t is?)

"Three Blind Mice--uh--hah--Three Blind--Mice--uh-hah--I can't sing
another note! Thu--ree--!" gasped poor Dorothy, stumbling along,
while the Cowardly Lion was puffing like an engine. The Pokes in the
garden had recovered from their first alarm and were following at a
safe distance. The gates of the city were only a short distance off,
but it seemed to Dorothy that she could not go another step.

A large group of Pokes had gathered at the gates, and unless they
could sing their way through, they would fall asleep and be carried
ignominiously back to the castle.

"Now!" wheezed Sir Hokus, "Remember, it is for the Scarecrow!" All of
them swallowed, took a deep breath, and put their last remaining
strength into their voices. But a wily Poke who had stuffed some
cotton in his ears now approached pushing a little cart.

"Take--!" he drawled, and before Dorothy realized what she was doing,
she had accepted a cone from the Poke.

"Hah, hoh, hum! Why, it's hokey pokey!" spluttered Dorothy, and with
a deep sigh of delight she took a large bite of the pink ice cream.
How cool it felt on her dry throat! She opened her mouth for a second
taste, yawned terrifically, and fell with a thud to the stone
pavement.

"Dorothy!" wailed Sir Hokus, stopping short in his song and bending
over the little girl. The poor Cowardly Lion gave a gulp of despair
and began running around the two, roaring and singing in a choked
voice. The Pokes nodded to each other in a pleased fashion, and the
Chief Poker started cautiously toward them with a long, thick rope.
The Cowardly Lion redoubled his efforts. Then, seeing Sir Hokus about
to fall, he jumped on the Knight with all his strength. Down crashed
Sir Hokus, his armor clanging against the stones that paved the
gateway.

"Sing!" roared the Cowardly Lion, glaring at him fiercely. The fall
wakened the poor Knight, but he had not the strength to rise. Sitting
on the hard stones and looking reproachfully at the Cowardly Lion, he
began his ballad in a half-hearted fashion. The Cowardly Lion's heart
was like to burst between lack of breath and fear, but making one
last tremendous effort and still roaring his song, he bounded at the
Chief Poker, seized the rope, and was back before the stupid creature
had time to yawn.

"Tie it around your waist; take Dorothy in your arms!" gasped the
Cowardly Lion out of the corner of his mouth. Sir Hokus, though
completely dazed, had just enough presence