Who and how? Who--You are, illustrious Sir, the Emperor Chang Wang
Woe, or to be more exact, his spirit!"

"I have always been a spirited person," observed the Scarecrow
dubiously, "but never a spirit without a person. I must insist on
being a person."

"How?" the Grand Chew Chew proceeded without noticing the Scarecrow's
remarks. "Fifty years ago--after your Extreme Highness had defeated
in battle the King of the Golden Islands--a magician entered the
realm. This magician, in the employ of this wicked king, entered a
room in the palace where your Highness lay sleeping and by an act of
necromancy changed you to a crocus!"

"Ouch!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, shuddering involuntarily.

"And had it not been for the Empress, your faithful wife, you would
have been lost forever to the Empire."

"Wife?" gasped the Scarecrow faintly. "Have I a wife?"

"If your Highness will permit me to finish," begged the Grand Chew
Chew with great dignity. The Scarecrow nodded. "Your wife, Tsing
Tsing, the beautiful, took the crocus, which was fading rapidly, and
planted it in a silver bowl in the center of this very hall and for
three days kept it fresh with her tears. Waking on the third morning,
the Empress was amazed to see in place of the crocus a giant bean
pole that extended to the roof of the palace and disappeared among
the clouds."

"Ah!" murmured the Scarecrow, looking up, "My family tree!"

"Beside the bean pole lay a crumpled parchment." The Grand Chew Chew
felt in the sleeve of his kimono and brought out a bit of crumpled
silver paper, and adjusting his horn spectacles, read slowly.

"Into the first being who touches this magic pole--on the other side
of the world--the spirit of Emperor Chang Wang Woe will enter. And
fifty years from this day, he will return--to save his people."

The Grand Chew Chew took off his specs and folded up the paper. "The
day has come! You have come down the bean pole, and are undoubtedly
that being who has gone from Emperor to crocus to Scarecrowcus. I
have ruled the Islands these fifty years; have seen to the education
of your sons and grandsons. And now, gracious and exalted Master, as
I am an old man I ask you to relieve me from the cares of state."

"Sons! Grandsons!" choked the Scarecrow, beginning to feel very much
alarmed indeed. "How old am I?"

"Your Highness," said the Grand Chew Chew with a deep salaam, "is as
old as I. In other words, you are in the ripe and glorious
eighty-f