ven me by the famous Wizard of Oz."

"Then why is the A-B-Sea Serpent like a city?" asked the Rattlesnake
promptly.

The Scarecrow thought hard for several seconds.

"Because it is made up of blocks!" he roared triumphantly. "That's
easy; now it's my turn. Why is the A-B-Sea Serpent such a slow
talker?"

"Give it up!" said the Rattlesnake after shaking himself several
times.

"Because his tongue is a tape measure, and he has to measure his
words!" cried the Scarecrow, snapping his clumsy fingers. "And that's
a good one, if I did make it myself. I must remember to tell it to
Dorothy!"

Then he sobered quite suddenly, for the thought of Dorothy brought
back the purpose of his journey. Interrupting the Rattlesnake in the
midst of a new riddle, he explained how anxious he was to return to
the little farm where he had been discovered and try to find some
traces of his family.

"And the real riddle," he sighed with a wave of his hand, "is how to
cross this river."

"That's easy and no riddle at all," rumbled the A-B-Sea Serpent, who
had been listening attentively to the Scarecrow's remarks. "I'll
stretch across, and you can walk over." Suiting the action to the
word, he began backing very cautiously toward the river so as not to
shake the Scarecrow off his feet.

"Mind your P's and Q's!" called the Rattlesnake warningly. It was
well that he spoke, for the A-B-Sea Serpent had doubled the P and Q
blocks under, and they were ready to snap off. Finally, however, he
managed to make a bridge of himself, and the Scarecrow stepped easily
over the blocks, the huge serpent holding himself rigid. Just as he
reached Y, the unfortunate creature sneezed, and all the blocks
rattled together. Up flew the Scarecrow and escaped falling into the
stream only by the narrowest margin.

"Blockhead!" shrilled the Rattlesnake, who had taken a great fancy to
the Scarecrow.

"I'm all right," cried the Scarecrow rather breathlessly. "Thank you
very much!" He sprang nimbly up the bank. "Hope you have a pleasant
vacation!"

"Can't, with a rattlepate like that." The A-B-Sea Serpent nodded
glumly in the Rattlesnake's direction.

"Now don't quarrel," begged the Scarecrow. "You are both charming and
unusual, and if you follow that Yellow Road, you will come to the
Emerald City, and Ozma will be delighted to welcome you."

"The Emerald City! We must see that, my dear Rattles." Forgetting his
momentary displeasure, the A-B-Sea Serpent pulle