1
The Shaggy Man of Oz
BY JACK SNOW
REILLY & LEE EDITION, COPYRIGHT 1949
CHAPTER 1
THE TWINS LOOK IN
"It just isn't fair," declared Tom, staring unhappily through the window at the heavy rain pelting the lawn and garden about the house.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, so we might as well make the best of it," replied Twink philosophically.
"But I wanted to go outdoors and play this afternoon. You know we have only a few more weeks until school starts. Besides, I'm sick and tired of this old house and of every single thing we have to play with."
Almost as if he understood Tom's words, Twoffle, the children's wooden clown, tumbled over on his head in the corner where he had been standing neglected. "Now look what you've done! You've hurt Twoffle's feelings," accused Twink reprovingly as she hastened to stand the funny little clown erect again in his corner of the room.
Twink was especially fond of Twoffle. The little wooden clown with his hinged joints and gaudily painted features and clothing had been a part of their lives almost as long as Twink could remember. He had taken part in many of their games, and being constructed of a fine grade of durable wood he had outlasted many other more fragile toys that had come and gone.
Twink and Tom were twins. They lived in a large, comfortable house in the city of Buffalo, New York, with their Mother and Father and Rosie the cook. This afternoon the house was very quiet. Twink's and Tom's father, Professor Jones, was at work at the University, where he taught young people all about electrons, atoms, molecu