Silverman slid around the door, a huge silver drumstick upraised in
his right hand and a great drum hung about his neck.

The drummer beamed on the Scarecrow.

Chang Wang Woe, the Beautiful,
The Beautiful has come!
Sublime and silver Scarecrow,
Let sound the royal drum!

chanted the little man in a high, thin voice, and started to bring
the drumstick down upon the huge head of his noisy instrument.

"No you don't!" cried the Scarecrow, leaping forward and catching his
arm.

"I positively forbid it!"

"Then I shall have no work!" screamed the drummer, falling on his
face. "Ah, Gracious Master, don't you remember me?"

"Yes," said the Scarecrow kindly, "who are you?"

"Oh, don't you remember little Happy Toko?" wheezed the little man,
the tears rolling down his cheeks. "I was only a boy, but you used to
be fond of me."

"Why, of course, my dear Tappy," said the Scarecrow, not liking to
hurt the little fellow's feelings. "But why do you beat the drum?"

"It is customary to sound the drum at the approach of your Royal
Highness," put in the Grand Chew Chew importantly.

"Was customary," said the Scarecrow firmly. "My dear Tappy Oko, never
sound it in my presence again; it is too upsetting." Which was true
enough, for one blow of the drum sent the flimsy Scarecrow flying
into the air.

"You're dismissed, Happy," snapped the Grand Chew Chew. At this, the
little Silver Islander began weeping and roaring with distress.

"Stop! What else can you do besides beat a drum?" asked the Scarecrow
kindly.

"I can sing, stand on my head, and tell jokes," sniffed Happy Toko,
shuffling from one foot to the other.

"Very good," said the Scarecrow. "You are henceforth Imperial Punster
to my Person. Come along, we're going to look over the Island."

The Grand Chew Chew frowned so terribly that Happy Toko's knees shook
with terror.

"It is not fitting for a slave to accompany the Grand Chew Chew and
the Emperor," he hissed angrily.

The Scarecrow looked surprised, for the Kingdom of Oz is quite
democratic, and no one is considered better than another. But seeing
this was not the time to argue, he winked broadly behind the Grand
Chew Chew's back.

"I'll see you again, Tappy my boy," he called genially, and passed
out into the garden, where a magnificent silver palanquin, surrounded
by pikemen and shieldbearers, awaited him.

CHAPTER 8

THE SCARECROW STUDIES THE SILVER ISLAND

Two days