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Ah!" said the Bumpy Man, nodding his bumpy head. "This," he announced, in

a solemn, impressive voice, "is the famous Land of Mo."

Oh!" exclaimed the sailor and the girl, both in one breath. But, never having

heard of the Land of Mo, they were no wiser than before.

I thought that would startle you," remarked the Bumpy Man, well pleased, as

he resumed his stirring. The Ork watched him a while in silence and then

asked:

Who may you be?"

Me?" answered the Bumpy Man. "Haven't you heard of me? Gingerbread and

lemon-juice! I'm known, far and wide, as the Mountain Ear."

They all received this information in silence at first, for they were trying to

think what he could mean. Finally Trot mustered up courage to ask:

What is a Mountain Ear, please?"

For answer the man turned around and faced them, waving the spoon with

which he had been stirring the kettle, as he recited the following verses in a

singsong tone of voice:

Here's a mountain, hard of hearing, That's sad-hearted and needs

cheering, So my duty is to listen to all sounds that Nature makes, So the

hill won't get uneasy-- Get to coughing, or get sneezy-- For this monster

bump, when frightened, is quite liable to quakes.

You can hear a bell that's ringing; I can feel some people's singing; But a

mountain isn't sensible of what goes on, and so When I hear a blizzard

blowing Or it's raining hard, or snowing, I tell it to the mountain and the

mountain seems to know.

Thus I benefit all people While I'm living on this steeple, For I keep the

mountain steady so my neighbors all may thrive. With my list'ning and my

shouting I prevent this mount from spouting, And that makes me so

important that I'm glad that I'm alive."

When he had finished these lines of verse the Bumpy Man turned again to

resume his stirring. The Ork laughed softly and Cap'n Bill whistled to himself

and Trot made up her mind that the Mountain Ear must be a little crazy. But

the Bumpy Man seemed satisfied that he had explained his position fully and

presently he placed four stone plates upon the table and then lifted the kettle

The Scarecrow of Oz