the
punishment of his people with a bewildered look in his purple eyes.

"Shall I puncture the King?" the boy asked his companions.

King Bal must have overheard the question, for he fumbled with the cord
that fastened him to the throne and managed to release it. Then he
floated upward until he reached the leafy dome, and parting the
branches he disappeared from sight. But the string that was tied to his
body was still connected with the arm of the throne, and they knew they
could pull his Majesty down again, if they wanted to.

"Let him alone," suggested the Scarecrow. "He seems a good enough king
for his peculiar people, and after we are gone, the Loons will have
something of a job to pump up all those whom Woot has punctured."

"Every one of them ought to be exploded," declared Woot, who was angry
because his leg still hurt him.

"No," said the Tin Woodman, "that would not be just fair. They were
quite right to capture us, because we had no business to intrude here,
having been warned to keep away from Loonville. This is their country,
not ours, and since the poor things can't get out of the clearing, they
can harm no one save those who venture here out of curiosity, as we
did."

"Well said, my friend," agreed tile Scarecrow. "We really had no right
to disturb their peace and comfort; so let us go away."

They easily found the place where they had forced their way into the
enclosure, so the Tin Woodman pushed aside the underbrush and started
first along the path. The Scarecrow followed next and last came Woot,
who looked back and saw that the Loons were still clinging to their
perches on the trees and watching their former captives with frightened
eyes.

"I guess they're glad to see the last of us," remarked the boy, and
laughing at the happy ending of the adventure, he followed his comrades
along the path.

Chapter Five

Mrs. Yoop, the Giantess

When they had reached the end of the path, where they had first seen
the warning sign, they set off across the country in an easterly
direction. Before long they reached Rolling Lands, which were a
succession of hills and valleys where constant climbs and descents were
required, and their journey now became tedious, because on climbing
each hill, they found before them nothing in the valley below it except
grass, or weeds or stones.

Up and down they went for hours, with nothing to relieve the monotony
of the landscape, until finally, when they had to