peared; then the next two, and the next, and as each pair of legs
vanished his body shortened. All this while Polychrome was running
around him and chirping mystical words, and when all the young man's
legs had disappeared but two he noticed that the Canary was still busy
and cried out in alarm:

"Stop--stop! Leave me _two_ of my legs, or I shall be worse off than
before."

"I know," said the Canary. "I'm only removing with my magic the corns
from your last ten toes."

"Thank you for being so thoughtful," he said gratefully, and now they
noticed that Tommy Kwikstep was quite a nice looking young fellow.

"What will you do now?" asked Woot the Monkey.

"First," he answered, "I must deliver a note which I've carried in my
pocket ever since the witch, or fairy, or whatever she was, granted my
foolish wish. And I am resolved never to speak again without taking time
to think carefully on what I am going to say, for I realize that speech
without thought is dangerous. And after I've delivered the note, I shall
run errands again for anyone who needs my services."

So he thanked Polychrome again and started away in a different direction
from their own, and that was the last they saw of Tommy Kwikstep.

Jinjur's Ranch

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 11

As they followed a path down the blue-grass hillside, the first house
that met the view of the travelers was joyously recognized by the
Scarecrow Bear as the one inhabited by his friend Jinjur, so they
increased their speed and hurried toward it.

On reaching the place, however, they found the house deserted. The
front door stood open, but no one was inside. In the garden surrounding
the house were neat rows of bushes bearing cream-puffs and macaroons,
some of which were still green, but others ripe and ready to eat.
Farther back were fields of caramels, and all the land seemed well
cultivated and carefully tended. They looked through the fields for the
girl farmer, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Well," finally remarked the little Brown Bear, "let us go into the
house and make ourselves at home. That will be sure to please my friend
Jinjur, who happens to be away from home just now. When she returns, she
will be greatly surprised."

"Would she care if I ate some of those ripe cream-puffs?" asked the
Green Monkey.

"No, indeed; Jinjur is very generous. Help yourself to all you want,"
said the Scarecrow Bear.

So Woot gathered a lot of the cream-puffs that we