about to face that big ugly
Monster again for the sake of a cockroach!"

"She is not a cockroach," said the worm. "She is a kindly insect who
helps people in need to feel cared about. She has great powers to do
that for people. But that spider is misusing her powers and making her
serve him in a most wicked capacity against her will. He is abusing her
and she is probably miserable. How can you let him treat such a sweet
being in such an awful manner?"

"I, for one, am willing to try to help save Lovebug," said Elephant.

"Me too," said Nibbles.

"I think..."

Before Tweaty could finish his sentence, a loud scream was heard.
Hurrying toward the sound, they found Louie the Lobo with a pale
expression.

"What happened?" asked Elephant.

"Something took Tiger!" he said. "I didn't see who it was, but something
took him away while we were talking about the Tin Woodman. I don't know
who would do such a foul t