Ervic
was growing nervous.

"What do you want?" the ape asked at last.

"Nothing," said Ervic.

"You may have that!" retorted the ape, and at this all the strange
creatures in the room broke into a chorus of cackling laughter.

Another long wait.

"Do you know who I am?" questioned the ape.

"You must be Reera the Red--the Yookoohoo," Ervic answered.

"Knowing so much, you must also know that I do not like strangers. Your
presence here in my home annoys me. Do you not fear my anger?"

"No," said the young man.

"Do you intend to obey me, and leave this house?" "No," replied Ervic,
just as quietly as the Yookoohoo had spoken.

The ape knitted for a long time before resuming the conversation.

"Curiosity," it said, "has led to many a man's undoing. I suppose in
some way you have learned that I do tricks of magic, and so through
curiosity you have come here. You may have been told that I do not
injure anyone, so you are bold enough to disobey my commands to go
away. You imagine that you may witness some of the rites of witchcraft,
and that they may amuse you. Have I spoken truly?"

"Well," remarked Ervic, who had been pondering on the strange
circumstances of his coming here, "you are right in some ways, but not
in others. I am told that you work magic only for your own amusement.
That seems to me very selfish. Few people understand magic. I'm told
that you are the only real Yookoohoo in all Oz. Why don't you amuse
others as well as yourself?"

"What right have you to question my actions?"

"None at all."

"And you say you are not here to demand any favors of me?"

"For myself I want nothing from you."

"You are wise in that. I never grant favors."

"That doesn't worry me," declared Ervic.

"But you are curious? You hope to witness some of my magic
transformations?"

"If you wish to perform any magic, go ahead," said Ervic. "It may
interest me and it may not. If you'd rather go on with your knitting,
it's all the same to me. I am in no hurry at all."

This may have puzzled Red Reera, but the face beneath the lace cap
could show no expression, being covered with hair. Perhaps in all her
career the Yookoohoo had never been visited by anyone who, like this
young man, asked for nothing, expected nothing, and had no reason for
coming except curiosity. This attitude practically disarmed the witch
and she began to regard the Skeezer in a more friendly way. She knitted
for some time, seemingly in deep t