red? Nearer and nearer came the sounds
and then they seemed to be just the other side of the leaf that was
hugging him.

Suddenly the whole leaf toppled and fell, carrying the boy with it, and
while he sprawled at full length the folds slowly relaxed and set him
free. He scrambled quickly to his feet and found that a strange man was
standing before him--a man so curious in appearance that the boy stared
with round eyes.

He was a big man, with shaggy whiskers, shaggy eyebrows, shaggy
hair--but kindly blue eyes that were gentle as those of a cow. On his
head was a green velvet hat with a jeweled band, which was all shaggy
around the brim. Rich but shaggy laces were at his throat; a coat with
shaggy edges was decorated with diamond buttons; the velvet breeches
had jeweled buckles at the knees and shags all around the bottoms. On
his breast hung a medallion bearing a picture of Princess Dorothy of
Oz, and in his hand, as he stood looking at Ojo, was a sharp knife
shaped like a dagger.

"Oh!" exclaimed Ojo, greatly astonished at the sight of this stranger;
and then he added: "Who has saved me, sir?"

"Can't you see?" replied the other, with a smile; "I'm the Shaggy Man."

"Yes; I can see that," said the boy, nodding. "Was it you who rescued
me from the leaf?"

"None other, you may be sure. But take care, or I shall have to rescue
you again."

Ojo gave a jump, for he saw several broad leaves leaning toward him;
but the Shaggy Man began to whistle again, and at the sound the leaves
all straightened up on their stems and kept still.

The man now took Ojo's arm and led him up the road, past the last of
the great plants, and not till he was safely beyond their reach did he
cease his whistling.

"You see, the music charms 'em," said he. "Singing or whistling--it
doesn't matter which--makes 'em behave, and nothing else will. I always
whistle as I go by 'em and so they always let me alone. To-day as I
went by, whistling, I saw a leaf curled and knew there must be
something inside it. I cut down the leaf with my knife and--out you
popped. Lucky I passed by, wasn't it?"

"You were very kind," said Ojo, "and I thank you. Will you please
rescue my companions, also?"

"What companions?" asked the Shaggy Man.

"The leaves grabbed them all," said the boy. "There's a Patchwork Girl
and--"

"A what?"

"A girl made of patchwork, you know. She's alive and her name is
Scraps. And there's a Glass Cat--"

"Glass?" asked the