bisquous to the edge of
the Stinkfoot Nation. "I can't take you any further," he said. "My eyes
are already starting to water. I hope you can handle the stinkiness from
this point onward. It gets worse the closer you come to those guys."

Ozma thanked him and went on her way. Indeed, the smell was a potent
one. She could see why it would ward off any potential attackers. She
tried to hold her breath, but that was not something she could do
indefinitely. She tried holding her nose and breathing with her mouth,
but that was hardly a dignified pose for the Queen of all Oz. When the
stench became absolutely unbearable, she found herself face to face with
a little boy who sported the tiniest nose she could have imagined. It
was about the same size as that of a ladybug. His feet, on the other
hand, were enormous. "Who are you?" asked the lad.

"I amb Queen Ozba of Oz," she said with some difficulty. "I amb here to
visit with President Stinky McFoot of the Stinkfoot Nation."

"I thought your nose was too small to make you a Sniffer," he said. "But
it is sure a lot bigger than any Stinkfoot's. Hey, why are you holding
it like that?"

"I'mb afraid that I'mb having a hard time dealing with the sbell of the
stinkweeds," she explained, not wanting to hurt the boy's feelings by
mentioning his feet, which Ozma felt certain were the real source of the
offensive smell. She believed that it would be better to avoid any
statement that might be taken as a gesture of insult.

"The stinkweeds?" replied the boy. "But they are delicious. They are our
primary food."

This was not going very well, and the little Queen was already feeling
nauseated by the stench. She would not be able to take much time
explaining her situation before she became physically ill. This
proposed a problem, as she had never known illness to exist in Oz.
Still, it was a matter that would require a bit of research. "I bust see
your President," she sniffled uneasily. "Can you take be to himb?"

"Of course," said the boy simply, taking a handful of the stinkweeds and
eating it. "I can take you to his mansion, anyway. I don't know if he'll
want to talk. He is preparing to fight the Sniffers for control of the
fertile lands, and is very busy with that right now."

"That's just the thing," said Ozma. "I need to discuss that batter with
himb."

"Well," said the boy, "you are the Queen. Follow me."

Ozma followed the lad as quickly as she could under the circumstanc