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CHAPTER 6 - SINGING THEIR WAY OUT OF POKES

Taking a deep breath, Sir Hokus, the Cowardly Lion and Dorothy burst out

of the hall singing at the top of their voices.

Three blind mice--!" sang Dorothy.

Across the plain!" shouted Sir Hokus.

I am the Cowardly Lion of Oz!" roared the lion.

The Pokes were so taken aback at the horrid sounds that they ran scurrying

right and left. In another minute the three were out of the castle and singing

their way through the gloomy garden. Dorothy stuck to the Three Blind

Mice. Sir Hokus sang verse after verse of an old English ballad, and the

Cowardly Lion roared and gurgled a song of his own making, which,

considering it was a first attempt, was not so bad:

I am the Cowardly Lion of Oz!

When I am scared full fierce I be;

Be good! Begone! Beware! Becoz

Br--rah--grr--ruff, look out for me!

The Pokes stumbled this way and that, and all went well until they rushed

into a company of Pokes who were playing croquet. The slowness with which

they raised their mallets fascinated Dorothy, and she stopped to watch them

in spite of herself.

Don't stop! Sing!" growled the Cowardly Lion in the middle of a line. To

make up for lost time, Dorothy closed her eyes and sang harder than ever,

but alas! next instant she fell over a wicket, which so deprived her of breath

that she could barely scramble up, let alone sing. As soon as she stopped

singing, the Pokes paused in their flight, and as soon as they paused

Dorothy began to gape. Singing for dear life, Sir Hokus jerked Dorothy by

the arm, and the Cowardly Lion roared so loud that the Pokes covered their

ears and began backing away.

"There was a Knight! Come on, come on!" sang Sir Hokus, and Dorothy

came, and in a few minutes was able to take up the "Three Blind Mice"

again. But running and singing at the same time is not an easy task. And

running through Pokes is like trying to run through water. (You know how

hard that 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

The Royal Book of Oz