ive us some breakfast?"

"A lot!" added the Cowardly Lion, licking his chops.

"It's safer for me to sing," said the Knight mournfully, and throwing
back his head, he roared in a high, hoarse voice:

"Don't yawn! Don't yawn!
We're out of breath--
Begone--BEGONE
Or die the death!"

The Cowardly Lion growled threateningly and began lashing his tail.

"If he weren't in a can, I'd eat him," he rumbled, "but I never could
abide tinned meat."

"He's not in a can, he's in armor," explained Dorothy, too interested
to pay much attention to the Cowardly Lion, for at the first note of
the Knight's song, the Pokes began scowling horribly, and by the time
he had finished they were backing out of the room faster than Dorothy
ever imagined they could go.

"So that's why the sign said don't sing," thought Dorothy to herself.
The air seemed clearer somehow, and she no longer felt sleepy.

When the last Poke had disappeared, the Knight sighed and climbed
gravely back on his stone chair.

"My singing makes them very wroth. In faith, they cannot endure
music; it wakens them," explained Sir Hokus. "But hold, 'twas food
you asked of me. Breakfast, I believe you called it." With an uneasy
glance at the Cowardly Lion, who was sniffing the air hungrily, the
Knight banged on his steel armor with his sword, and a fat, lazy Poke
shuffled slowly into the hall.

"Pid, bring the stew," roared Sir Hokus as the Poke stood blinking at
them dully.

"Stew, Pid!" he repeated loudly, and began to hum under his breath,
at which Pid fairly ran out of the room, returning in a few minutes
with a large yellow bowl. This he handed ungraciously to Dorothy.
Then he brought a great copper tub of the stuff for the Cowardly Lion
and retired sulkily.

Dorothy thought she had never tasted anything more delicious. The
Cowardly Lion was gulping down his share with closed eyes, and both,
I am very sorry to say, forgot even to thank Sir Hokus.

"Are you perchance a damsel in distress?"

Quite startled, Dorothy looked up from her bowl and saw the Knight
regarding her wistfully.

"She's in Pokes, and that's the same thing," said the Cowardly Lion
without opening his eyes.

"We're lost," began the little girl, "but--"

There was something so quaint and gentle about the Knight, that she
soon found herself talking to him like an old friend. She told him
all of their adventures since leaving the Emerald City and even told
about the